“Zug” is Hebrew for “pair.” When two people (or a “zug”) study texts together, they are studying in “havruta.” Your learning partner is called your “havruta.”

During four times of year that we call “matching windows,” you can register for a course and be paired with a havruta. You’ll be matched with someone based on information you provide in your registration such as: course preference, learning partner preferences, your bio, and more. Our team takes special care to match you with someone we think will be a great fit!

Absolutely. Project Zug is a wonderful way to learn and connect more deeply with a friend, colleague or family member. You can register for a course at any time and invite your havruta. Once you are both registered, you’ll gain access to the course materials, and your Project Zug journey begins! 

When you receive your course materials and have confirmed your havruta, you and your havruta will schedule a weekly time to meet and learn together, either in person or online. We recommend scheduling one hour per week. The timing and pace are up to you, offering the flexibility to fit learning into your schedules. 

We recommend scheduling one hour each week for learning. You may learn in person or via video chat. Zoom, Google Meet, WhatsApp, FaceTime, and Skype are all great options if you are not meeting in person.

Our courses tend to run 4 to 10 sessions long and we recommend a pace of one session per week. The content includes short instructor videos featuring the creator of the course and study sheets with explanations and discussion questions to spark conversation. The study sheets are self-guided and designed to be learned by you and a partner. You may watch the instructor videos before your learning or during your time together.

No, you do not need to prepare in advance of learning sessions. The material is designed to be studied together. You may choose to watch the instructor videos before or during your learning sessions. 

It depends on the course. Study sheets usually include 3-5 source texts, along with explanations and guiding questions. We provide guidance in the study sheet so that you can learn during your meetings and without having to do any prep work.

Apart from our skill-building courses, which require learners to translate from the original, all our courses provide English translation alongside the original text. 

If you’re following the study sheets, reacting to the texts, and enjoying conversations with your havruta, you are on the right track! The videos from the course educator also provide framing and direction. If you have any questions about the material, you can post them in our discussion forum, where other learners of the course may respond or ask their own questions. If you are really stuck, contact us and we can help you.

Besides the short instructor videos, Project Zug courses are designed to be learned independently with a havruta and there is no live interaction with the course educator. At certain times per year, like before the High Holidays and Passover, we offer special live learning sessions with the course instructor to kick off a course; we'll send you an invitation to join if you're taking a course with a live lecture.

No! All you need is a reliable internet connection and, if you are meeting virtually with your havruta, a computer or tablet with video-conferencing (Zoom, Google Meet, etc.). If you and your learning partner happen to be local, you can print off the source sheets and learn in person! You will be able to access your course materials easily through the weekly course emails or directly from your dashboard.

First, create an account with your email and a password. If you have a havruta, you can register for any course at any time. If not, check back when registration opens for the next matching window, so we can pair you with a great havruta! 

Go to www.projectzug.org and click “Sign in” on the upper right corner. For your username, use the email address tied to your Project Zug account. If you are not sure which email address that is, it is likely the email from which you receive Project Zug communications. Type in your password and click “continue.”

Go to https://www.projectzug.org/user/password. Fill in the email address that you’ve been receiving Project Zug communications. Click “E-mail new password.” You will receive an email with a link to create a new password. Click on the link as soon as you receive the email, and set a new password.

Four times a year Project Zug offers Matching Windows. These special registration periods are for learners who wish to be paired with a learning partner. 

Project Zug participants pay a sliding rate of $36-$180 per course. We invite you to pay what you can within that range, but if cost is a barrier to your participation, please let us know. 

Take a look at our course listing page to browse all of our courses. Are there any topics that look especially intriguing? Educators you’re excited to learn from? Click through the titles to explore course descriptions and watch video trailers so you can get a sense of what piques your interest. We’ve highlighted the most popular courses and a few that are particularly good for beginners.

It is possible, but we don’t typically recommend it. Remember that you are accountable to learning each week with your havruta. Many of our users who have tried have found that learning more than one course at a time is not always feasible or successful. 

When your course starts, you'll receive weekly emails with each subsequent session of the course. You may access any part of the course via your dashboard. Login to your account and click "My Learning" in the top right of the home page. On your dashboard, you'll see your course. Click "course content" to view the first session and use the arrows to advance to subsequent sessions.

Project Zug is Jewish learning program. If you are not Jewish but interested in learning with Project Zug, please contact [email protected] before signing up.

Find a quiet, distraction-free place to meet with your havruta, either in person or online. If meeting virtually, use a platform like Zoom, Google Meet, FaceTime, or WhatsApp and ensure you can both see your learning materials and hear each other clearly.

Absolutely yes! Click here to learn more.