Chana Voola

Hi, thank you for coming to my page! My name is Chana, and I am married to Shlomo, and we have 5 amazing kids! We are a Chabad family, and we homeschool! I used to teach in a Jewish preschool, but, as it happens, I got burnt out. I took the year off to relax and homeschool, thinking the following year I would return to teach, but that did not happen. I saw what a gift it is to be home educating our children, and it was easy to see how our kids do not fit inside the box of the classroom. I see how creative each of our kids are in their own way, how in tune they are with nature, they learn through art, drawing, and music, and they love the outdoors, squirrels, and bird watching. The regular Judaic curricula did not fit with their creative, thinking minds. The Torah commands us, “V’shinantam l’vanecha”—we have a mitzvah to teach Torah to our children. However, I wanted to do more than just tell my children what they need to know. I wanted to give them room to think, to ask hard questions, to unleash their inner creative powers, and to develop their own personal connection to Hashem. I needed learning tools that could keep up with their creative, busy brains in a different format. Having the best, most innovative curriculum is great, but what also is important is common sense and meeting the needs of the individual child. How do I give them the tools to know how to learn and think? There is so much that teachers want to teach their students, and as a homeschool mom - subjects that need to be covered. On the other hand, if all that is out there is kids being TAUGHT to, then where do their own thoughts come in? Kids have big ideas about Hashem and Yiddishkeit, and these ideas get nurtured when they are given the mental space and time to develop them. The Lubavitcher Rebbe said, "If you see what needs to be repaired and how to repair it, then you have found a piece of the world that G-d left for you to complete." That message drives my work, and so I started creating these Jewish educational workbooks, funbooks, and journals. I also have some journals for moms and Noahides, too. All my books are made for the creative homeschooling student! My books are also made for the deeply thinking and out-of-the-box student who may be “slipping through the cracks” of the Jewish school system. They are the writers, the artists, the spiritually-inclined, the students who would rather be doodling and busy with other things than doing schoolwork at a desk. They are the students who learn differently, and need something else. I strongly feel the HOME is the center of learning, chinuch, and Jewish life, and I wish for my books to empower parents that there is much they can do to educate their kids! I believe every single child and person has creative superpowers inside them, and these powers should be nurtured and encouraged. I also believe your own unique creativity, thoughts, and ideas is a path to connect to Hashem! Kids need to feel loved and cared for in order for them to be open to learn. I have made bedtime journals for kids, teens, and for moms, as well as beautiful coloring books to do together. (Do your kids also come to life in the nighttime?) I hope these journals can open up conversations, communication, and a positive feeling of unwinding after a busy day! Sometimes, kids will “turn off” if the work feels too academic. How can I reach these kids? Enter Kef Books! Word searches, crosswords, art, crack the code with the original ancient Hebrew alef-beis, among many other things, to keep their busy minds engaged AND learning! Handwriting practice is a thing in our home. How can I teach my kids to work on their handwriting? Kids love to bake, so I made a do-it-yourself recipe journal for kids to write in their favorite recipes, and actually USE what they are writing! (Not to mention the math and fractions that naturally happen in the kitchen!) BH, I have 60 books and counting, and I am continually working on more, and thinking of new and creative ways to get kids to learn and think, so please keep checking back! Education really is fun! My husband helps me tremendously behind the scenes in publishing these journals. My kids are equally tremendous at giving me feedback on what's fun (and not fun), and have given me some amazing ideas for these books! I hope you can feel the heart and soul I've put into creating these journals and workbooks and (whether you are homeschooled or in school) I hope they can show you how much creative and thinking power you have already inside you!! I have a Masters in Social Work from Rutgers University, and my husband is an Electrical Engineer. I also am an artist and sell my art on society6.com/chanavoola. In addition, together me and my husband run a YouTube channel called Jewish Education at Home, where you can find flip-throughs of my books, among other info about Jewish homeschooling and info about converting to Judaism. Please follow me here on Amazon so you get notified when new books become available! I am happy to help you if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me! :) chanavoola @ gmail.com **I uploaded a few of my books as PDF’s for international use and for those who just like PDF’s better. Please find me on TeachersPayTeachers! :) (Photo credits to Lori Prashker-Thomas, shadowcatcherphotography.com)