Rabbi Meir Fachler is the Managing Director of Gemara Berura, a standards-aligned, technology assisted approach to teaching Mishna and Gemara that is currently being implemented in nearly 100 schools in Israel and North America – which as of this year this includes Toronto’s own Netivot Hatorah. He recently led a team of experts to create the Core Standards for Teaching Mishna and Gemara document, which was subsequently adopted by the Israel Ministry of Education Torah She’Be’Al’Peh Inspectorate as official policy for all 750 school in the Ministry’s Agaf Hadati. Under his leadership, Gemara Berura is partnering with Rav Rimon’s Halacha Education Center to create Mishnayot Behirot, the first standards-aligned Mishna curriculum currently used in 250 schools in Israel.
He studied at numerous Yeshivot in Israel, received his Masters in Education from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and is an internationally acclaimed expert and pioneer in the field of Talmud education, Jewish educational technology, as well as Leadership and Curriculum Development. He has held senior positions in Jewish education for over 35 years. Prior to directing Gemara Berura from 2004 to the present, he was curriculum writer and trainer at the Hebrew University’s Melton Center Jewish Values Curriculum Project; Education Director of The Jewish Educational Development Trust in the UK, including its major initiative - The Educators Fellowship. He was assistant Rabbi to Rabbi Sacks at the Marble Arch Synagogue, and was the founder of WHAM, the West Hampstead Alternative Minyan. He was the International Director of Yavneh Olami, co-founded JeMM Productions and GesherTech, was mentor and advisor to the New York BJE Jewish Technology Collaborative, Master’s Degree program in Instructional Technology and he directed the First International Jewish Education Technology Conference. He continues to consult schools across the globe, both in his capacity as Director of Gemara Berura as well as on behalf of the Israel Ministry of Education
He is married to Dr. Michal Fachler, clinical psychologist and serves as the Academic Director of the Rotenberg Institute for Jewish Psychology. Together they have 6 children and a growing number of grandchildren.