The first Alef-Binah was published in 1953. Nine editions have been printed since then
In use for many decades, Alef-Binah is the hallmark of millions of students’ entries into the journey of Torah learning. From the moment the sefer is handed to these young students, Sefer Alef-Binah (its official name) becomes a talmid’s portal to kriah. Once retired, it remains a precious memento, evoking memories of simpler, sweeter days.
Written by Rabbi Chaim Fried a”h, a Skverer chassid from Szombathely, Hungary, this kriah staple was the first of its kind.
Rabbi Fried was a rebbi in Prague after the war, serving as a melamed for several months until he moved to America with his wife in 1947. In 1949, the new Tzelemer yeshivah, Yeshiva Mesivta Arugas Habosem, opened in Williamsburg, New York, and Rabbi Fried was hired to be the first grade melamed. Later, the Frieds moved to New Square — they were one of the first families there — and he continued as a melamed for first graders, becoming renowned as a mechanech par excellence.
Rabbi Fried, with his vast experience and keen insight into the minds of children, decided to create a new method to teach reading, to enable each child to learn quickly and without difficulty.
Create a free account to keep reading.
