Sefaria has been used in hundreds of classrooms across America and around the world, and the many educators who benefit from our tools have shared their successes. This sheet provides classroom tested materials created by educators and the Sefaria education team which you can use, or adapt, for your learning environment.
Student Work
When students create their own Sefaria sheets, they are participating in authentic learning. By putting their ideas onto a sheet, whether it is sharing a written reflection, an interpretive piece of art, or creating their own interpretation, students have a way to raise up their voices and contribute to the Torah discourse. Below are examples of sheets created by students.
Ideas from Teachers
A hallmark of the Sefaria educator community is the willingness to share and learn from each other. The examples below were contributed by teachers who participated in various Sefaria educator programs.
Ideas combining text and tech/makerspace from Rabbi Tzvi Hametz, Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy, Director of Educational Technology and Innovation
- I integrate Sefaria’s Source Sheet Builder as a core part of the design and research process in my STEAM and makerspace classes. In my Judaica Design and Manufacturing class, students use Sefaria to compile relevant halachic and historical sources before designing ritual objects. For example, when creating a mezuzah case, students build a source sheet with texts on the mitzvah of mezuzah, including discussions on placement, materials, and symbolism. This textual exploration informs their design choices before they 3D print or laser-cut their final product.
- In my Robotics, Puppetry, and Animatronics class, students use Sefaria to research stories from Tanach and Talmud, assembling source sheets that help them break down narratives into key moments for physical storytelling. One project involved students researching Yaakov’s dream of the ladder and then designing an animatronic model with moving elements to represent angels ascending and descending. The structured text analysis through Sefaria helps students connect to the story on a deeper level before bringing it to life through robotics.
- Beyond design, my Coding Team leverages Sefaria’s Open API to integrate Jewish texts into interactive projects. One group built a chatbot that responds with Talmudic insights based on keyword prompts, while another developed a procedural text generator that pulls randomized verses from Tanach to inspire creative storytelling.
- Game-Based Learning: I have had students create an escape room game based on a sugya from the Talmud, using the Source Sheet Builder to map out the halachic decisions players must navigate.
- AI + Sefaria API: Students in coding classes are challenged to design an AI that analyzes the structure of Midrashic stories and generates new interpretations based on Sefaria’s text library.
- Interactive Ritual Object Design: I teach a Judaica design class as a medium for (intro to computer integrated manufacturing) students study Kiddush cups, dreidels, or menorahs and many other mitzvot using Sefaria and then create modern versions of these ritual items based on their text-based research.
- Digital Torah Exploration: Using block-based coding (Scratch or MakeCode), students build interactive visualizations of biblical journeys (e.g., Bnei Yisrael in the desert), pulling text from Sefaria as their “data source.”
Nissim Gindi, Magen David Yeshivah, Grade 8
Students use the texts found online to review any class material. They also created source sheets on the material that was learned, connecting it with videos that they created.
Rabbi Effie Kleinberg, B'nai Akiva Schools, Grade 9
Students research and prepare a source sheet on Chanuka which they will use to teach seniors at a retirement facility. Lesson Plan
Yael Goldfischer, The Frisch School, Grade 9
Students considered the following questions and submitted an annotated source sheet which included biblical texts, commentaries and analysis: We know generation II will make it into Eretz Yisrael while generation I was decreed to die in the midbar. But why does generation II get a happy ending? Are they much better than the previous generation? How does generation II differ from their parents? Lesson Plan Example of Student Work
Yael Goldfischer, The Frisch School, Grade 11
Students considered the following research question and created a sheet which included relevant biblical texts, their own notes and analysis: How does Sefer Bamidbar and its commentaries inform us about the experience of insiders and outsiders? Why is this topic an underlying theme of Sefer Bamidbar? Lesson Plan
Sara Wolkenfeld, Ida Crown Academy, Grade 12
The teacher created a source sheet containing the Talmud text that the class was learning. During class, the students worked together to break down the text and color-code it based on its structure. This was followed by the teacher and/or the students making videos to review pieces of the text. The videos were embedded into the source sheet and were used by the students as a resource for reviewing the text.
Gloria Becker, Jewish Learning Venture, Grades 4-5
Students received source sheet with texts describing the objects in the mishkan (tabernacle). They then went to the synagogue sanctuary to look for objects that reminded them of the ritual items in the mishkan. They took pictures on their phones and added the pictures to the source sheet next to the Torah text. Building a Sanctuary, Holy Places, Holy Spaces
Rabbi Moshe Nachbar, the lead Sefaria educator and Assistant Principal of Judaic Studies
Educators at Margolin Academy in Memphis, TN are using Sefaria to create a school-wide repository of student Divrei Torah on the weekly Torah portion. Each week, seventh and eighth graders are assigned a piece of the Torah portion. The students have questions to answer, and they do their research and prepare their dvar Torah on Sefaria. Using Sefaria's collection feature, they are able to share their divrei Torah with one another. Teachers have found that students are taking more responsibility for their learning and are proud of their ideas, and the quality of their work has flourished.
Bat Sheva Miller, Oakland Hebrew Day School, Middle School
At Oakland Hebrew Day School, middle-school students regularly do research and gather sources on Sefaria. As the culmination of their class on Teshuva (repentance) , each student made a source sheet, complete with student generated artwork and video clips, to teach others about what they had learned.
Rabbi Effie Kleinberg, B'nai Akiva Schools, Grade 12
After studying the book of Jonah, students wrote their own divrei Torah for Shabbat Shuva. Students made their own connections between the text and the message that they would like to convey during this time of the year. In addition to texts from Jonah, students added commentary and media. Student Work
Alyssa Greenberg, Westchester Day School, Middle School
Students were given a particular verse/topic, and searched for commentaries that deepened their understanding of the topic. They then created a presentation that explained the commentary and presented it to the class. The class had the opportunity to ask questions and participate in the discussion. Lesson Plan
Yael Goldfischer, The Frisch School, High School
Students compared any event or topic in Bemidbar, Chapter 11, to a different passage or passages in the Torah. They submitted an annotated Sefaria source sheet which included a comparison of the texts along with commentaries that deal with the same texts and their comparisons. Lesson Plan
Naomi Zaslow, SSDS of Greater Boston, Grade 8
For an end of the year project for 8th grade Talmud, the students worked on research projects based on questions that they chose. The goal was to have students use many of the skills they have been building throughout their pre-high school education, including Talmudic vocabulary and reasoning, proof texts, and comfort with Judaic sources. They used Sefaria throughout the year and the teacher wanted to reinforce the use of Sefaria before they left their school and went on to other learning environments. Student Work
Ben Einsidler, JCDS, Boston's Jewish Community Day School, Grades 6-8
The teacher prepared a source sheet on Sefaria for the 6th grade learning adventure titled "JCDS Goes Green." Students explored possible solutions to making their school more environmentally friendly. The goal in teaching this material was to give students a textual background to our work as they explored composting, revamping the recycling program, and other possible options. Students could use the texts to teach younger grades about their work. Sources
Leah Miller, Hillel Torah, Grades 5-8
Each student in the 5th grade tefilla class used a source sheet of all Rashi's commentary on the Shema. During a mother/daughter prayer breakfast each student gave a Dvar Torah with her chosen commentary. Source Sheet
Chani Richmond, RASG Hebrew Academy, Grade 8
Students compared and contrasted the Asseret Hadibrot (the Ten Commandments) as they are reviewed in Sefer Devarim and when they were originally taught in Sefer Shemot. Students were divided into groups and given one commandment to research, compare and contrast, and create a presentation on. Lesson instructions Student Work
Toby Kaplowitz, Krieger Schechter Day School, Grade 4
A fourth grade class created their own Passover Haggadah by adding illustrations, thoughts about the seder, family traditions, and more. The class Haggadah was shared with all of the families to enjoy on Passover. Fourth Grade Haggadah Shel Pesach 2021,