What We Believe

Adraba is a virtual Jewish high school that educates and nurtures Jews towards deep literacy and engagement.

Jewish values, technology and personalized learning support Adraba's commitment to educational innovation in both Jewish and General Studies, empowered student learning, a love of Jewish letters, affordable access and sustainable growth.

We combine face-to-face instruction, independent study, collaborative work, ḥavruta (“friend”-pair) learning, project-based learning and distance learning to personalize the experience for each student.

Adraba began in 2011 when three early-tech-adopter Jewish educators dedicated to innovation and the Jewish future met over coffee and pistachios.

Though coming from different places with different backgrounds and perspectives, they all agree that with traditional teaching enhanced by technology, young Jewish teens can become literate Jews and engage with their Jewishness in active, meaningful ways.

What does ADRABA mean?

Adraba is an Aramaic term that features in hundreds of Talmudic arguments.

Adraba means “ON THE CONTRARY,” expressing an idea or position that is the opposite of what is expected or assumed.

Frank Samuels

BA(Hons) HDip Ed (PG), MA(Ed Admin), OCT

Frank served as Principal of Yeshiva College of South Africa, the Hamilton Hebrew Academy, the Bnei Akiva Schools of Toronto and General Studies Principal at Eitz Chaim. His vision of a different educational future began the process that, together with Dan and Sholom, led to Adraba.

Sholom Eisenstat

Founder

MA, OCT

Sholom studied for his MA in Jewish Studies at McGill and Hebrew University. He began his career teaching Jewish Studies and Tanakh in Winnipeg and Toronto. After brief stint in the nascent desktop publishing industry, he returned to teaching in the public school system, spending 25 years teaching Computer Studies, software, programming, hardware engineering and design tools in high schools. He has been an evangelist for technology integration in Jewish Studies since the early 1980s when computers maxed out at 64KB of RAM. He regularly studies and teaches Torah.

Dan Aviv

Principal

PhD

Since he was a wee lad, Dan has always wanted be a Jewish educator. He has taught Jews from ages 7 to 77 on three continents in practically every setting where Jewish learning takes place. Inspired by cooks and chefs, his PhD explored a new model for Jewish learning - and a lot of fine dining. What excites him most, beyond being a father of three, is a vision of the Jewish future that is big, bold and inclusive.