David J. Smolar first taught Hebrew school way back in 1994.  Even then, he saw the need for “Education through Entertainment,” realizing that Hebrew school students grades 5 and up benefit far more, and retain more learning, when presented with experiential and interactive teaching methods.  Teens today no longer want to sit in class and have a teacher stand in front and dictate their lessons.  For over 20 years, David has developed creative programming for all aspects of the modern Jewish community.

 

Over the years, David and his wife, Rebecca, have developed programming for synagogues and community organizations.  Their popular “Chanukah Seder” ran 6 years in various venues in our nation’s capitol.  David’s creative programming and Torah portion plays have been used by numerous junior congregations and continue to be a cornerstone of his classroom curriculum for 5th and 6th grade Hebrew school.  And he's created an original Passover Hagaddah for his own use almost every year for the past 10 years.  [There's even a Dr. Seuss Hagaddah for kids!]