Freshman Avigayil Geyer explained that Rabbanit Taragin’s class has complemented what the students are learning in their Masechet Brachot shiur with �鶹���� Associate Principal Rabbi Joshua Wald. “Rabbanit Taragin’s class offered a different perspective, and centered on practical halacha—what you can do during tefillah to make it more meaningful.”

Multiple students related how they found Rabbanit Taragin’s brilliance and leadership inspiring, and noted how she encouraged the whole class in their learning and discussion. “It was nice learning about the unique experience of women and tefillah,” said freshman Ariella Geliebter about one of Rabbanit Taragin’s classes this week. “Rabbanit Taragin is very engaging and so personable.”

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Rabbanit Taragin says she hopes that the partnership will ultimately open the door to help students develop relationships with female Torah personalities from Eretz Yisrael during their high school years. “Students wait and anticipate for ‘the year in Israel’ to develop relationships with Torah teachers from their yeshivot/midrashot,” she said. “This program provides for weekly Zoom shiurim and bi-monthly in-person visits to jump-start their enthusiasm for in-depth Torah learning and familiarization with Torat Eretz Yisrael.”

Bringing Torat Eretz Yisrael to America will mean that students stand to develop the methodological skills that permeate Torah study throughout Israel. “Torat Eretz Yisrael is unique in encompassing all aspects of Torah learning in our lives,” Rabbanit Taragin explained. “Our history, geography, culture, politics come to life in our learning of Tanach and Torah Shebe’al-Peh. Anatot is not just the hometown of Yiirmiyahu HaNavi in a pasuk—it is a suburb of Yerushalayim that may be visited to appreciate the timeless words of the prophet. Shevi’it is not just a masechet to be learned, it is lived and observed (particularly this year!). All too often students in America see their Torah learning as independent and separate from their everyday ‘modern living.’ Torat Eretz Yisrael is about learning our texts of the past as reflective and relevant in the present and for the future as we build and rebuild ourselves in Eretz Yisrael, infusing our everyday lives with Torah values.”

“Torah curricula in Eretz Yisrael have been developed with the infusion of religious values and incorporation of textual, philosophical and thought-provoking methodologies,” she continued. “The history, geography and topography of the Land of Israel are incorporated in Tanach study and because there isn’t a Hebrew-language barrier, more time is placed on studying the ‘big ideas’ of Tanach. What a shame if students in chul [the Diaspora] didn’t benefit from the Torah that emanates from Tzion! Why wait till their year in Israel?!”

Students at �鶹���� have already felt the impact of Rabbanit Taragin’s presence, during her first week on campus earlier in November. “Rabbanit Shani Taragin gave a shiur to my class about Shemot, perakim aleph and bet,” recounted Eliora Gissinger ‘24. “She taught us about the chiasmus in these perakim, and also illustrated how the different stages of affliction that were imposed by Pharoah occurred simultaneously. My friends and I were so impressed by her shiur that we sat in on other shiurim of hers throughout the day. We learned about Eliyahu at Har HaCarmel and Har Chorev, and why these locations were specifically chosen for those stories. We also attended a class where she spoke about the halachic perspective on tolerance and acceptance of ideological opposition.”

Eliora also said she admired how Rabbanit Taragin managed to develop relationships with students while teaching the class as a whole. “At the end of the day, she offered to have a smaller chavrusa with us where she addressed our personal questions,” said Eliora. “I admire her vast knowledge and appreciate the Torah that she embodies.”

Rabbanit Taragin’s expertise spans numerous realms of Torah learning and she will be lecturing on a variety of topics. “Rabbanit Taragin is an incredible role model for Torah scholarship, women’s Torah leadership, education, as well as yirat Shamayim, and we are so lucky to have her here with us,” said Associate Principal Rabbi Joshua Wald in his introductory remarks at one of the shiurim.

Likewise, Rabbanit Taragin is looking forward to working with the faculty members of Yeshivat �鶹����. “The gains are mutual in that I gain a greater exposure and appreciation of the phenomenal curricula and student programming at �鶹����,” she said. “�鶹���� is not only one of the leading Modern Orthodox high schools in North America—it is a Torah institution always seeking to further motivate its students to learn more by providing as many opportunities for Torah growth as possible. Shiurim are taught by talmidei and talmidot chachamim and the school invests in relationships beyond the classroom. As the first high school in North America to open a women’s Beit Midrash Program for aspiring Torah teachers parallel to a men’s kollel, �鶹���� is the yeshiva most suited for a partnership, particularly with female Torah scholars to further high-level Torah learning from Eretz Yisrael and provide role models of Yirat Shamayim.”

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While at �鶹����, the YU participants will have the opportunity to hone their pedagogical skills in and outside of the classroom, and gain invaluable insight into the everyday workings of teaching in a yeshiva high school. In addition, the RIETS students will have their own seder and shiur under the guidance of the rosh kollel, �鶹���� Talmud faculty member Rabbi Noah Gardenswartz. The Legacy Heritage Fellows will have shiur with �鶹���� Tanach faculty member and freshman grade dean Shoshana Chanales, and the program will be under the guidance of Shani Taragin, who will be coming in monthly from Israel.

“The goals of the program are to enhance �鶹���� as a yeshiva and makom Torah, with young men and women learning here seriously and modeling to the students what it means to choose to learn lishma as a young person,” said �鶹���� Associate Principal Rabbi Joshua Wald. “The YU participants will be connected to the classrooms, which will enhance the learning of the students. It will provide students with more individualized attention in both Gemara and Chumash. In addition, �鶹���� will serve as a training ground for these future educators.”

The YU participants will also take part in weekly discussions (coordinated by Chanales and �鶹����’ Rabbi Shalom Richter) with seasoned �鶹���� educators. The discussions will center around a variety of pedagogical issues, such as lesson planning, discipline and maintaining positive teacher-student relationships.

“The faculty at �鶹���� are very warm. They seem excited and passionate about what they’re doing and it’s great to be here,” said recent musmach Rabbi Chaim Gerson, who is also completing his master’s in Jewish Education at YU’s Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration. He hopes that having the kollel at �鶹���� will allow the high schoolers “to see that learning is cool, and it is fun.”

YU participant Penina Torczyner, who is completing a joint bachelor’s and master’s in Jewish education from Stern and Azrieli, agreed. “I hope the students will see that college students can take time out of their day and sit in the beit midrash and learn,” she said. “A Torah life is a Torat chayim and we want to show that it’s enjoyable as well.”

�鶹���� students are looking forward to having the program participants on campus. “Having a large beis presence makes learning in the beit midrash easier and more meaningful,” said �鶹���� junior Uriel Simpson.

Among the robust cohort of YU participants, multiple approaches to Torah learning are represented. “We come from different backgrounds and were exposed to different elements of talmud Torah,” explained Legacy Heritage Fellow Rivka Lichtenstein Anapolle. “Seeing us come together for the sake of learning lishma will show the students that we can all come together and learn Torah.”

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