Midreshet B’erot Bat Ayin

 Fall program

 

In the Footsteps of our Mothers

• Live on campus, or zooming in from around the world!
  
• Full-time campus enrolment contact us at office@berotbatayin.com
• All classes will be recorded for you for your convenience.
• Suggested donation of $250 for the 7-week + program

• Next  EMUNAHEALING COURSE /Kabbalah and Self-Healing 3, “Healing with Light and Colors”, starts Sunday, November 7, 2021 and runs 5 weeks. Early registration discount ends October 31, (EmunaHealing, is a separate registration from Midrasha Fall Program).

 

 

Our exciting B’erot Online Midrasha Community brings some brilliant teachers from Israel direct to your home! 

 

Rebbetzin Chana Bracha Siegelbaum, Director

Rebbetzin Chana Bracha Siegelbaum, a native of Denmark, is founder and director of Midreshet B’erot Bat Ayin: Holistic Torah for Women on the Land. She holds a Bachelor of Education in Bible and Jewish Philosophy from Michlala Jerusalem College for Women, and a Master’s of Art in Jewish History from Touro College. Rebbetzin Chana Bracha creates curricula emphasizing women’s spiritual empowerment through traditional Torah values. She has published the following books: Women at the Crossroads: A Woman’s Perspective on the Weekly Torah Portion; Ruth: Gleaning the Fallen Sparks; The Seven Fruits of the Land of Israel with their Mystical & Medicinal Properties; Parasha Meditations for Spiritual Renewal and Strengthening Communication with the Creator and My Memoir: The Story of a Danish Jew who Fled the Nazis. Rebbetzin practices EmunaHealing as a gifted spiritual healer through Emunah, tefilah and energy work. Chana Bracha has a married son and several granddaughters, and lives with her husband and younger son on the land of the Judean hills, Israel.

 

Women in Tanach

A Textual, Mystical & Creative Exploration of Women Who Built the House of Israel

This series of experiential classes focus on an in-depth analysis of our Foremothers, such as Chava, the prototype of all women. The course includes well-known women like Sarah and Rivkah, as well as the more hidden Bilha & Zilpa. We will learn and discuss selected texts from the Torah, Midrash, Chassidut and Kabbala, highlighting sources that tap into Women’s hidden Power, to weave together and amplify the personalities of these holy women. Creative writing, art, & drama will help make the struggles and aspirations of these inspirational role-models come to life.

A comprehensive source sheet in Hebrew/English accompanies the textual study of each of the classes integrating, Bible texts, Midrash, Chassidism and sometimes Kabbalah.

 

Herbal Workshop, Torah & Healing

The Herbal Workshop integrates vast information of the ancient wisdom of our Torah about plants, herbology, nutrition and health with traditional folk medicine and medical research. The course delves into textual Torah sources on herbs and healing, as well as general knowledge of the use of herbs. For the Elul program, we will focus on the seven holy fruits of the Land of Israel with their mystical and medicinal properties, as this is the time of their ripening. A comprehensive source sheet in Hebrew/English accompanies the textual study of each of the classes integrating, Bible texts, Midrash, chassidism kabbalah, folk medicine and medical research.

 

Women’s Intimate Mitzvot

The mitzvot of Women & Intimacy are not random Jewish laws, designed to keep us from enjoying life. Rather, it is a wise system for ensuring the sanctity of relationships and knowing how to have a good time without infringing upon that sanctity. Learn about Women’s Intimate Laws from a Rebbetzin with whom you can feel comfortable to ask you most embarrassing questions. In this class we delve into topics such as Jewish dating and marriage, the laws of family purity, and more.  The course will also address sensitive issues such as Lesbianism, masturbation and intimacy between husband and wife from a Torah perspective.

 

Rabbi Mechael Siegelbaum, MD Rabbi of B’erot

Rabbi Dr. Siegelbaum holds a BA in Philosophy and Psychology from Yale University, and an MD from Rutgers Medical School, New Jersey. Rabbi Mechael received his rabbinical ordination from Toras Zekeinim, Jerusalem in 1987.  In addition to teaching halacha in B’erot Bat Ayin, Rabbi Siegelbaum learns Torah part time, is active in the Bat Ayin central synagogue, where he serves as the Gabbi and practices medicine in Bat Ayin and various other clinics.

 

Halacha

Rav Siegelbaum will discuss the halacha pertinent to the High Holidays. In addition, to learning the “how” of the mitzvot, the student will come to appreciate the process of the development and transmission of halacha from the written and oral Torah.

 

Rav Hillel Benchimol

Born and raised in Gibraltar in southern Spain, Rabbi Benchimol at age 16 learnt in Sunderland Yeshiva, England and Beer Yakov, Israel. He received Semicha from Rabbi Shalom Messas זצ״ל, Chief Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu זצ״ל and Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach זצ״ל. Served as Rabbi of the Turkish, Iranian and Iraqi communities in Miami and Los Angeles for over 20 years. A certified active Mohel since 1992, Rabbi Benchimol is married to Keter, has 6 children and lives in Moshav Aviezer in the Ella valley Israel.

 

Parashat HaShavua

Rabbi Benchimol will be teaching our Parashat HaShavua from an inner dimension viewing the weekly Torah portion as part of a bigger plan – part of the jigsaw puzzle and tapestry of life. You will receive a broad perspective as to how the parsha is lived today and how it pertains to your life today.

 

Rabbi Avraham Iskowitz

 

Rabbi Izkowitz spent the first 16 years of his life on American army bases in Europe and the United States while attending litvish yeshivot, after which he made aliyah with his family to Jerusalem. After high school, he pursued his hobbies as a rock keyboardist and songwriter, creative writer, and BMX biker, while tutoring at Yeshivat Ohr Sameach and working in the optometry industry. His hobbies led him to Manhattan where he almost signed a record contract with Atlantic Records, but Hashem had other plans for him. Avraham returned to Jerusalem, worked as a landscape artist whilst studying psychology and anthropology at the Hebrew University. At the age of 27, he ‘retired’ to study full time at the Bat Ayin Yeshiva for seven years. Avraham, his wife and 5 children live in Bat Ayin, where he teaches, practices safrut and therapy.

 

Derech Hashem – The Way of G-d

The classic work of the 18^th century master Kabbalist and Talmudist, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (The Ramchal), enables the exploration of such questions as: “Why Hashem created the world,” ‘The principles of Hashem’s Providence over Human Affairs,” “The Suffering of the Righteous vs. the Success of the Wicked,”  “The Relationship between the Soul & the Body,” and “The Relationship between Israel and the Nations.”  Emphasis is placed on resolving some of the most basic contradictions and dualities which we tend to encounter as Jews, thus giving the student the clarity to strengthen her faith.

 

Tsipi Egert  

Tsipi Egert grew up in Israel where she attended high school. She received her B.A. in Jewish History from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Tsipi has been teaching Nevi’im (The Prophets) at Midreshet B’erot Bat Ayin since 1998 and has a Master’s in Education in Tanach from Herzog College. She is currently obtaining a MA at Bar Ilan University towards a PhD in Tanach. Tsipi lives with her family in Efrat, Gush Etzion.

 

The Book of Shmuel: Prophecy, Spiritual Transitions and Malchut 

In this class we will become acquainted with the Jewish people during the end of the era of the Judges’ (שופטים/shoftim) leadership. We will explore the relationship between leadership and the spiritual stature of the people. We will meet great Jewish leaders such as Elkana, Chana, Eli, Shmuel and Shaul.  Through them, we will try to understand, what is the spiritual make up of a good leader. How does the leader impact the people? How does a nation undergo spiritual change? What lessons can we take from these leaders into our own lives, as we too strive for greatness.

Sarah Prijs

Sarah has an extensive Torah education from various perspectives – from Old Gateshead seminary to B’erot Bat Ayin, Orayta summer program and learning at Shiviti. She has a BSc in psychology from BPP University in London. Sarah has been on her own internal journey to discover and receive the light, transformational wisdom and Divine connection available in the Torah. A lover of everything connected to the Torah of early chassidut, with a focus on the Torah of Rebbe Nachman and the writings of Rav Kook, she delves deeply into the texts of our tradition, while facilitating others to find their own connection and transformation as well.

 

The Inner Journey of Tefilah/Prayer

Our Mothers were barren because Hashem desired their prayers. Through the pain of their tefilah, they were able to connect with the Divine in the deepest way. Let us learn from our Mothers how to bring all of ourselves into our relationship with Hashem through sincere tefilah. In this class we will be delving deeper into the inner processes involved in tefilah, in terms of approaching it, what it brings up in us.

 

Devora Konikov

Devorah is a mother and grandmother, raising growing family in Bat Ayin for 21 years. She is striving and thriving with life skills ingrained from learning chassidut. Devorah is a long-time student of Rav Yitzchak Ginsburgh shlita.

 

“Don’t Forsake the Torah of Your Mother”

How can the Jewish woman express her femininity in our day and time?

What can we learn from Jewish female role-models throughout the generations?

In this class we will touch upon the feminine Torah role, women as mothers and mentors, propelling the world forward towards its promised destiny.

 

Yedida Miriam Levy

Yedida Miriam grew up in UK and made aliyah early on. With a passion for education, and a background in theatre, she spent ten years teaching in Jerusalem, before returning to Bat Ayin in 2018. Her passion is ‘tutoring’, teaching the Holy texts, and Hebrew ~ making it accessible to students.

 

Spiritual Writing Workshop

Creative writing is a tool for connecting to ourselves to the Torah and to our Creator.  We will dig deeper through character writing based on Torah sources and commentaries on the Weekly Torah portion in Sefer Bereishit. The workshop combines techniques such brainstorming, meditation, spider-grams, and opening the heart, in order to develop our creative, spiritual and perceptual abilities. Each class combines a segment of theory, practice and analysis of our works in a warm, encouraging and noncompetitive atmosphere. The students are guided to explore and accept their inner thoughts and feelings and turn them into creative writing.