A ' (

Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...

: ; : ), typically, is an institute of

Torah study Torah study is the study of the Torah, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, responsa, rabbinic literature, and similar works, all of which are Judaism's Sifrei kodesh, religious texts. According to Rabbinic Judaism, the study is done for the purpose of the ''mi ...

for women of post-high-school age, somewhat equivalent to a men's

yeshiva A yeshiva (; ; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy are studied in parallel. The stu ...

; most are located in

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

. The midrasha is also somewhat parallel to a "women's

seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as cle ...

" (Hebrew "seminar", sometimes "seminaria" ), which functions in a similar form. While the terms may sometimes become interchangeable, "midrashot" are commonly linked to

Religious Zionism Religious Zionism () is a religious denomination that views Zionism as a fundamental component of Orthodox Judaism. Its adherents are also referred to as ''Dati Leumi'' (), and in Israel, they are most commonly known by the plural form of the fi ...

(or modern orthodoxy), while the women's "seminaries" are usually associated with

Haredi Judaism Haredi Judaism (, ) is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that is characterized by its strict interpretation of religious sources and its accepted (Jewish law) and traditions, in opposition to more accommodating values and practices. Its members are ...

The term "midrasha" may sometimes be used to refer to pluralistic Torah-institutions; and particularly in Israel, also referenced are a selection of secular (non-Torah) ''Midrashot''
at science.co.il institutions including

Informal education Informal education is a general term for education that can occur outside of a traditional lecture or school based learning systems. The term includes customized-learning based on individual student interests within a curriculum inside a regular c ...

colleges and field schools focused on nature and ecology. To distinguish, then, the religious focused institutions may be termed "Midrasha Toranit" (Torah Midrasha) or "Midrasha l'Banot" (Girls' Midrasha). פורום המדרשות התורניות לבנות
hamidrashot.org.il מדרשות לבנות - הרשימה המלאה
hidabroot.org

Etymology

The word "'" is based on the term '' beit midrash'', "house of study"; the

root In vascular plants, the roots are the plant organ, organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often bel ...

דרש means "to seek nowledge, and is then generalized to mean "expound". It is

cognate In historical linguistics, cognates or lexical cognates are sets of words that have been inherited in direct descent from an etymological ancestor in a common parent language. Because language change can have radical effects on both the s ...

with the

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

"'," which also refers to a place of learning. A ''midrasha'' that offers degree studies is sometimes titled ''machon'' (, institute) or ''michlalah'' (, college).

History

Haredi Haredi Judaism (, ) is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that is characterized by its strict interpretation of religious sources and its accepted (Jewish law) and traditions, in opposition to more accommodating values and practices. Its members are ...

aligned seminaries, such as Beth Jacob Jerusalem and Gateshead Jewish Academy for Girls, are modeled on the Bais Yaakov movement's teacher-training seminary established by Sarah Schenirer in 1923; today, "Beis Yaakov" will typically refer to high school, while "seminary" is a term used for a post-high school institution. Outside of Europe, the Beis Yaakov Seminary, Tel Aviv was founded in 1933, and Jerusalem's Beis Yaakov Institute for Teachers in 1939; the first Seminary in the USA was established by Vichna Kaplan in

Williamsburg, Brooklyn Williamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordered by Greenpoint to the north; Bedford–Stuyvesant to the south; Bushwick and East Williamsburg to the east; and the East River to the west. It was an independe ...

in 1941; Gateshead Seminary in the UK, was founded in 1944. The Rika Breuer Teachers Seminary – of the Breuers / Khal Adath Jeshurun community – was established in the 1960s and operated for over 40 years. Additionally, see: ''Bais Medrash L'Morim'' (or ILBA), established in 1864 by Seligman Baer Bamberger; and "Yavneh", a women's seminary established in 1930 in association with the Telshe Yeshiva. The

Religious Zionist Religious Zionism () is a religious denomination that views Zionism as a fundamental component of Orthodox Judaism. Its adherents are also referred to as ''Dati Leumi'' (), and in Israel, they are most commonly known by the plural form of the fi ...

and Modern Orthodox ' began to be established in the late 1970s, parallel to the ''

Hesder Hesder ( "arrangement"; also Yeshivat Hesder ) is an Israeli yeshiva program which combines advanced Talmudic studies with military service in the Israel Defense Forces, usually within a Religious Zionist framework. The program allows Orthodox J ...

'' yeshivot;See the corresponding Hebrew article: :He: מדרשה תורנית לנשים these include the Religious Kibbutz Movement's Midreshet Ein HaNetziv, Midreshet Lindenbaum, and Migdal Oz, sister school of

Yeshivat Har Etzion Yeshivat Har Etzion (YHE; ), commonly known in English as "Gush" and in Hebrew as "Yeshivat HaGush", is a Hesder yeshiva located in Alon Shvut, an Israeli settlement in the West Bank. It is considered one of the leading institutions of advanced T ...

. Precedent, are the Mizrachi Teachers Training College, today's Lifshitz College of Education, which was established in Jerusalem in 1921; the Talpiot Bet Medrash for Teachers in 1937; and Machon Gold in 1958. Lindenbaum, in 1976, was the first established independent of a teacher's college. The largest Midrasha is at

Bar-Ilan University Bar-Ilan University (BIU, , ''Universitat Bar-Ilan'') is a public research university in the Tel Aviv District city of Ramat Gan, Israel. Established in 1955, Bar Ilan is Israel's second-largest academic university institution. It has 20,000 ...

, with 800 students in its various programs.

Curriculum

and seminaries vary in curriculum and '' hashkafah'', or outlook.A Modest Year in Israel: When Young Women go to “Seminary”
''Lilith'', 2014 All cover the

Tanakh The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
. ''

Jewish philosophy Jewish philosophy () includes all philosophy carried out by Jews or in relation to the religion of Judaism. Until the modern ''Haskalah'' (Jewish Enlightenment) and Jewish emancipation, Jewish philosophy was preoccupied with attempts to reconc ...

(often called ''"Machshavah"''), ''practical''

Halacha ''Halakha'' ( ; , ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws that are derived from the Written and Oral Torah. ''Halakha'' is based on biblical commandments ('' mi ...

(Jewish law; "''Halacha LeMaaseh''"), and

Hasidic philosophy Hasidic philosophy or Hasidism (), alternatively transliterated as Hasidut or Chassidus, consists of the teachings of the Hasidic movement, which are the teachings of the Hasidic ''rebbes'', often in the form of commentary on the Torah (the Five ...

/ Musar (character development); topics in applied Jewish ethics, such as the "laws of speech", are usually taught separately. The

Jewish holidays Jewish holidays, also known as Jewish festivals or ''Yamim Tovim'' (, or singular , in transliterated Hebrew []), are holidays observed by Jews throughout the Hebrew calendar.This article focuses on practices of mainstream Rabbinic Judaism. ...

are similarly often studied as a separate topic, "''Ma'agal Hashana''", in terms of both philosophy and ''Halacha''; and '' Tefillah'', "prayer", is covered likewise. Depending on the institution's stance, the weight and role assigned to Talmud particularly, and in fact to textual-skills generally, will differ re men's yeshivot, and between schools.

Midrashot

In Israel, young women attend ''Midrasha'' for one year, either before or following their '' Sherut Leumi'' (national civic service); a second year is sometimes offered. Programs often emphasize ''Machshavah'', deepening their students' religious identity at this life-stage; this may include specific study of the writings of Rav Kook, and/or '' Torat Eretz Yisrael'' in general. At ''Midrashot'', the treatment of the Tanakh and ''Machshavah'', is typically text-focused, built around chavruta-based study as at yeshivot. This entails paired-study where assigned sources ("'' marei mekomot''") are prepared for a '' shiur'', a lecture delivered as a discursive-review. At some institutions, the

Talmud The Talmud (; ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of Haskalah#Effects, modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cen ...

is directly studied, as at men's ''yeshivot'', if less intensively; others treat Talmud similar to seminaries, as below. Regardless, '' Halachah'' will generally be studied with ''practice'' in view, as opposed to the yeshiva approach, where the derivation is from Talmudic sources through codification. At Matan,

Nishmat Nishmat ( or 'the soul of every living thing') is a Jewish prayer that is recited during Pesukei D'Zimrah between the Song of the Sea and Yishtabach on Shabbat and Jewish holidays, Yom Tov. It is also recited during the Passover seder. Shochen A ...

and Lindenbaum, the treatment is Talmud-based; see also Drisha Institute.

Seminaries

Seminary programs usually span two years post high-school. Seminaries are typically more conservative in their approach than ''Midrashot'': selections from the Talmud – usually the non-legalistic ''

aggadah Aggadah (, or ; ; 'tales', 'legend', 'lore') is the non-legalistic exegesis which appears in the classical rabbinic literature of Judaism, particularly the Talmud and Midrash. In general, Aggadah is a compendium of rabbinic texts that incorporat ...

'' – may be studied, but only in the context of other classes, especially philosophy and Musar; the only section of Talmud studied directly is ''

Pirkei Avot Pirkei Avot (; also transliterated as ''Pirqei Avoth'' or ''Pirkei Avos'' or ''Pirke Aboth'', also ''Abhoth''), which translates into English as Chapters of the Fathers, is a compilation of the ethical teachings and maxims from Rabbinic Jewis ...

'', comprising ethical teachings and maxims. These institutions relatedly assign less weight to textual skills, with content delivered primarily via lecture. As appropriate to the program in question, formal

teacher training Teacher education or teacher training refers to programs, policies, procedures, and provision designed to equip (prospective) teachers with the knowledge, attitude (psychology), attitudes, behaviors, approaches, methodologies and skills they requir ...

and certification is often provided.For example
Seminary Bnos ChaimStudent Catalog
Parallel to their academic content, most Seminaries also focus on the role of women in Torah (several ''Midrashot'' similarly), covering topics such as ''

Tzniut ''Tzniut'' ( , , ; "modesty" or "privacy"; ) describes the character trait of modesty and discretion, as well as a group of Jewish laws pertaining to conduct. The concept is most important within Orthodox Judaism. Description ''Tzniut'' i ...

'' (modesty), '' Shalom Bayit'' ("domestic harmony") and '' Chinuch'' (education of one's children), and preparing students for the role of ''akeres habayis'', or "household mainstay". These classes often emphasize "values", as opposed to sources. Hasidic-aligned institutions are positioned in line with the Seminaries; their curricula differ in that they emphasize the works of their respective

Rebbe A Rebbe () or Admor () is the spiritual leader in the Hasidic movement, and the personalities of its dynasties.Heilman, Samuel"The Rebbe and the Resurgence of Orthodox Judaism."''Religion and Spirituality (Audio)''. UCTV, 20 Oct 2011. web. ...

, and their exposure to text is often further limited. Note that some Chabad-affiliated institutions, on the other hand, offer classes in Talmud and text-based Halacha.

Israel programs

Many diaspora-based women attend or "sem" in Israel, for a year or two ("''shana bet''") following high school; several ''midrashot'' and seminaries offer specific programs here, for example ''Shana Ba'aretz'' at Nishmat, or the "Overseas Program" at Midreshet HaRova. Additional to Torah study, as above, these programs often include an element of ''yediat ha'aretz'' ("knowledge of the Land") comprising touring of Israel, Shabbatons in various communities, seminars with journalists and politicians, and typically volunteer work in local schools and hospitals; often a trip to Poland is scheduled to memorealize the Holocaust. Some institutions accommodate the newly observant with similar year-programs, designed to build foundational knowledge and skills; well known are Neve Yerushalayim, Mayanot, and Machon Roni; Machon Chana is US based.

Certifications

Most Haredi and Hasidic seminaries offer certificates, and sometimes degrees, in Education.For example
Bnos Zion of Bobov SeminaryCatalog
In Israel, the two year certificates are jointly through the Szold Institute, and are recognized by the

Israel Ministry of Education Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

as equivalent to the national matriculation.

Chabad Chabad, also known as Lubavitch, Habad and Chabad-Lubavitch (; ; ), is a dynasty in Hasidic Judaism. Belonging to the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) branch of Orthodox Judaism, it is one of the world's best-known Hasidic movements, as well as one of ...

's Beth Rivkah offers a B.A. and M.A. jointly with the Shaanan Religious College of Education; "Beth Chanah", its affiliated program in Tzfat and Jerusalem, offers a 2-year certificate. JCT's Lustig Campus in

Ramat Gan Ramat Gan (, ) is a city in the Tel Aviv District of Israel, located east of the municipality of Tel Aviv, and is part of the Gush Dan, Gush Dan metropolitan area. It is home to a Diamond Exchange District (one of the world's major diamond exch ...

hosts degree programs for Haredi and Hasidic women; see also The Haredi Campus – The Academic College Ono. In the Religious Zionist community, women often continue their studies at one of the midrasha-affiliated teacher training colleges, which offer an intensive Torah-program in conjunction with the B.Ed. degree; ( master's level) specializations are often offered in ''Tanakh'' or ''Machshavah''. The year in ''Midrasha'' is sometimes integrated with the college program.

operates a ''midrasha'', and students in all disciplines may then continue Torah study in parallel with their academic studies (with a requirement of at least ten courses in Judaism). Machon Tal,מדרשת-טל
jct.ac.il associated with JCT, the Jerusalem College of Technology, similarly offers degrees in engineering and management. Female faculty at Midrashot often hold

Doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...

s, usually from Bar-Ilan. Most Seminaries and ' for English-speaking students are accredited by American colleges;See for example
''Shana Bais'' Program
Havineini Bais Yaakov Seminary (see ). Some offer second-year programs with religious-studies classes in the morning and general-studies classes in the afternoons, allowing students to pursue a religious education with a college degree simultaneously. In the US, the Modern Orthodox Stern College for Women (

Yeshiva University Yeshiva University is a Private university, private Modern Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox Jewish university with four campuses in New York City.

) combines Torah and University studies, as at Bar-Ilan; the Haredi Lander College for Women similarly. Stern graduates often pursue Torah topics at the Masters level, through the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies. In recent years some ''midrashot'' offer specialized programs in Halacha, comprising Talmud-intensive source study, with certifying examinations on the relevant sections of codified law in the ''

Shulchan Aruch The ''Shulhan Arukh'' ( ),, often called "the Code of Jewish Law", is the most widely consulted of the various legal codes in Rabbinic Judaism. It was authored in the city of Safed in what is now Israel by Joseph Karo in 1563 and published in ...

''. Nishmat trains women as ''Yoatzot Halacha'', advisors in the laws of ''Tahara'', or Family purity; Lindenbaum, through a joint program, prepares women as ''to'anot'', advocates in religious courts for matters relating to divorce. Three programs mirror the Rabbinate's

ordination Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...

requirement for men: Ein Hanetziv trains students as "Teachers of Halacha", Lindenbaum in "Halachik leadership" and Matan as "Halachik Respondents". Yeshiva University's "GPATS", offers women graduate-students a Master's program in advanced Talmud and Halacha, such that they are "credentialed" for communal leadership roles.

Other institutions

Religious

As above, the term "''midrasha''" is sometimes used for pluralistic, as opposed to orthodox, institutions for

. These are usually structured around continuing /

adult education Adult education, distinct from child education, is a practice in which adults engage in systematic and sustained educating activities in order to gain new knowledge, skills, attitudes, or values. Merriam, Sharan B. & Brockett, Ralph G. ''The Pr ...

, and accept both men and women. Examples in Israel are the ''Ein Prat Midrasha'' and the Midrasha at the Oranim Academic College (see below re other programs there); elsewhere, the Melton School's ''Midrasha'' in

Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...

. Other non-orthodox programs for women (usually egalitarian) include those at " Pardes", which offers various learning formats worldwide, and Mechon Hadar a

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

-aligned ''

beth midrash A ''beth midrash'' (, "house of learning"; : ''batei midrash''), also ''beis medrash'' or ''beit midrash'', is a hall dedicated for Torah study, often translated as a "study hall". It is distinct from a synagogue (''beth knesseth''), althoug ...

'' in New York. Oranim, in partnership with the Shalom Hartman Institute, in fact offers a pluralistic ordination to both men and women. In the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, the term ''Midrasha'' is relatedly used for programs where high school students can continue their

Jewish education Jewish education (, ''Chinuch'') is the transmission of the tenets, principles, and religious laws of Judaism. Jews value education, and the value of education is strongly embedded in Jewish culture. Judaism places a heavy emphasis on Torah ...

post bar /

bat mitzvah A ''bar mitzvah'' () or ''bat mitzvah'' () is a coming of age ritual in Judaism. According to Jewish law, before children reach a certain age, the parents are responsible for their child's actions. Once Jewish children reach that age, they a ...

. Within the Orthodox community, continuing-education programs for women, similar to these, are also commonly offered. Many (diaspora) synagogues host a "campus midrasha" or suchlike, offering scheduled daily classes on various topics; many also host a " Community Kollel", which has a corresponding function, and offers adult education to both men and women (usually separately). In Israel, popular offerings are those of Matan and ''Emunah'', while ''Midreshet Afikim'' is a program for high-school students; Mizrachi's "Lapidot" program, among others, comprises weekly training for teachers in Mishna, Gemara and Halacha, and ''Machshava''. The London School of Jewish Studies' Women's Midrasha series similarly provides regular text-based classes; other UK based programs include "Ma'ayan", emphasizing ''Tahara'', and "Bradfield", preparing community educators and leaders. In South Africa, "''Isha Bekia''" is a textual-skill centered program.

Secular

Various other institutions, as outlined, are also titled "Midrasha", here referring to their focus on seeking knowledge. , an umbrella organization for regional educational tour centers focused on Jewish-Israeli identity awareness, operates "''midrashot''" aimed at knowledge of the

Land of Israel The Land of Israel () is the traditional Jewish name for an area of the Southern Levant. Related biblical, religious and historical English terms include the Land of Canaan, the Promised Land, the Holy Land, and Palestine. The definition ...

. Midreshet Ben-Gurion – also known as Midreshet Sde Boker – is an educational center and boarding school in the south, offering nature-focused seminars and field trips. Beit Berl College's school of art is called " HaMidrasha". The

Israel Institute for Advanced Studies The Israel Institute for Advanced Studies (; IIAS, or IAS in Israel) is a research institute in Jerusalem, devoted to academic research in physics, mathematics, the life sciences, economics, and comparative religion. It is a self-governing body, ...

' Advanced School in

Mathematics Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...

, is known as the ''Midrasha Mathematicae'', and provides top-level lectures on recent developments and innovations in various mathematical topics. Re Oranim Academic College of Education: Established in 1951 as Seminar Oranim, it was part of the

Kibbutz Movement The Kibbutz Movement (, ''HaTnu'a HaKibbutzit'') is the largest settlement movement for kibbutzim in Israel. It was formed in 1999 by a partial merger of the United Kibbutz Movement and Kibbutz Artzi and is made up of approximately 230 kibbutzim. I ...

and trained educators for every level, with a focus on kibbutz schools, and including for work with new immigrants; since the mid-1990's it has been accredited as an academic college of education by the Israeli "Council for Higher Education", expanding and partly refocusing its activities. Oranim operates several programs called Midrasha. The ''HaMidrasha'' educational center for the renewal of Jewish life in Israel was established in 1989 for non-orthodox Jewish Israelis and promotes an Israeli-Zionist approach to Jewish identity. ''Midreshet Natur'' is a collaborative beit midrash with religious and secular participants, and ''Madrassa/Midrasha'' pursues Arab–Jewish coexistence in the

Galilee Galilee (; ; ; ) is a region located in northern Israel and southern Lebanon consisting of two parts: the Upper Galilee (, ; , ) and the Lower Galilee (, ; , ). ''Galilee'' encompasses the area north of the Mount Carmel-Mount Gilboa ridge and ...

through education.Oranim International: Staff
accessed 16 April 2024.

Gallery

Notes

References

{{Jewish education Jewish educational institutions Modern Orthodox Judaism Orthodox Jewish schools for women Hebrew words and phrases Words and phrases in Modern Hebrew