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
2024 - 2025
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
We are excited to be moving to a brand new venue in time for the new school year, starting September 2024! Our new home is a beautiful and spacious shul, located in the heart of Crown Heights. Our new venue will accommodate our growing body of students and will include an additional space for students to use for downtime or work in between classes, as well as for on-site childcare. This bright and welcoming space will create the perfect environment for energized, focused chavrusa learning.
CURRICULUM
This year, we will expand our course offerings at the Beis Midrash to four courses, each one taking place at a different time slot throughout the day. Each course meets at the same time each day, Monday-Thursday. We invite you to customize your own schedule and choose the classes that work for you. (In order to get the most out of the immersive Beis Midrash experience, we recommend choosing either the full morning program, the full afternoon program or the full day program.)
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 once or twice a week to give deeper insights into the material.
Tanya Course:
8:45 - 10:15 AM
Facilitator: Miriam Goldberg
Instructor: Rabbi Chanoch Golomb
Our morning Chassidus course will cover the entire 53 chapters of Likutei Amarim of Tanya over the course of the year. We will cover roughly two chapters per week, studying the text inside in chavrusas, discussing the key ideas, and summarizing the concepts as a group. Each week, one pair of chavrusas will be responsible to lead a review and summary of the weekly chapters. Twice a week, students will participate in a 45-minute shiur, in which the instructor will assess their mastery of the material and explore deeper insights into the text they have learned. Guest lecturers will also come in periodically to delve deeper into the ideas explored in the text of Tanya.
At the conclusion of the course, 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 Tanya as well as tools to tackle any text of chassidus on their own.
Halacha Course:
10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Facilitator: Devorah Silberstein
Instructor: Rabbi Michoel Lerner
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 2024-25 year, we will cover the halachos of השכמת הבוקר & תפילה. 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.
Gemara Course:
1:15 - 3:00 PM
Facilitator: Tzivi Greenbaum
Instructor: TBD
Our Gemara course will explore one perek of Gemara in depth, focusing on introducing students to the language and reasoning of the Gemara. For the 2024-25, we will study Perek Hamafkid, the third perek of Maseches Bava Metzia. Students will have the opportunity to delve into the text with a chavrusa and build their skills for learning a page of Gemara on their own. Throughout the course, the facilitator will assign review activities and assignments to help build the student's mastery of the content and their skills. Each week, students will participate in an in-depth shiur in which the instructor will explore the text of Gemara more deeply and introduce the students to some of the classic commentaries on the Gemara.
At the conclusion of each semester, all students will take an oral exam to assess their mastery of the material. Students will walk away at the end of the year with a mastery of the perek as well as tools to tackle any text of Gemara on their own.
Chassidus Course:
3:15 - 5:00 PM
Facilitator: Simi Hecht
Instructor: TBD
Our afternoon Iyun 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 2024-25 year, we will cover the topics of ביטול העולמות and אמונה. 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
Mrs. Simi Hecht
Program Director & Iyun 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."
Ms. 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!”
WEEKLY SCHEDULE
Below is a sample weekly schedule. (Exact days for shiurim are subject to change.)
8:45 -
10:15 AM
MONDAY
Tanya
Chavrusa
TUESDAY
Tanya
Chavrusa
WEDNESDAY
Tanya
Chavrusa
THURSDAY
Tanya
Shiur
Break
10:15 AM -
12:15 PM
Halacha
Chavrusa
Halacha Shiur
& Chazara
Halacha
Chavrusa
Halacha
Chavrusa
Lunch Break
1:15 -
3:00 PM
Gemara
Chavrusa
Gemara
Chavrusa
Gemara Shiur
& Chavrusa
Gemara
Chavrusa
Break
3:15 -
5:00 PM
Chassidus Shiur
& Chazara
Chassidus
Chavrusa
Chassidus
Chavrusa
Chassidus
Chavrusa
PROGRAM DATES
The program takes place Monday - Thursday between 8:30 AM and 5:00 PM EST.
Semester 1:
Orientation: Sept. 3
Rosh Hashana: (No classes): October 2 - 3
Tishrei Break: October 10 - 27
Chanukah Break: December 26 - 31
End of Semester 1: January 9
Winter break: January 13 - 16*
(Subject to change based on local school calendars)
Semester 2:
Start of Spring Semester: January 20
Taanis Esther (Optional day): March 13
Pesach Break: April 7 - 22
Last Day: May 29
Graduation: June 5
ON-SITE DAYCARE
We are excited to offer an on-site daycare option on campus for Beis Midrash students with infants ages 0-2. Please let us know when you fill out your application if you would like to take advantage of the daycare option. We will offer a subsidized hourly rate for the time you spend learning at the Beis Midrash.
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.
Shabbos Morning Chassidus
Batsheva Learning Center hosts women’s Chassidus shiur on Shabbos mornings. It will take place every Shabbos morning from 8:45-10:00 AM.
The class will be chavrusa centered, with material from a maamar from Likkutei Torah-Torah Ohr of that week’s parsha. There will be approximately 45 minutes of chavrusa learning followed by a half hour shiur.
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.
The deadline for application is August 4, 2024.
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
One course
Two courses
Three courses
Four courses
$1300
$2400
$2400
$4000
$3500
$4000
$6000
$7500
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Ok, I need all the info.Every four weeks there will be an accumulative test on one topic of halachos. They will be available on our online testing site (www.classmarker.com) to be taken on your own time. A few days before the first test, you will receive a user ID and login password for the testing website. You will use the same username and password for every test. Each test will be available for 24 hours from 8:00 pm (EST) Motzei Shabbos until 8:00 pm (EST) Sunday night. Once you begin taking the test, you will have exactly one hour to complete it.
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How can I chat with fellow Chidoners?When you sign up you will have the option to join a whatsapp group with the other girls from around the world who are participating. The whatsapp group is not a place for official notifications, rather it is a social network to ask friends questions and get to know the other girls who are learning the same material as you. You will be informed of all official updates via email.
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Who should I study with?Every school has an assigned mentor who is your go-to person for any assistance you may need with studying for the Chidon. Your mentor is the teacher/bnos head who introduced the Chidon to your school. Once you register for the Chidon, she will contact you about a weekly study session that will be available at your school. Your mentor will be present at your school’s weekly study sessions to guide you and help with any questions you may have.
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What will the tests look like?There will be 20 multiple choice questions on each test. The questions will be written in English, but will test your knowledge of the original Hebrew words of the sefer and will contain phrases from the original text. The questions will NOT necessarily be in order of the sefer. Since the goal of the Chidon is to sharpen your skills for learning inside, you may use the Hebrew sefer on the test. You may not have any writing in the sefer you use on the test, however, you may underline words or phrases.
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Am I ready to send in my test?Please double check your answers after finishing the test to make sure they are correct- sometimes your answers may shift by accident while scrolling. Be careful, because if a mistake like this does happen, you will not receive points back. After you finish the test, you will be able to see your grade, but not which questions you got right or wrong. The grade you see on the screen is final and will not be changed.
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What should I do if I know I won’t be able to make it to the test?If there is an unusual situation, you can email chidon@batshevalearningcenter.com and ask for permission to reschedule. You must email us at least one week before the scheduled test date.
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Will the Rambam's minyan hamitzvos be included on the first test?No.
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Tell me more about the Shabbaton!After all five tests, there will be a Shabbaton retreat. Any girl who maintains a passing average [65% or above] will be eligible to join for a $250 fee or by fundraising $500. (The top ten finalists are invited to come for free.) Girls with the top ten grades will compete in the final chidon competition.
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I can’t wait! What should I do if I have more questions?If you have questions that your mentor is unable to help with, you may contact: chidon@batshevalearningcenter.com
Why open a Women's Beis Midrash?
ONLINE
BEIS MIDRASH
2024 - 2025
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 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.
At the conclusion of the semester, all students will take in an oral exam, as well as write a research essay.
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
Curriculum Writer & Facilitator
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
All times listed are eastern time
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
10:00 - 11:30 AM EST
Chavrusa learning
Chavrusa learning
Chavrusa learning
Shiur
PROGRAM DATES
The program runs Monday - Thursday, 10:00 - 11:30 AM EST
Orientation: 2 Elul / September 5
Start Date: 6 Elul / September 9
Rosh Hashana: 27-28 Elul / October 2-3
Tishrei Break: 8-25 Tishrei / October 10-27
Taanis Esther: 13 Adar / MArch 13
Last Day: 20 Adar / March 20
Graduation: TBA
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, 2024.
TUITION
Students will pay a tuition of $950 per course. 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.