



WOMEN'S
BEIS MIDRASH
COMMIT. INVEST. CONNECT
Batsheva Learning Center's
COMMIT.
INVEST.
CONNECT.
Commit yourself to a consistent and engaging learning routine.
Invest in developing skills that will last you a lifetime.
Connect to a community of women who share your passion for Torah.
Guided chavrusa learning
Text based
curriculums
In-depth
shiurim
Student-led discussions
Guest
lecturers
BROOKLYN
BEIS MIDRASH
2025 - 2026
Located in the heart of Brooklyn, NY, the Beis Midrash creates a warm and vibrant learning environment for young women to invest in text-based learning and grow as independent learners. Students at our Brooklyn Beis Midrash have the opportunity to dedicate time each day to the in-depth study of halacha, gemara, and chassidus.



VENUE
The venue we rent for our Beis Midrash is a beautiful and homey shul, centrally located in the heart of Crown Heights and fully stocked with an eclectic library of seforim. This bright and welcoming space creates the perfect environment for energized, focused chavrusa learning.
CURRICULUM
Students in our Beis Midrash spend 1.5 hours a day on our Chassidus curriculum and 2 hours a day on our Halacha curriculum. Each course meets at the same time each day, Monday- Thursday. Participation in both tracks is recommended but not required. Students may choose to participate in just one track.
Below is a list of our courses, along with the curriculum that will be covered for each one.
For each course, the facilitator will guide and direct the chavrusa learning throughout the week and the instructor will come in once or twice a week to give deeper insights into the material.
Chassidus Course:
1:30 - 3:00 PM
Facilitator: Simi Hecht
Instructor: Rabbi Golomb
Our Chassidus course will cover foundational sugyos in Chassidus through the lens of the Rebbe's perspective for Dor Hasheviyi. We will explore a series of maamarim on a given topic, studying the text inside in chavrusas, discussing the key ideas, and summarizing the concepts as a group.
For the 2026-27 year, we will be covering select maamarim from המשך תרס"ו of the Rebbe Rashab. Each week, one pair of chavrusas will be responsible for leading a review and summary of the text that was studied that week. Once a week, students will participate in an in-depth shiur, in which the instructor will assess their mastery of the material and lead a discussion based on the concepts they learned. Guest lecturers will also come in periodically to delve deeper into the ideas explored in the text.
At the conclusion of each semester, students’ mastery of the material will be assessed with an open-text, comprehensive written test.
Halacha Course:
3:15 - 5:00 PM
Facilitator: Devorah Silberstein
Instructor: Rabbi Barber
Our Halacha course will cover one complete topic of halachos, exploring the origins of the halachos in the Mishna, Gemara, Rishonim and the Shulchan Aruch.
For the 2026-27 year, we will cover בשר בחלב, exploring the laws of Kashrus from the classic Tur and Shulchan Aruch. Each student will receive a booklet with all of the relevant sources as well as guidance for looking up and studying the original sources on their own. There will be a review and summary of the material learned each week. There will also be periodic guest shiurim giving in-depth analysis and insight into the halachos as well as answering any practical halachic questions related to the material.
At the conclusion of each unit, all students will take a written exam to assess their mastery of the material. Students will walk away at the end of the year with a mastery of these halachos as well as tools to tackle any text of halacha on their own.
Tanya Course:
Mondays & Thursdays, 6:00 - 7:30 PM
Facilitator: Miriam Goldberg
Our evening Tanya course will cover twenty-two chapters in chavrusa-style learning, focusing on text, chapter structure, sources, and further study on the topics from the Rebbeim. The group will collaborate on the discussion of key and life-practical concepts, summarization, presentation, and mastery assessments.
In learning each perek, chavrusas, supported by the facilitator, will spend one and a half classes learning the perek inside, as well as exploring the pesukim and maamarei chazal brought in the perek. The students will spend an additional class to develop a detailed outline of the perek. Following this, additional teachings from the following Rebbeim will be learned to enhance and further the grasp of the perek. Each student then creates a review for presentation. One student presents their review for the class. An assessment is given at the end of each perek to track personal growth.
After completing a few perokim, students engage in a quick-paced review of the text of the perokim learned, followed by a shiur on the perokim.






STAFF

Mrs. Simi Hecht
Program Director & Chassidus Facilitator
Mrs. Simi Hecht is a talented educator who has spent the last decade teaching high school level Chassidus classes. She excels at empowering her students to explore deep ideas in Chassidus from the original text. Over the past two years, Simi has directed the chassidus program at our Beis Midrash and she will be expanding her role this coming year as director of the program. She is excited to share her passion for Chassidus, high-level adult education and for life in Crown Heights with the students of the Beis Midrash.
"Batsheva Learning Center's Beis Midrash actualizes a vision the Rebbe expressed and advocated for many times; organized Torah learning for women. It is exhilarating to be a part of a true step into the times of redemption."

Devorah Silberstein
Halacha Facilitator & Curriculum Director
Devorah Silberstein has spent four years at GPATS (Graduate Program in Advanced Talmudic Studies), studying advanced Gemara and Halacha. She is the curriculum director for our high school chidon and co-host of the daily daf of Maseches Sotah podcast we produced two years ago. Devorah is a knowledgeable and dynamic teacher who is passionate about giving women the opportunity to explore halacha in depth, from the original sources. Over the past two years, she directed the halacha program at the Beis Midrash and will be expanding her role this year as Batsheva Learning Center’s curriculum director.
Click here to listen to Devorah teaching Gemara on one of our podcast episodes.
“For me, learning halacha b’iyun has been a really thrilling experience. It’s getting a peek into the ‘back-end’ of the halachic system, seeing the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ behind the ‘what’ we do every day. Learning in this way has given me an appreciation for the richness, vastness, and authority of the halachic system and infuses greater meaning into my everyday practice of halacha. I’m looking forward to sharing that experience with my students!”

Miriam Goldberg
Tanya Facilitator
Miriam is passionate about conveying the rich ideas of Torah, and especially Chassidus, with people of all ages and backgrounds. Over the span of a decade, she has taught early childhood, elementary, and middle school, as well as adults. A born teacher, she takes the opportunity to educate in informal settings as well. She constantly searches for ways to express the ideas of Chassidus in day-to-day life and through creative mediums. Crystalizing concepts with clarity, keenly zeroing in on the nuance of a text, and bringing down ideas as paradigms for real life are areas in which she is skilled. Miriam is excited to charge the participants of the Tanya course with the challenge of doing the same. She has had a deep love for Tanya since the day she started studying it back in Middle School and hopes to impart this through the learning that will take place.
WEEKLY SCHEDULE
Below is a sample weekly schedule. (Exact days for shiurim are subject to change.)
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
1:30 -
3:00 PM
Chassidus
Chavrusa
Chassidus
Shiur
Chassidus
Chavrusa
Chassidus
Chavrusa
Break
3:15 -
5:00 PM
Halacha
Chavrusa
Halacha
Chavrusa
Halacha
Chavrusa
Halacha
Shiur
6:00 -
7:30 PM
Tanya
Chavrusa
Tanya
Chavrusa
PROGRAM DATES
The program takes place Monday - Thursday between 1:30 PM and 5:00 PM EST.
Semester 1 | October 27 | ה׳ חשון | |
Chanukah Break | December 15 - 18 | כ"ה - כ"ח כסלו | |
Asara B'Teves | December 30 | Optional | |
End of Semester | January 29 | י"א שבט | |
Mid-Winter Break | February 2 - 5 | ט"ו - י"ח שבט | Subject to change |
Semester 2 | |||
Second Semester Begins | February 9 | כ"ב שבט | |
Taanis Esther | March 2 | י"ג אדר | Optional |
Purim Break | March 3 - 4 | יד - ט"ו אדר | |
Pesach Break | March 23 - April 9 | ה' - כ"ב ניסן | |
Lag Baomer | May 5 | י"ח אייר | Optional |
Shavuos | May 21 | ה' סיון | |
Last Day | June 17 | ב' תמוז | |
Graduation | June 18 | ג' תמוז |
EXTRACURRICULARS
Farbrengens
“A public farbrengen in general [...] is one of the foundations in the ways of chassidim and Chassidus.” (Hayom Yom 24 Tishrei)
Once a month, Beis Midrash staff and students will gather to take the learning to a new level; that of the heart. In the setting of the farbrengen, the words of the Chassidus and Halacha learned will become part of one’s life.
Shabbos Meals
Approximately once a month, Beis Midrash staff and students will spend a Shabbos meal together. The seudah will be hosted by Beis Midrash staff, students or others. This is a wonderful way to connect and spend time with our Beis Midrash community.
Every Thursday night, Batsheva Learning Center hosts an open chavrusa night for young working women in the community to come together and bond over text-based learning on the parsha. Each week, a different participant will prepare a sicha for the group to learn and give a short summary at the end of the evening.
The Beis Midrash students are invited and encouraged to take part in this program.








APPLICATION
The online application will ask you questions about your learning background and your reason for interest in the program. Please take the time to answer the questions thoroughly. There is a $50 registration fee.*
*(If you are accepted to the program and you choose to join, this will come off of your tuition. If you are not accepted to the program, this payment will be refunded. If you are accepted but do not choose to join us, the payment will not be refunded.
Following your submission of the application, you will be invited for an interview.
Please note that this program is geared toward women who have already had a yeshiva education and have experience studying Hebrew texts.
TUITION
See the chart below for a breakdown of tuition fees:
Tuition must be paid in full or a monthly payment plan set up before the start of the semester.
Students are expected to attend classes consistently and meet the demands of the program. Failure to meet these requirements will result in dismissal from the program, without refunding tuition.
*Need-based scholarships and payment plans are available.
$100 will be deducted from your tuition for every student you recruit to join the Beis Midrash!
One semester
Full year
Chassidus OR Halacha course
Chassidus AND Halacha courses
$1300
$2400
$2400
$4000
Tanya course
$650
$1200
Chassidus, Halacha & Tanya courses
$3000
$5000
FAQs
Why open a Women's Beis Midrash?
ONLINE
BEIS MIDRASH
2025 - 2026
CURRICULUM
Students in our Online Beis Midrash spend 1.5 hours a day on our Chassidus curriculum and 1.5 hours a day on our Halacha curriculum. Each course meets at the same time each day, Monday- Thursday. Participation in both tracks is recommended but not required. Students may choose to participate in just one track.
Below is a list of our courses and the curriculum that will be covered for each one.
For each course, the facilitator will guide and direct the chavrusa learning throughout the week and the instructor will come in every two weeks to give deeper insights into the material.
Chassidus Course:
10:00 - 11:30 AM
Facilitator: Yitty Gniwisch
Instructor: Rabbi Leigh
Our Chassidus course will cover foundational sugyos in Chassidus. We will explore a series of maamarim on a given topic, studying the text inside in chavrusas, discussing the key ideas, and summarizing the concepts as a group.
For the 2026-27 year, we will cover המשך תרנ"ט, eight maamarim of the Rebbe Rashab exploring the identity and role of Malchus. Each week, one pair of chavrusas will be responsible to lead a review and summary of the text that was studied that week. Once a week, students will participate in an in-depth shiur, in which the instructor will assess their mastery of the material and lead a discussion based on the concepts they learned. Guest lecturers will also come in periodically to delve deeper into the ideas explored in the text.
At the conclusion of each semester, students’ mastery of the material will be assessed with an open-text, comprehensive written test.
STAFF

Yitty Gniwisch lives in Philadelphia with her husband and two children. She has experience teaching Chassidus to high school students and developing a Tanya curriculum for children. Yitty is an avid Chassidus learner and loves spending time learning one maamar again and again until she gains a deep and thorough understanding of the ideas. Yitty has spent many years studying Hemshech Ranat in particular and is excited to facilitate the learning of this beautiful series of maamarim.
Yitty is the writer of our Chassidus curriculum textbook and will guide the students in their chavrusa learning and in developing their independent learning skills.
“Ranat was the first hemshech I learned and it opened up Chassidus for me in a way I had never experienced before. Nothing compares with the richness and excitement of learning a hemshech and I’m looking forward to sharing that experience with others!”
Mrs. Yitty Gniwisch
Program Director & Chassidus Facilitator

Devorah Silberstein
Halacha Facilitator & Curriculum Director
Devorah Silberstein has spent four years at GPATS (Graduate Program in Advanced Talmudic Studies), studying advanced Gemara and Halacha. She is the curriculum director for our high school chidon and co-host of the daily daf of Maseches Sotah podcast we produced two years ago. Devorah is a knowledgeable and dynamic teacher who is passionate about giving women the opportunity to explore halacha in depth, from the original sources. Over the past two years, she directed the halacha program at the Beis Midrash and will be expanding her role this year as Batsheva Learning Center’s curriculum director.
Click here to listen to Devorah teaching Gemara on one of our podcast episodes.
“For me, learning halacha b’iyun has been a really thrilling experience. It’s getting a peek into the ‘back-end’ of the halachic system, seeing the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ behind the ‘what’ we do every day. Learning in this way has given me an appreciation for the richness, vastness, and authority of the halachic system and infuses greater meaning into my everyday practice of halacha. I’m looking forward to sharing that experience with my students!”

Rabbi Leigh has been a shliach to Cambridge University since 2003 and has been teaching Chassidus at an advanced level for over twenty years. Rabbi Leigh has done extensive research into the relationship between Chassidus and contemporary philosophical thought and recently completed his PhD dissertation on the Rebbe Rashab's Hemshech Ranat.
Rabbi Leigh will teach a weekly shiur to the Chassidus track students, guide the students in writing their research essays and facilitate the final oral exam.
“I am excited to help others delve deeply into Hemshech Ranat and discover its revolutionary ideas, and in turn transform my own understanding of the material, as promised by the Hemshech”.
Rabbi Reuven Leigh
Instructor
WEEKLY SCHEDULE
Below is a sample weekly schedule. (Exact days for shiurim are subject to change.)
All times listed are eastern time
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
10:00 -
11:30 AM
Chassidus
Chavrusa
Chassidus
Shiur
Chassidus
Chavrusa
Chassidus
Chavrusa
Break
12:30 -
2:00 PM
Halacha
Chavrusa
Halacha
Chavrusa
Halacha
Chavrusa
Halacha
Shiur
PROGRAM DATES
The program runs Monday - Thursday.
Orientation | September 2 | ט' אלול | |
First Day | September 3 | י' אלול | |
Tishrei Break | September 22 - October 16 | כ"ט אלול - כ"ד תשרי | |
Chanukah Break | December 15 - 18 | כ"ה - כ"ח כסלו | |
Asara B'Teves | December 30 | Optional | |
End of Semester | January 29 | י"א שבט
Mid-Winter Break February 2 - 5 ט"ו - י"ח שבט Subject to change
2025-04-22T16:23:43.119Z
Semester 2
Second Semester Begins February 9 כ"ב שבט | |
Taanis Esther | March 2 | י"ג אדר Optional
Purim Break March 3 - 4 יד - ט"ו אדר | |
Pesach Break | March 23 - April 9 | ה' - כ"ב ניסן
Lag Baomer May 5 י"ח אייר | Optional |
Shavuos | May 21 | ה' סיון | |
Last Day | June 17 | ב' תמוז | |
Graduation | June 18 | ג' תמוז | |
Semester 1 |
APPLICATION
The online application will ask you questions about your learning background and your reason for interest in the program. Please take the time to answer the questions thoroughly. There is a $25 registration fee.*
*(If you are accepted to the program and you choose to join, this will come off of your tuition. If you are not accepted to the program, this payment will be refunded. If you are accepted but do not choose to join us, the payment will not be refunded.
Following your submission of the application, you will be invited for an interview.
Please note that this program is geared toward women who have already had a yeshiva education and have experience studying Hebrew texts.
The deadline for application is August 4, 2025.
TUITION
See the chart below for a breakdown of the tuition fees:
Tuition must be paid in full or a tuition plan set up before the start of the semester. Need-based scholarships are available upon request.
Students will be expected to attend classes consistently and meet the demands of the program. Failure to meet these requirements will result in dismissal from the program, without refunding tuition.
One Course
Two Courses
$1700
$3000

