From Torah Knowledge to Torah Impact
Chicago-area women educators are learning best practices in transforming Torah presentations into meaningful learning experiences that engage, inspire, and endure
Women’s Community Educator Training Cohort during June 2026 session at Walder Foundation office. Photo credit: Leah Graber Photography
For years, Meira Gershman has helped students discover the depth, beauty, and relevance of Torah learning. As a teacher at Hanna Sacks Bais Yaakov High School in Chicago and a beloved community educator, she is no stranger to standing before a classroom or sharing Torah with others.
But when she delivered a shiur (a class or lecture on a Torah-related topic) this summer at the NILI Chicago Institute of Women's Learning’s annual Yarchei Kallah in Skokie, attended by more than 100 women from across the Jewish community, the experience felt different.
Weeks earlier, Gershman had participated in a convening of the Women's Community Educator Training Cohort, a pilot program supported by Elizabeth Walder and Walder Foundation, and led by Rabbi Reuven Brand, founding Rosh Kollel of the Yeshiva University (YU) Torah Mitzion Kollel of Chicago and dean of the Midwest Center for Jewish Learning.
Drawing on the training program's practical tools for preparation, organization, and audience engagement, she approached the Yarchei Kallah shiur with a new level of confidence and intentionality.
"The preparation skills that I learned from the Women’s Community Educator Training were game changers," Gershman said. "I felt confident and prepared, and I think I delivered a much better shiur because of that."
What happened after delivering the shiur may be even more important.
"People didn't come to simply tell me that I did a good job,” she reflected. “Instead, they came to share their own thoughts, additions, and comments on the topic. It meant they took it to heart and really thought about what I said. I got wheels turning, which is the goal."
Meira Gershman (center left) stands alongside participants of NILI Chicago Institute of Women’s Learning’s July 2026 Yarchei Kallah. Photo credit: Leah Boyarskiy
For Gershman, that response represented the difference between giving a presentation and creating a meaningful learning experience. And it reflects precisely the kind of impact the Women's Community Educator Training Cohort was designed to cultivate.
See how this work is unfolding, as shared with our community on social media:
Investing in Torah Educators
The Women’s Community Educator Training curriculum is modeled on the same seriousness, rigor, and high standards brought to training male YU Torah Mitzion Kollel of Chicago Fellows. Rabbi Brand, alongside Elizabeth Walder, Walder Foundation staff, and Walder Operations staff, wanted to build a program for women that would help them strengthen their skills as Torah educators, teachers, mentors, and communal leaders.
The pilot program brought together 16 Chicago-based Jewish women with a wide range of experience levels leading Torah classes in the community.
“The program’s curriculum covered everything from structuring a presentation and creating source sheets to presentation techniques, audience engagement, facilitation skills, and effectively utilizing Torah resources,” shares Elana Berlin, senior program officer of Jewish Life, Walder Foundation. “Through a day-long intensive workshop, follow-up Zoom sessions, ongoing mentorship, and a final gathering featuring Walder Foundation Scholar in Residence Rebbetzin Tzipora Weinberg, participants explored the full process of building impactful shiurim and learning experiences.”
At the heart of the program was a shared conviction amongst program leaders that effective Torah educators must cultivate presentation and facilitation skills alongside Torah learning.
"We all know many great scholars who have tremendous Torah knowledge but are not effective community presenters," Rabbi Brand shares. "Learning and teaching are distinct skills. Even classroom teaching differs from community education in many ways. Public presentation skills can be learned. It is a craft that is crucial for anyone interested in teaching in a community setting."
Rabbi Brand presents during community educator programming. Photo credit: Leah Graber Photography
The initiative reflects Walder Foundation's broader commitment to cultivating Jewish women's leadership throughout Chicago and beyond.
"Across many of our initiatives, we invest in the development of talented women —elevating Orthodox women's voices in Torah learning and teaching and creating opportunities for women to lead and inspire others," said Elizabeth Walder. "We want to ensure that our community has access to high-quality Torah educators and role models, and that women who are passionate about teaching have meaningful opportunities to both develop their skills and share their knowledge."
What Pilot Program Participants Learned
Following the pilot program, surveys were distributed and assessed. The program's impact was evident in participants' feedback.
All 16 participants said the program met or exceeded their expectations.
More than 90% of respondents said they would recommend the program to other women interested in Torah teaching and community education.
Nearly 80% of participants rated their confidence at one of the top two levels in the survey, compared to 14% before the program began.
In written survey responses, many participants shared that the program helped them think more deliberately about what they teach and how they teach it.
Alissa Zeffren, a cohort member who teaches at Ida Crown Jewish Academy in Skokie and serves as director of NILI, appreciated the program's practical approach to strengthening educational delivery and engagement.
"The training emphasized knowing your audience as a key component of shiur preparation in order to deepen the connection with the audience during delivery,” Zeffren shares. “The training also emphasized best practices in shiur organization and development. These were important examples of real-time tools the program provided. This information, alongside other tools for optimizing group learning and engagement that were also shared, weren’t just theoretical concepts — they were practical learnings and reminders I could incorporate immediately.”
Survey results and qualitative feedback like Zeffren’s suggest that the program's influence is already spreading throughout the community:
More than 85% of participants reported plans to use their new skills to deliver community shiurim
More than 70% anticipate delivering a shiur or educational presentation within the next six months
Nearly two-thirds plan to facilitate adult learning programs
Participants taking notes during community educator training. Photo credit: Leah Graber Photography
Building a Community of Educators
It’s possible that the relationships formed through the cohort may ultimately prove just as valuable as the skills learned. In reflections during the program’s final gathering, participants shared words like “impactful,” “moving,” and “significant” when describing the opportunity to join such a dynamic community a women educators.
Echoing this sentiment, Zeffren notes the deep personal value of the experience.
"It was empowering and inspiring to participate in this program with such a multifaceted group of women who all want to teach Torah in different formats and demographics in the community. The opportunity to learn and grow together as a professional group of women was incredibly meaningful."
By weaving together individual talents and a shared vision, the program has contributed to the formation of a sustainable ecosystem of leadership. Moving forward, this vibrant network stands ready to elevate and enrich Torah learning throughout Chicago’s Jewish community and beyond.
Stay engaged with efforts from our Jewish Life program area: walderfoundation.org/jewish-life
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