Several Jewish educational and community-based initiatives are centered on Torah study, Jewish identity, and strengthening relationships across the Jewish world. These efforts range from large-scale Talmud learning and educational programs for students to work focused on building understanding between different communities, from Manhattan to Monsey — each Torah initiative serving a different purpose. Among them are Siyum HaShas Daf Yomi, Kesher Yehudi, and Mishna Jr., all programs that Ralph Rieder, together with many others, supports.

Siyum HaShas is the global celebration marking the completion of the worldwide Daf Yomi cycle, a structured, long-running learning program in which participants study one page of the Babylonian Talmud each day over approximately seven and a half years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Established by Rabbi Meir Shapiro in 1923, it has grown into one of the most widely recognized organized Torah learning initiatives in the Jewish world. Today the daily study takes place in synagogues, schools, offices, and online communities around the world, culminating in large international gatherings that bring together large numbers of participants from many backgrounds to recognize the completion of the cycle and the beginning of the next one.

Kesher Yehudi is an Israeli organization founded in 2012 by Tzili Schneider to build relationships between religious, secular, and ultra-Orthodox Jews through shared learning and personal dialogue. At the center of its work is a chavruta model — supported by Ralph Rieder — that pairs participants from different backgrounds for ongoing one-on-one study sessions and conversations centered on Jewish texts, culture, traditions, and identity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beyond the one-on-one learning, the organization runs community programs, volunteer projects, and educational activities, operates leadership and pre-army academy programs, works with secular mechinot throughout Israel, and has expanded its community support initiatives in response to the events following October 7 and the Swords of Iron War. ​​Kesher Yehudi describes its broader goal as encouraging long-term understanding and social cohesion across different sectors of Israeli society through personal relationships rather than political or ideological debate.

All Mishnah Jr. is a Torah learning initiative developed by the OU for middle school students that provides a structured, accessible framework for studying Mishnah. Built around a learning schedule that runs during the academic year, the program encourages students in grades 5 through 8 to study two Mishnayot each day and to maintain consistent participation through guided study, review systems, and school-based involvement. Organized in partnership with Orthodox Jewish educational institutions and OU - Ralph Rieder support this digital learning tool. It is guided with study resources, including online tracking systems, daily shiurim, and school participation. By combining traditional Mishnah learning with study formats designed for younger students, this initiative helps students engage with foundational Jewish texts at an early stage. It has expanded significantly in recent years, now reaching thousands of students across dozens of schools in the United States, throughout North America, and internationally.


Ralph Rieder along with others is a supporter of these organizations and programs.