Torah Or - Likutei Torah - Visuals
On this page IY"H I'll be posting the Torah Or - Likutei Torah slides and scripts
you can use for classes online and in Shabbos Shul presentations.
They are LINKS to a GOOGLE DRIVE FOLDER containing the week's materials.
IY"H over the next few days I'll add the visuals and Maamarim from the past few weeks.
MORE INFO BELOW
Visual Samples
Alter Rebbe's Maamarim with Visual Slides
Bereishis
This is how I use the slides in Shul on Shabbos
Here's a short video of how I use the slides on Shabbos in shul.
I've since made the slides bigger, 24"/36" for better viewing.
Bringing the Alter Rebbe's Teachings to Life
This is a new project dedicated to making the Alter Rebbe's maamarim in Likutei Torah and Torah Or more accessible, engaging, and easier to teach, understand, and share.
The primary focus is on the weekly maamarim, with occasional sichos and other Torah insights.
For the past few months, large, vividly illustrated slides have been used during Shabbos talks in Shul.
It's a somewhat unconventional approach, but the response has been remarkable! The visuals help capture people's attention, illustrate important concepts, and make the teachings more memorable.
What's Being Shared?
The goal is to provide weekly materials that others can use for their own learning, teaching, and presentations, including:
Original sources: Links to the Alter Rebbe's maamarim and other relevant Torah texts.
Illustrated slides: Large, visually engaging illustrations highlighting the central teachings.
Chassidus class scripts: Materials prepared for a Monday-night Zoom class of approximately 30 minutes.
Shabbos drasha scripts: Shorter, 5–10-minute presentations, coordinated with the slides.
New materials will hopefully be available on this page by Tuesday each week, sometimes earlier.
How Are These Materials Created?
ChatGPT is used extensively to help research, develop, write, and illustrate these materials. So far, I've not tried any other AI platforms for this.
I'm grateful to Hashem for this remarkable technology and the opportunity to use it to spread Torah and Chassidus.
Please feel free to use, adapt, and share these materials! Feedback, corrections, suggestions, and experiences using them are always welcome.
Printing Info and Evolution
It started with a simple idea: During a short Shabbos talk before Torah reading, certain concepts could be better understood and remembered with the help of visuals.
This led to what we've been calling "Shabbos-Friendly Multimedia," initially consisting of printed slides with just a few key words highlighting the concepts being discussed. Gradually, simple line art was added, followed by more realistic illustrations.
The printing and display methods evolved along the way, largely through trial and error.
Stage 1: 11" × 17" Prints
The first slides were printed on the Chabad printer at 11" × 17". Before long, they proved too small for people sitting farther back in Shul.
Stage 2: Taping Two Sheets Together
The next solution was to print each slide across two sheets and tape them together. This worked, but was far too labor-intensive, especially when preparing everything just before Licht Bentchen!
Stage 3: 24" × 24" Slides
The local JECC Teacher Center has a large-format printer that prints up to 24" wide. Better yet, they charge only about $5 per slide, compared with approximately $30 at places like Staples, FedEx/Kinko's, and Walgreens.
For urgent, last-minute printing, Walgreens Photo can often produce a large print within an hour, although at a much higher price. That option came in handy once!
Stage 4: 24" × 36" Slides
An important discovery was that the JECC printer is limited to 24" in width, but can print considerably longer sheets.
That opened the door to the current 24" × 36" format, which is significantly easier to see throughout the Shul.
How the Slides Are Displayed
The slides are mounted against a foam board supported by a tripod, with ordinary binder clips holding them in place.
Watch a short video of the setup:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/G5AaE4SSuSviKn8t5
Originally, a 24" × 24" foam board was sufficient. With the larger prints, a standard 36" × 48" trifold presentation board works beautifully. When folded closed, it measures exactly 24" × 36", providing a lightweight, sturdy, inexpensive backing for the slides. Simply tape or clip the folds closed.
Equipment and Supply Links
36" × 48" Trifold Presentation Board (purchased locally at Michaels):
https://www.amazon.com/Flipside-Products-36x48-Project-18042
Binder Clips (ordinary office clips):
https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Basics-Sturdy-Binder-Office/dp/B074XTSCWK
Tripod Display Stand:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RLYYI9C
The Result
A relatively simple, affordable way to bring large, engaging visual aids into Shabbos Torah presentations, without electronic screens or equipment.
The approach is still evolving, and there are certainly other ways to improve it.
Are you doing something similar, or have ideas for making it better? I'd love to hear your experience and suggestions!
Rabbi Chayim B. Alevsky