Biography

Biographical Sketch of Nehama Leibowitz based in part on the entry about her in the Hebrew Encyclopedia, Vol.21, 1968, with additions by the editor, Yitshak Reiner.

Nehama Leibowitz was born on 3 Ellul 5665 (1905) in Riga, Latvia. She passed away in Jerusalem on 5 Nissan 5757 (1997).

Nehama Leibowitz was an educator par excellence and a Biblical scholar.

In 1919 she moved to Berlin where she studied in the Universities of Berlin and Marbourg, with an emphasis on German language and literature. In 1930 she received a doctorate for her work on "Techniques of Judeo-German Bible Translation in the 15th and 16th Centuries as Exemplified by Translations of the Book of Psalms."

From her aliyah in 1930 until 1955 she taught the methodology of teaching Hebrew and Bible in the Mizrahi Teachers' Seminary. In addition, she lectured widely, and was one of the regular Bible commentators on the Israeli radio. Starting in 1957 she was a lecturer in Bible at the University of Tel Aviv and 1968 was appointed Professor. She taught in programs for training teachers from abroad, in the teachers' training institutes of Yeshivot Hesder, in the Open University, and in the Touro College branch in Jerusalem.

Nehama Leibowitz raised a generation of teachers of Bible, especially of Torah. She taught not only in person, but by means of mimeographed folio pages of teach-yourself studies that she called "Gilyonot on the Weekly Torah Portion" which she initiated in 1942 and continued to compose weekly until 1971 (5702-5731). Starting 1955 (5715) she added a supplementary Study Guide, "Alon Hadrakhah L'Horaat Parashat Hashavua" to the Gilyonot. The Gilyonot were comprised of guided questions and spread her teaching methodology throughout the Jewish world, reaching as far as border settlements and Israeli army bunkers.

Methodologically the Gilyonot are based on the use of primary Jewish sources and commentaries to understand and teach Scripture. These sources are drawn from Talmudic and midrashic material, traditional commentators from Rashi through the rabbinic literature of the last centuries, the ethical teachings of the mussar movement, and contemporary religious philosophy. She did not hesitate to cite modern commentators and thinkers, including non-Jewish ones, who regarded the books of the Bible as Holy Writ and not simply as historical literary tracts. In addition, Nehama paid close attention to the literary and narrative aspects of Biblical language. She received the Bialik prize for Literature for her work, and in 1956 (5716) was honored with the Israel Prize in the field of education.

Between 1954 and 1961 (5714-5721) she published "Studies in Parashat HaShavua". Subsequently these were printed in book format, arranged according to the five books of the Pentateuch. These volumes of the "Studies" were translated into English, French, Spanish, and Dutch, and are used as a primary resource in disseminating Torah. In addition, Nehama Leibowitz published numerous articles on Bible research and instruction.

Her students, friends, and acquaintances knew her by the name -- Nehama, the name she wished to be called by all. She requested that the only thing that be written upon her gravestone (aside from her name) was the title: "Teacher."

The published works of Nehama Leibowitz include:

New Studies in Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus; Studies in Numbers, Deuteronomy;

Study of Torah Commentaries and Methods for Teaching Them - Book of Genesis;

Gilyonot for the Study of the Book of Jeremiah;

Chapters of Consolation and Redemption (with Meir Weiss);

Torah Insights (a collection of articles).

[The above were published by the Eliner Library, the Joint Authority for Jewish Zionist Education, Jewish Agency, Jerusalem.]

Rashi's Commentary on the Torah: Studies in His Methodology (with Moshe Ahrend), published as a course text for the Open University in Israel, Ramat Aviv, 1990.

A Word from Yitshak Reiner on the "Suggested Answers" section of the Gilyonot.

To those who are joining the Torah correspondence study using the Gilyonot of our teacher, Nehama, zikhronah l'vrakhah.

As students of Nehama we have learned to cherish the study Torah.

Thus we feel an obligation to enable others who wish to study Torah and commentaries using her methods to join us. Thousands throughout the world have learned this approach, some from Nehama herself, some from the Gilyonot, and others from students of Nehama.

Studying from the "Gilyonot for Study of the Weekly Portion" is different from studying from the books of Nehama ("Studies in Genesis", etc.) To make this distinction clearer I would like to give one of many examples. When you read Nahama's books you are presented with the following "on a silver platter": the commentaries are explained and worked through; the differences between one commentator and another are explained; what the commentator wanted to emphasize is highlighted; the difficulty that the commentator is attempting to resolve is pointed out.; etc. But if you study the Gilyonot, you yourself will struggle to attempt to answer the many questions therein, such as: What is the difficulty that Rashi (or another commentator) is addressing? What is the difference between one explanation and another? Why was a particular commentator not completely satisfied with his own answer, and why did he give additional ones? What do the other commentators add? What are the different problems addressed by each of several commentaries on the same verses? What is the weakness of each commentary? When you study using the Gilyonot as a guide, you must examine the verse, section, or chapter of Scripture carefully, you must read the commentary under discussion, you must try to answer the questions Nehama poses. Since one cannot answer the question unless the commentary was understood, this constitutes a kind of on-the-spot "comprehension test." Thus the method enriches your Torah study and understanding. "No one is as wise as someone with experience". Try this approach and see for yourself the efficacy of the methodology used in the Gilyonot.

We know that the questions are not at all easy - even for veteran users of the Gilyonot, and they are all the more difficult for novices.

Thus we decided to write suggested answers to the questions. Here we faced a difficult dilemma: how much detail to put into the answers? Should we just hint at the answer and allow the participant to complete it, or should we provide a full answer? There are advantages to each approach, and we have decided to take the minimalist approach. The main thing is that you will have feedback, and be able to either confirm your own answer, or continue to search for a solution, your own search being the heart of the method. Sometimes we have suggested you understand a particular commentator by referring to the sources of the commentator himself, or to other sources which will help understand the subject under discussion.

We have chosen Gilyonot which contain material which is different from that published in her books, and we have included the supplementary Study Guide ("Alon Hadrakhah") which Nehama wrote to accompany those particular Gilyonot. These Study Guides were written for the last 15 of the 30 years of the Gilyonot. For various reasons we sometimes chose a Gilayon which had no Study Guide, in which case we provided a second Gilayon. It is difficult to describe the material in the Study Guides, but in general they contain material that helps the participant delve more deeply into the subject matter of the Gilayon, or adds further commentary, or elucidates a certain approaches. Sometimes they guide the participant in tackling the Gilayon, or in indicating how a teacher can use the Gilayon in helping students.

I want to encourage and support you who are embarking on this endeavor, and wish you success and pleasure in your study of Torah. I will be happy to receive any comments or questions that you send to the JNF, Department of Religious Organizations, and we will be in touch with you about what is being done to perpetuate the legacy of our teacher.

May we all be privileged, as it says in the blessing before the Shma, "to learn, teach, safeguard, perform, and fulfill all the words of Your Torah's teaching with love."

Yitshak Reiner
Past principal of the Tahkemoni Jewish Day School of Antwerp, Belgium, and director of the Dept. for Seminars and Advanced Courses in the Jewish Agency, Jerusalem.