Every afternoon, between 1:30 and 4:30 pm, you can walk into a small shul across from 770 and find a group of ten women sitting at tables across from each other with seforim open in front of them, engrossed in lively discussion and debate over the texts they are learning. These are students of Batsheva Learning Center’s Beis Midrash, which is now nearing the end of its first year. Located in the heart of Crown Heights, this unique program provides a warm and vibrant learning environment where young women can dedicate three hours a day to in-depth Torah learning.
The Beis Midrash offers a rigorous and comprehensive curriculum, with one and a half hours dedicated to the study of chassidus and one and a half hours to the study of halacha each day. The chassidus curriculum covers an entire hemshech of maamarim over the course of the year, while the halacha curriculum explores the origins of hilchos Shabbos in the Mishna, Gemara, Rishonim, and the Shulchan Aruch.
By the end of the year, students walk away with a mastery of both the hemshech of maamarim and the complete topic of halachos, as well as tools to tackle any text of chassidus and halacha on their own.
The Beis Midrash program takes place in a beautiful and homey shul, fully stocked with an eclectic library of seforim, creating the perfect environment for energized, focused learning. Students are encouraged to be fully invested in their learning, with chavrusa learning being the primary mode of study. Students have the opportunity to discuss and analyze the texts together, fostering a deep sense of ownership and investment in the material.
Current students can attest to the transformative power of this approach. Rosie Hecht, a student in the program, notes that “throughout the year, [the material] just becomes a part of you. You begin to understand concepts, you begin to understand words you never knew. They just become part of your vocabulary. It’s really an incredible process.”
Mushky Nemanov commented, “We learn in chavrusas which means that you can’t just listen with half an ear or half a mind. You really need to be all into it. When you’re fully invested in something, you get the most out of it.”
In addition to its rigorous curriculum, the Beis Midrash program provides a unique opportunity for young women to immerse themselves in an environment focused on growth in Torah and Yiddishkeit. As Nechama Krimmer, a current student of the program, puts it, “When I come into the Beis Midrash… it feels like I’m tapping into a part of reality that I don’t normally get to experience. It’s a learning atmosphere where we’re all focused on Torah, we’re all focused on being able to dive deeper into Yiddishkeit… Every day after learning I feel way more clear-headed with my direction and purpose in being a chossid.”
After the success of its first year, Batsheva Learning Center is now opening registration for a second year of their Beis Midrash. Interested students are encouraged to apply and take part in this unique opportunity for in-depth Torah study and personal growth.
For students who can’t join the in-person Beis Midrash, Batsheva Learning Center is also offering just the Chassidus track online every morning from 10:00-11:30 AM EST. This is the second time they are running an online program that caters to women who live outside New York and/or would like the flexibility of being able to travel while being a part of the Beis Midrash. More information can be found on their website: www.batshevalearningcenter.com/beismidrash
