Academic Structure:
The Midrasha offers serious, motivated students the opportunity to engage in an intensive learning program with a goal of instilling skills that allow for independent study in the future. We pride ourselves on providing a large selection of classes, where class size is often small to guarantee individual attention. In any given time slot, there are at least five options from which to choose and at times as many as seven.
The Learning Day
Students participate in a full day of learning, broken into three sessions – morning, afternoon and evening. Courses provide constant challenges, with a system of graduated levels of learning so that each and every student can gain both knowledge and skills according to her level. Our focus on chavruta study and development of textual skills creates the necessary basis for continued learning and growth after leaving the Midrasha.
Morning Schedule
Mornings are spent primarily in the Beit Midrash. The first session each morning is designed to familiarize students with the breadth of the sea of the Torah with two mornings spent learning Chumash Bekiut and a choice of Halacha, Gemara or Nach on two other mornings. The second session focusses on in-depth learning in the areas of Chumash, Gemara and Machshava.
Generally speaking, students will spend half of the morning working with the guidance of staff preparing for the class to take place at the end of the morning seder.
Afternoon Schedule
Afternoon is time for electives with topics including: Halacha, Machshava, Nach, Chassidut, Tefilla, Midot and Jewish History. In addition we offer our “Siyurim” course taking students to visit the new and old sections of Yerushalayim, meeting the people and stories that make our city so unique.
Evening Schedule
Evenings are generally spent in the Beit Midrash where students are free to pursue areas of study of particular interest to them. Staff advisors are available to guide and point students in the right direction. Those wishing to engage in greater independent Beit Midrash study time than possible in night seder are given the option to select Beit Midrash learning in lieu of several afternoon classes.
Language
The languages of instruction are Hebrew and English, where students are encouraged to take as many classes as they can in Hebrew.
Tuesday
Tuesdays are an exception to the routine, with varied extraordinary educational opportunities beyond the usual course schedule of shiurim:
- For students with an interest in the arts we offer a full afternoon of “Judaism through the Creative Medium of Art“, a learning and hands-on experience in the exploration of creativity, the halachic issues and expressive possibilities it offers. Students are empowered to create a portfolio with participants producing a combined exhibit on a shared theme.
- Tuesday also includes volunteering time, during which most students offer at least two hours of their time giving back to the community.
Our schedule reflects the breadth and variety of the program. Click here to see the full detailed timetable (pdf).
