A (Hebrew: ; : ), typically, is an institute of Torah study for women of post-high-school age, somewhat equivalent to a men's yeshiva; most are located in Israel.
The midrasha is also somewhat parallel to a "women's seminary" (Hebrew "seminar", sometimes "seminaria" ), which functions in a similar form. While the terms may sometimes become interchangeable, "midrashot" are commonly linked to Religious Zionism (or modern orthodoxy), while the women's "seminaries" are usually associated with Haredi Judaism.
The term "midrasha" is sometimes used to refer to pluralistic Torah-institutions. Particularly in Israel, also referenced are a selection of secular (non-Torah) Midrashot at science.co.il institutions, formal and informal; these various organizations are covered in outline below. To distinguish, then, the religious focused institutions may (In Israel) 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 דרש means "to seek [knowledge]",Lev. 10:16 and is then generalized to mean "expound". It is cognate with the Arabic "," which also refers to a place of learning.
A midrasha that offers degree studies is sometimes titled machon (, institute) or michlalah (, college).
History
Haredi 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 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 and Modern Orthodox began to be established in the late 1970s, parallel to the Hesder 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. 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, with 800 students in its various programs.“The Midrasha at Bar-Ilan University” "Nishmat", est. 1990, was - along with Lindenbaum - pioneering in its emphasis on Talmud; see below.
Curriculum
and seminaries vary in curriculum and hashkafah, or outlook.See the Yeshivot and Midrashot guide at toravoda.org.ilA Modest Year in Israel: When Young Women go to “Seminary”. Lilith, 2014 All cover the Tanakh (Bible), Jewish philosophy (often called "Machshavah"), practical Halacha (Jewish law; "Halacha LeMaaseh"), and Hasidic philosophy / Musar (character development); topics in applied Jewish ethics, such as the "laws of speech", are usually taught separately. The Jewish holidays 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 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 and Lindenbaum, the treatment is Talmud-based; see also Drisha Institute.drisha.co.il: "ישיבה לנשים המבקשות להעמיק ולגדול בתורה"
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 – 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, 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 and certification is often provided.For example, Seminary Bnos Chaim (Student 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 (modesty), Shalom Bayit ("domestic harmony") and Chinuch (education of one's children), and preparing students for the role of akeres habayis, or "household mainstay".tiferesbaisyaakov.com 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, 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 Seminary (Catalog) In Israel, the two year certificates are jointly through the Szold Institute, and are recognized by the Israel Ministry of Education as equivalent to the national matriculation.discussion, theyeshivaworld.com Chabad'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 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. Bar-Ilan University 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 JudaismMidrasha, biu.ac.ilלימודי יסוד ביהדות, biu.ac.il). 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 Doctorates, 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) 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. Nishmat trains women as Yoatzot Halacha, advisors in the laws of Tahara, or Family purity;תוכנית להכשרת יועצות הלכה, nishmat.co.il Lindenbaum, through a joint program,הכשרת טוענות רבניות prepares women as to'anot, advocates in religious courts for matters relating to divorce.See the Hebrew Wikipedia article :he: יד לאישה Three programs mirror the Rabbinate's ordination requirement for men: Ein Hanetziv trains students as "Teachers of Halacha",מורות הלכה, midrasha.co.il Lindenbaum in "Halachik leadership" המכון-למנהיגות-הלכתית , lind.org.il and Matan as "Halachik Respondents".Hilkhata: a program for the advanced study of Halakha, matan.org.il Yeshiva University's GPATS,"Graduate Program in Advanced Talmudic Studies, yu.edu 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 Torah study. These are usually structured around continuing / adult education, and accept both men and women. Examples in Israel are the Ein Prat MidrashaEin Prat Midrasha, beitprat.org and the MidrashaMidrasha at Oranim at the Oranim Academic College (see below re other programs there); elsewhere, the Melton School's Midrasha in Cape Town.Midrasha Adult Education Institute, meltoncapetown.org Other non-orthodox programs for women (usually egalitarian) include those at "Pardes", which offers various learning formats worldwide, and Mechon Hadar a Conservative-aligned beth midrash in New York. Oranim, in partnership with the Shalom Hartman Institute,Beit Midrash for Israeli Rabbis, hartman.org.il in fact offers a pluralistic ordination to both men and women.רבנות ישראלית, oranim.ac.il In the United States, the term Midrasha is relatedly used for programs where high school students can continue their Jewish education post bar / bat mitzvah.Examples: Berkeley-Oakland Midrasha, Midrasha Hebrew High School; Contra Costa Midrasha