Building Your Own Chazara Schedule: Insights from Doni Raskas’ 1,400-Day Review System

[For an audio file of this conversation, click here]

Doni Raskas: 1,400 Days of Zichru – A Journey of Transformation and Mastery

For many learners, the idea of mastering the Daf Yomi can feel daunting. Yet, for Doni Raskas, a long-time member of Zichru, what began as an accidental involvement has transformed into a life-changing journey of commitment, memory, and Torah learning. In this inspiring conversation, Doni shares his story—one that has taken him from Queens to Cleveland, with over 1,400 consecutive days of Daf learning under his belt. His experience provides valuable insights for anyone looking to enhance their Torah study with Zichru's memory techniques.

Starting by Accident

Doni’s introduction to Zichru was far from planned. He recalls how, when the new Daf Yomi cycle began, he didn’t initially pay much attention to the program. However, a conversation with a friend sparked his interest in trying it out. That decision turned out to be pivotal, as Zichru quickly became a cornerstone of his daily learning. Despite considering his memory "below average," Doni soon discovered that the program's tools and techniques helped him retain and internalize the Daf in a way he never thought possible.

"It Was Hard to Put It Down"

At first, Doni admits, he was skeptical of some of the methods. He even confided in his wife that the memory tools—like associating imagery with sections of the Daf—felt strange. Yet, after just a few days, he found himself remembering and reviewing key points of the Gemara with ease. “Once I tasted those results,” Doni says, “it was hard to put it down.”

The deeper Doni delved into Zichru, the more he realized how its structured system of memory and review was exactly what he needed. The experience was so powerful that even the most challenging sections of Gemara became opportunities for growth, instead of hurdles to overcome.

Making Learning Personal

One of Doni’s key messages is that Zichru isn’t a one-size-fits-all program. He emphasizes how each learner can tailor the tools to their own style. For Doni, that meant combining the visual aids from Zichru’s PDFs with his personal summaries, which he writes out as part of his chazara (review) process. The flexibility allowed Doni to structure his learning around his busy life, fitting Zichru into his schedule rather than the other way around.

Balancing 1,400 Days and Beyond

Having completed over 1,400 days of Zichru, Doni has developed a unique system for reviewing the Daf. He breaks down his chazara into daily, weekly, and monthly cycles, ensuring that he is constantly reviewing past material while moving forward with new content. This level of commitment may seem overwhelming to some, but for Doni, it’s an essential part of keeping the Daf fresh and relevant in his life.

What’s more impressive is that Doni does all this while managing work, family, and everyday responsibilities. He notes that Zichru’s flexibility is key, allowing him to learn whenever and wherever he has time—whether during a walk, in the car, or at home. His story serves as proof that with the right tools and dedication, anyone can maintain a consistent and enriching learning schedule.

A Lifelong Connection to Torah

Doni’s journey is a testament to the lasting impact of Zichru. He points out that Zichru’s memory techniques not only help learners stay on track but also create a deeper connection to Torah. Instead of just going through the Daf to check it off a list, Doni feels that he now "carries" the Daf with him. Whether in a shiur or in conversation with friends, the material stays alive and accessible.

For Doni, Zichru has turned Daf Yomi from a task into a lifelong relationship with Torah. “Once you’ve tasted it,” Doni explains, “you just can’t let it go.” As he looks ahead, Doni remains excited about the future—knowing that Zichru has set the foundation for him to continue mastering the Daf for years to come.

Doni Raskas’ story is not just about learning the Daf—it’s about transforming the way we engage with Torah. With Zichru, what once seemed like a distant goal became a daily reality, allowing him to learn, retain, and live Torah in a deeply personal way. His journey is an inspiring reminder that with the right tools, consistency, and a willingness to adapt, we can all achieve more than we thought possible.

Tailoring Your Zichru Review: Insights from Doni’s 1,400-Day System

One of the key components of Doni Raskas’ success in Zichru is his highly personalized review schedule. While learning the Daf is an achievement in itself, Doni emphasizes that it’s the consistent review—Chazara—that truly solidifies the material in his memory. His system, honed over more than 1,400 days, is proof that mastery is not about cramming but about steadily reinforcing knowledge. And the beauty of his method? It can be customized to fit anyone's lifestyle and learning preferences—with tools like Zichru’s Excel sheet that make personalizing your own review schedule easier than ever.

[You can find Doni's excel sheet here, on the bottom of the Masechta Resource page)

Breaking It Down: Doni’s Review Structure

Doni’s approach to Chazara is both methodical and flexible, designed to ensure he is constantly reinforcing his learning without feeling overwhelmed. Here’s how he structures his daily, weekly, and monthly review:

Daily Review: Each day, Doni reviews the 20 most recent dafim (pages) that he’s learned. This ensures that the new material stays fresh in his mind, allowing him to reinforce what he’s learned over the past few weeks.

Weekly Review: In addition to his daily review, Doni revisits all the material he has covered within the current Masechta on a weekly basis. For instance, if he’s learned 50 dafim in a tractate, he will break it up into chunks and review those dafim each week, ensuring he maintains mastery over the entire tractate.

Monthly Review: For material from previous tractates, Doni places them on a monthly review cycle. This way, every masechta he’s covered remains accessible and familiar, even months after he initially learned it. With Zichru’s Excel sheet, you can create a similar schedule that fits your pace, choosing which masechta need more frequent reviews and which can be on a lighter cycle.

Why This System Works

Doni’s review schedule allows him to stay connected to all parts of his learning simultaneously. By rotating through his daily, weekly, and monthly cycles, he ensures that nothing slips through the cracks, whether it’s a daf he learned a few days ago or one from several years back. This comprehensive system doesn’t just keep his memory sharp—it allows him to integrate the Daf into his daily life, making it part of his long-term retention rather than something he’ll need to revisit every seven years.

The flexibility of this method, combined with the ability to adjust your schedule using the Zichru Excel sheet, is key. For Doni, being able to tweak his review plan—based on how well he knows the material and how much time he has each day—has been instrumental in his success.

Customizing the Schedule for You

What makes Doni’s system truly adaptable is that it can be tailored to fit anyone’s schedule and learning style. And the best way to do this is by taking advantage of Zichru’s Excel sheet, which allows you to create a personalized review schedule with ease. Here are some ways you can customize the process to suit your needs:

Start Small: If 20 dafim a day sounds like a lot, start with 5 or 10. The goal is to get into the habit of reviewing regularly. Using the Excel sheet, you can set your own pace and gradually increase the number of dafim as your confidence grows.

Adjust the Cycles: Not everyone has time for daily, weekly, and monthly reviews. Some may prefer a biweekly or even quarterly review cycle for previous material. The Excel sheet allows you to set the frequency of reviews based on your schedule, helping you create a customized plan that keeps you on track.

Use Multiple Formats: Doni likes to combine reading the PDF summaries with writing his own notes. Others may prefer listening to shiurim, watching videos, or using the Zichru app. Experiment with different formats to find what works best for you—and use the Excel sheet to build those preferences into your review schedule.

Focus on Key Points: You don’t have to review every detail of every daf. Instead, focus on the key points or the sections you struggled with. Zichru’s system is designed to help you target the essential takeaways, and the Excel sheet makes it easy to map out a review plan that reinforces the most important parts of your learning.

Make It Manageable: Remember, Zichru isn’t about cramming—it’s about consistent, manageable growth. Don’t feel pressured to review huge sections all at once. Even reviewing just 10 dafim for 15 minutes a day can yield tremendous results over time, and the Excel sheet can help you build a realistic, tailored plan that fits into your life.

Creating Your Personalized Plan

Zichru’s Excel sheet is a powerful tool for organizing your review schedule. You can easily input the Masechtas you’ve learned, select how often you’d like to review them (daily, weekly, or monthly), and track your progress. Doni credits much of his success to creating a system that works for him, and the Excel sheet provides a clear roadmap for anyone looking to do the same.

By using this tool, you can customize every aspect of your learning—whether you’re focusing on key masechtos, managing a lighter review load, or maintaining a rigorous schedule. Just as Doni tailored his Chazara to his specific needs, you too can create a personalized plan that works for your lifestyle, helping you stay engaged with the Daf every day.

A Path to Mastery

Doni’s journey shows that with the right tools and a structured review system, anyone can achieve mastery over the Daf Yomi. His approach is a testament to the power of consistent effort, and by using the Zichru Excel sheet to customize your own review schedule, you can follow in his footsteps. Whether you’re learning one daf a day or reviewing an entire tractate, Zichru’s flexible system, paired with this powerful planning tool, will help you create a lasting connection with Torah—on your own terms.