Chag HaBanot (Eid al Binat) is a Tunisian Jewish holiday celebrated on the seventh day of Chanukah, honoring girls and women and their important role in Jewish life. Manhattan Day School gave a whole new twist to this beautiful custom by choosing Chag HaBanot as the inauguration day of its first ever girls’ Amud Yomi Chabura, taking place fully in Ivrit.

“I wanted to be part of it because I thought it would be interesting and thought provoking,” says Ilana Horwitz, one of the 12 participants in the program. “It’s a fun experience to learn together with a friend and incorporate different points of view.”

Students will read the traditional text of the Gemara then examine proof-texts for known laws and study the differences between biblical and rabbinic versions of the laws. These interpretations help keep traditional teachings alive from generation to generation and are essential to everyday Jewish life.

“I feel very proud and excited to begin our Amud Yomi study,” says Lital Cohen, middle school Judaic Studies teacher and coordinator of the program. “We study in Hebrew, which makes learning both challenging and rewarding. The girls are very committed, and it is a great privilege to take part in it.”

Congratulations to the first cohort of the Amud Yomi b’Ivrit Chabura. The entire MDS family is looking forward to celebrating the siyum of Masechet Taanit with the students in the not too distant future.