Judaic Studies On-line

(May 27) - A good Jewish education is not something to be taken lightly. At many times and in many places in history, most notably in recent years in the former Soviet Union, Jews were persecuted for learning Torah.

The holiday of Shavuot, which begins Sunday night, is traditionally a time for intense Jewish study, often lasting until morning. In honor of the festival, let's look at some of the Web sites which have harnessed the power of the Internet to further Jewish learning.

For schools and yeshivot which conduct all of their teaching in the classroom, a Web site can be just an afterthought. However, the most effective sites serve to complement the institution. For example, Jerusalem's Mayanot Institute of Jewish Studies (http://www.mayanot.edu) makes the most of its Web presence. An inviting home page shows a happy student, and the site is comprehensive. Not only can you read about the programs they offer, but there are thoughtful details, such as a guide to student life in Israel.

Another effective Web site is the Shalom Hartman Institute (http://www.hartmaninstitute.com). Highlights include scholarly articles and an on-site calendar to keep visitors updated about events, and newsletters that can be downloaded and printed out easily at home.

THE MOST exciting development for Jewish education in the Internet age is the possibility of taking on-line courses for credit. Most of these courses are no cheaper than their campus-based counterparts, but the ability to conduct your studies from anywhere in the world is a remarkable convenience.

BAR-ILAN UNIVERSITY (http://www.bar-ilan.edu) has six courses open for study over the Internet covering a range of subjects, from history to Jewish law. The topics are alluring and the school has a great reputation, which makes the modest fees for the accredited courses seem all the more reasonable. I must say, however, that its on-line study site has not been properly updated recently, which is puzzling.

THE JEWISH Theological Seminary's Distance Learning Project (http://courses.jtsa.edu/registration) has an impressive selection of on-line classes tailored to individual needs. Some of the courses are intended for adult education, some for educators and others for college credit. There is some overlap, and prices can vary greatly depending on the type of class.

A similar number of on-line courses are available from Hebrew College in Massachusetts (http://www.hebrewcollege.edu/online). A high level of educational quality and professionalism is evident throughout its distance-learning program, and the prices of the courses reflect that. This is a site for serious students only. Even a Master of Arts in Jewish Studies is attainable through the site, which the college claims as an Internet first.

IF YOU'RE not interested in getting college credit, then your on-line education options increase tenfold.

The good news is that most of the Internet courses out there are free. One such site is Jerusalem-based Jewish Interactive Studies (http://www.jewishstudies.org). Three courses are available. I found the course on Jewish ethics, borrowing from the teachings of famous scholars, to be most intriguing. Another good thing about the site is that it offers a sample lecture to look over before you register, so you can get a better idea of what you're getting into.

CANADIAN-based Kolel On-line (http://www.kolel.org/pages/classroom.html) may sound Orthodox, but it's actually pluralistic. The site, which calls itself the Adult Center for Liberal Jewish Learning, offers several courses and prides itself on teaching in a manner which addresses traditional and liberal interpretations and appeals to people with limited backgrounds in Jewish knowledge. For example, an introductory-level course, Tastiest Torah Treats, surveys a variety of major texts and teaches how they work and how to read them.

I'M NO Talmudic scholar, but there are enough resources on the Web that I could conceivably become one on-line. Dafyomi.org (http://www.dafyomi.org) is dedicated to the practice of studying one set page of Talmud a day. The site features audio resources as well as links to other Daf Yomi sites on the Net. The site is affiliated with Six Thirteen Dot Org (http://www.613.org), the Jewish Torah audio archive and an impressive resource.

Although it is true that this site boasts over 600 hours of Jewish audio and video sources, the Web address, of course, refers to the number of commandments in the Torah.

WHEN YOU talk about Talmud study, for many people the image of a haredi yeshiva in Bnei Brak comes to mind.

But the fact is that Talmud study is common to all streams of Judaism and is often conducted in surprisingly creative ways. Take Rabbi Judith Abrams's Maqom Cyber-School for Adult Talmud Study (http://www.maqom.com). The educational materials on the site are not of themselves particularly remarkable. What's fascinating is the effort of Rabbi Abrams to develop "Talmud, the Musical," which she envisions to be "a first-class musical based on the inspiring story of Rabbi Akiba." Abrams estimates production costs at $100,000, to be raised through donations. Two songs from the musical are already available for download. It sounds wacky but I have to admit I'd be the first one to buy tickets to see the thing.

WHILE THE Talmud musical may still be a little way off, you can always hear the Torah put to music each week at your favorite synagogue. The tune that the Torah is chanted in, the trope, is one of the things that makes Torah reading more challenging to master.

Impress your friends by learning the trope for the Torah, and other readings at Elie Wackerman's Trope Tutor site (http://www.mat.net/~ewackerm). When I learned my bar-mitzva portion, I used a tape to memorize it, but sound files on this Web site are much better.

I'M RUNNING out of space but we've hardly scratched the surface of the scores of sites which offer Jewish studies on-line. It's up to you to search around and find the site that's right for you. As a wise man once said, a good Jewish education is an ongoing commitment which mustn't be taken for granted.

Send comments and suggestions to ahron@jpost.co.il