WOMEN'S
BEIS MIDRASH
COMMIT. INVEST. CONNECT
Batsheva Learning Center's
OPENING JANUARY 2022
COMMIT.
INVEST.
CONNECT.
Commit yourself to a consistent and engaging learning routine.
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Invest in developing skills that will last you a lifetime.
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Connect to a community of women who share your passion for Torah.
3.5 hours a week of guided chavrusa learning.
1.5 hours a week of student-led discussions.
1 hour a week of in-depth shiur taught by your instructor.
A
textbook mailed to your door.
Oral exams and assessments at the conclusion of the course.
Our Beis Midrash offers two tracks per semester - one covering a topic in halacha in depth and the other covering a text of chassidus. Each track meets four days a week for 1.5 hours a day. Our student-centered program will empower you to take ownership of your learning and develop your independent learning skills. You’ll thoroughly master original Torah texts through chavrusa learning and student-led discussions, guided by knowledgeable instructors who will assist you through the process.
Our Chassidus track will be offered for the first time online in January 2022. In Fall of 2022, both our Chassidus and Halacha track will open in person (in Brooklyn) and online.
ONLINE CHASSIDUS TRACK
HEMSHECH RANAT
SPRING 2022
Curriculum:
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Our Chassidus curriculum covers Hemshech Ranat, a series of eight maamarim of the Rebbe Rashab that explores the concept of malchus. We will spend roughly two weeks on each maamar discussing the key ideas, studying the text in chavrusas, and summarizing the concepts as a group.
Each week, one pair of chavrusas will be responsible for introducing the key concepts of the maamar for that week and another will be responsible to lead a review and summary of the maamar. At the end of each week, students will participate in an in-depth shiur, taught by the instructor.
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At the conclusion of the semester, all students will take an oral exam, as well as write a research essay.
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Program Dates:
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Classes will take place 4 days a week, Monday-Thursday, 11:30 - 1:00 PM EST on Zoom.
December 19 - Registration deadline
January 17 - Start date
March 16-17 - Purim break
April 11-21 - Pesach break
June 6-7 - Shavuos break
June 16 - Last day
All times listed are eastern time
Weekly Schedule
Monday
11:30 - 11:45 Student-led introduction of key concepts for the week ~ 15 min
(led by a different chavrusa pair each week)
11:45 - 1:00 Chavrusa learning ~ 75 min
Tuesday
11:30 - 1:00 Chavrusa learning ~ 90 min
Wednesday
11:30 - 12:00 Chavrusa learning ~ 30 min
12:00 - 1:00 Student-led Review & Summary ~ 60 min
(led by a different chavrusa pair each week)
Thursday
11:30 - 12:30 Shiur with Rabbi Leigh ~ 60 min
12:30 - 1:00 Chazara ~ 30 min
Staff:
Instructor
Rabbi Reuven Leigh
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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.
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“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”.
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Curriculum Writer & Facilitator
Mrs. Yitty Gniwisch
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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!”
Application Process:
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 decide to join program, your registration fee will count towards your tuition.
Following your submission of the application, you will be invited for an interview and to take a skill assessment test.
Please note that this program is geared for women who have already had a yeshiva education and have experience studying Hebrew texts.
Application Deadline: Dec 19, 2021
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Student Expectations:
Students will pay a tuition of $750 per course to be paid at the beginning of the semester. Need-based scholarships available upon request.
They 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.
Our Women’s Beis Midrash is opening in-person in September 2022. Located in Brooklyn, NY, the program will create a warm and vibrant learning environment for our students to invest in their growth as independent learners. Students at our Brooklyn Beis Midrash will dedicate three hours a day to in-depth study of halacha and chassidus. Participation in both tracks is required for the in-person program. Below is a description of the curricula for the fall semester of both the halacha and chassidus tracks. (Information about the curriculum for spring semester will be updated closer to the time):
Chassidus Curriculum:
Our Chassidus curriculum covers Hemshech Ranat, a series of eight maamarim of the Rebbe Rashab that explores the concept of malchus. We will spend roughly two weeks on each maamar discussing the key ideas, studying the text in chavrusas, and summarizing the concepts as a group. Each week, one pair of chavrusas will be responsible to lead a review and summary of the maamar. At the end of each 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.
At the conclusion of each semester, all students will participate in an oral exam, as well as write a research essay. Students will walk away at the end of the year with a mastery of the entire hemshech as well as tools to tackle any text of chassidus on their own.
Halacha Curriculum:
Our Halacha curriculum will cover the topics of kavod and oneg Shabbos, exploring the origins of the halachos in the Mishna, Gemara, Rishonim and the 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. Each week, one pair of chavrusas will be responsible to lead a review and summary of the material. At the end of each week, students will participate in an in-depth shiur, in which the instructor will review the sources and lead a discussion based on the concepts they learned. At the conclusion of each semester, 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.
Program Dates:
The program runs Monday - Thursday, 1:15 - 4:15 PM
Fall Semester (2022):
August 29 - Start Date
Sept 26- Oct. 20 - Tishrei break
Dec 19-22 - Chanukah break
February 2 - Last day
Spring Semester (2023):
Feb. 6 - Start date
March 6-7 - Purim break
March 29 - April 13 - Pesach Break
May 25 - Shavuos Break
June 22 - Last day
All times listed are eastern time
Weekly Schedule
Chassidus 1:15 - 2:45 PM
Halacha 2:45 - 4:15 PM
Monday
1:15 - 1:30 Introduction of key concepts for the week ~ 15 min
1:30 - 2:45 Chavrusa learning ~ 75 min
2:45 - 3:00 Introduction of key concepts for the week ~ 15 min
3:00 - 4:15 Chavrusa learning ~ 75 min
1:15 - 2:45 Chavrusa learning ~ 90 min
2:45 - 4:15 Chavrusa learning ~ 90 min
Tuesday
Wednesday
1:15 - 1:45 Chavrusa learning ~ 30 min
1:45 - 2:45 Student-led Summary ~ 60 min
(led by a different chavrusa pair each week)
2:45 - 3:15 Chavrusa learning ~ 30 min
3:15 - 4:15 Student-led Summary ~ 60 min
(led by a different chavrusa pair each week)
1:15 - 2:15 Shiur with teacher ~ 60 min
2:15 - 2:45 Chazara ~ 30 min
2:45 - 3:45 Shiur with teacher ~ 60 min
3:45 - 4:15 Chazara ~ 30 min
Thursday
Staff:
Program Director and Chassidus Instructor
Mrs. Chayale Tzukernik
Chayale Tzukernik lives in Crown Heights with her husband and three sons. She has over 10 years of experience teaching chassidus to high school girls. She is a talented and engaging teacher who has given lectures and led farbrengens for both teens and adults on all topics in Chassidus. Her audience loves her for her clarity, her insight and her relatability. She has taught many classes for Batsheva Learning Center in the past and is excited to be part of launching our new women’s Beis Midrash.
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Click here to listen to Chayale teaching a maamar in one of our podcast episodes.
“A Beis Midrash for women’s Torah learning, and for the study of Chassidus in particular, is something I dreamed about for as long as I can remember. I am honored to be a part of bringing this dream to reality and facilitating an atmosphere of deep learning and growth for my students.”
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Halacha Curriculum Writer and Instructor
Ms. Devorah Silberstein
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Devorah Silberstein is graduating this spring from GPATS (Graduate Program in Advanced Talmudic Studies) where she spent two years studying advanced Gemara and Halacha full time. She is the curriculum director for our high school chidon and co-host of the daily daf of Maseches Sotah podcast we put out last spring. Devorah is a knowledgeable and dynamic teacher who is passionate about giving women the opportunity to explore halacha in depth, from the original sources. She has spent over a year developing our halacha curriculum and is excited to finally share it with her students.
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!”
Application Process:
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 you do not choose to join us, the payment will not be refunded.)
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Following your submission of the application, you will be invited for an interview and to take a skill assessment test.
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Please note that this program is geared for women who have already had a yeshiva education and have experience studying Hebrew texts.
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Application Deadline: June 12, 2022
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Tuition:
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Students will pay a tuition of $1800 per semester or $3000 per year to be paid at the beginning of the semester.* They 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.
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*Scholarships and payments plans are available.