The Mayanot Blog

Growing up in a small town in Maine, my Jewish identity was defined by cultural Jewish experiences like visiting my grandparents in Long Island where I enjoyed bagel, lox, and cream cheese, knishes and other culturally Jewish delicacies; it was a small taste of what living a Jewish life could mean. It was not until I participated in a Mayanot Birthright trip during my sophomore year in college that I experienced and became intrigued by Judaism and was eager to learn more. As a curious teenager, I had a lot of questions about life and I was unable to find satisfying answers. So, I embarked on a journey of Jewish learning that included studying at the Mayanot Women’s Program in Jerusalem, which was an unforgettable experience. Mayanot provided me with a strong foundation that enabled me to grow in my Jewish observance at my own speed. I never felt pressured, only support and guidance that provided me the knowledge to strengthen my Jewish identity and practice. After studying at Mayanot, I…

We are so proud and excited for this new learning initiative in the Catskills, organized by Mayanot Women's Program Alumni, Hadassah Silberstein and Zeldy Nemanov.  Much sacrifice has been made to fulfill the dream of providing Jewish women with higher education. This summer, a group of pioneer students plan to take the next step in fulfilling that dream. An intensive learning program will give young women the opportunity to learn like they’ve never learned before. With a focus on in-depth, text-based study in both Nigleh and Chassidus, and featuring an all-star faculty, this first-of-its-kind program aims to introduce yeshivah-style learning to women in their early twenties who may have never previously had the chance to learn and experience Torah on this level.

The two-week retreat is a project of Batsheva Academy. Inspired by the Rebbe’s vision and emphasis on women’s advanced Torah study, Batsheva Academy was founded with the goal of training young women in the independent st…