Introducing The Learning Net

The Learning Net is a Charity registered with the Charity Commission of the United Kingdom (Charity No. 1136221) established to provide Education and Cultural learning materials for English- and Russian- speaking immigrants to help them to become well informed and educated in their cultural and traditional heritage, so that they might integrate happily and positively with the communities which they join, to maintain their sense of belonging and friendship, and to spread Torah knowledge through email and the Internet to the wider public.

This is done through Sidra and Haftorah Sheets and topical Dinnim Sheets and sundry Torah material all of which is emailed to a growing list of subscribers each week, and also through our website called “Torah Online from The Yeshiva of Kishinev School, Moldova"  (www.yeshivaofkishinev.com)   (Just Google “Yeshiva of Kishinev” and you will get to it.  At present, the website is being reconstructed and therefore not really up to date, but there is enough there to see what things will be like once the work is completed, please G-d.)    All the material is in English, in Russian and now in German.  That is, every English page is available also in Russian and German translation.  A great deal of work has been done, ב"ה, but there is still much more to do.

These  Sheets are an account of the weekly Sidra and its Haftarah, culled from many Meforshim but much of it based on the writings and thinking of Rabbi Shimshon ben Raphael Hirsch, probably one of our greatest Commentators and thinkers of the last two hundred years or so, whose writings and ideas are eminently suited to our own times.

In addition to these Sidra and Haftorah Sheets, there are topical Dinnim Sheets which are sent out a few times a year at the same time as the Sidra and Haftorah Sheets.   Often, appended to the Sheets, there might be a story or an article pertaining to something in the Sidra or the Haftarah or the Dinnim Sheets.

Questions, comments and suggestions are always welcome and at the foot of each page is the email address to write to if anyone wishes to be added to our lists of Readers to receive these Sheets directly each week, and for any other feedback.   Conversely, to stop receiving these Sheets is as easy as pie — they can simply ask to be removed from the list.

As said, these Sidra and Haftorah Sheets are sent out by email to a growing list of hundreds of readers each week worldwide, to readers on all five continents and Boruch HaShem, it is  most gratifying to hear that more and more people find them interesting and useful.  

There are three lists, English, Russian and German, with some people on more than one list because they have friends who benefit from the Sheets in different languages.    As I mentioned to you, these Sheets are usually sent out early in the week because, I was told, there are groups of people who study them in their own Study Circles so as to be well-prepared for Shabbos.  Some of our readers have told us that they themselves teach groups of people using these learning materials as a basis for their teaching. 

Anybody anywhere, without any exclusion for whatever reason, is able to access all and any of these Sheets, all gratis and free of any charge, from our website and all persons can ask to be included on the email lists.    

For our Russian translations, we have a Kollel Yungerman, whom we pay at a fair and modest rate.  After he finished his schooling at the Migdal Ohr School in Moscow, he learned in Yeshivas Shaarey Torah in Manchester for more than six years, where he excelled in his Torah studies (and learned perfect English).    Today, ב"ה married with children, he lives in Erets Yisroel.  (Being a Muscovite, it is therefore no wonder that our Russian readers have complimented us on the high quality of the Russian translation.)  Our German translator lives in Frankfurt, Germany, and is likewise a young married Talmid Chochom.  The cost of firstly, the Kollel Yungerman Russian translator in Erets Yisroel and our German Talmid Chochom translator in Frankfurt, and secondly, the building of our website and maintaining it and making modifications as and when necessary — these two items are almost the only expenses that we have to fund and for which we ask for financial assistance in this great Mitzvah of spreading Torah and Yiddishkeit.  (My own work is done gratis.)

This Project, which has been going now for approximately ten years, ensures that quality Torah knowledge is provided to the many hundreds of people who benefit from it each week.  Besides that, through this Project, a truly worthy Kollel Yungerman in Erets Yisroel is receiving financial aid (he has confided in me that these payments are “a gift from Heaven” without which he simply would not manage to feed his family) as is also an earnest young Talmid Chochom in Frankfurt. 

Once the website is up and running, it is planned that it should be an interactive platform for further education and for helping people to integrate and feel happy and welcome in any community of humanity.  This way, "The Learning Net" will be part of the grand project to help to unite all people in the brotherhood of humanity and worldwide peace and harmony.

The monthly cost of these translations works out, on average, at approximately £300 per month but for some months it can be more and some months it can be less.  Last month, the cost for both translators was over one thousand pounds, although the month before, the payments totalled approximately £350. 

It would be an honour to acknowledge on the opening webpage of this Project and indeed, if so requested, a dedication in the name of any person or any people or organization or sponsor in particular will be gratefully accommodated.