Learners’ Tapestry

I went to day school in Toronto but really began to learn when I attended Brovenders back in the early 1980’s. Last year after talking to my sister who was learning Daf Yomi, inspired, I looked on the computer and the Hadran site came up. I have been listening to each days shiur in the morning as I work. I emphasis listening since I am not sitting with a Gamara. I listen while I work in my studio.

I started learning on January 5, 2020. When I complete the 7+ year cycle I will be 70 years old. I had been intimidated by those who said that I needed to study Talmud in a traditional way with a chevruta, but I decided the learning was more important to me than the method. Thankful for Daf Yomi for Women helping me catch up when I fall behind, and also being able to celebrate with each Siyum!

A few years back, after reading Ilana Kurshan’s book, “If All The Seas Were Ink,” I began pondering the crazy, outlandish idea of beginning the Daf Yomi cycle. Beginning in December, 2019, a month before the previous cycle ended, I “auditioned” 30 different podcasts in 30 days, and ultimately chose to take the plunge with Hadran and Rabbanit Michelle. Such joy!

I tried Daf Yomi in the middle of the last cycle after realizing I could listen to Michelle’s shiurim online. It lasted all of 2 days! Then the new cycle started just days before my father’s first yahrzeit and my youngest daughter’s bat mitzvah. It seemed the right time for a new beginning. My family, friends, colleagues are immensely supportive!

התחלתי ללמוד דף יומי שהתחילו מסכת כתובות, לפני 7 שנים, במסגרת קבוצת לימוד שהתפרקה די מהר, ומשם המשכתי לבד בתמיכת האיש שלי. נעזרתי בגמרת שטיינזלץ ובשיעורים מוקלטים.
הסביבה מאד תומכת ואני מקבלת המון מילים טובות לאורך כל הדרך. מאז הסיום הגדול יש תחושה שאני חלק מדבר גדול יותר.
אני לומדת בשיטת ה”7 דפים בשבוע” של הרבנית תרצה קלמן – כלומר, לא נורא אם לא הצלחת ללמוד כל יום, העיקר שגמרת ארבעה דפים בשבוע

It happened without intent (so am I yotzei?!) – I watched the women’s siyum live and was so moved by it that the next morning, I tuned in to Rabbanit Michelle’s shiur, and here I am, still learning every day, over 2 years later. Some days it all goes over my head, but others I grasp onto an idea or a story, and I ‘get it’ and that’s the best feeling in the world. So proud to be a Hadran learner.

I began daf yomi in January 2020 with Brachot. I had made aliya 6 months before, and one of my post-aliya goals was to complete a full cycle. As a life-long Tanach teacher, I wanted to swim from one side of the Yam shel Torah to the other. Daf yomi was also my sanity through COVID. It was the way to marking the progression of time, and feel that I could grow and accomplish while time stopped.

I decided to learn one masechet, Brachot, but quickly fell in love and never stopped! It has been great, everyone is always asking how it’s going and chering me on, and my students are always making sure I did the day’s daf.

התחלתי ללמוד בעידוד שתי חברות אתן למדתי בעבר את הפרק היומי במסגרת 929.
בבית מתלהבים מאוד ובשבת אני לומדת את הדף עם בעלי שזה מפתיע ומשמח מאוד! לימוד הדף הוא חלק בלתי נפרד מהיום שלי. לומדת בצהריים ומחכה לזמן הזה מידי יום…