(Courtesy of Asicha) Many Orthodox Jewish women benefit from one or two years of growth and learning in seminaries in Israel but find themselves yearning for more as they transition into their university years and beyond.
Asicha Seminars is a new, exciting online learning initiative for post-seminary women that aims to fill this void. Offering rigorous, comprehensive study of various topics in Halacha, Tanach and machshava at no cost, the program challenges its participants to reconnect to active learning and bridge the gap between their seminary years and the rest of their lives. The Zoom format and reasonable hours make this program convenient for women at all stages of life.
Asicha’s inaugural semester featured 10 weeks of shiurim on the topic of bishul b’Shabbos given by Rabbi Jonah Steinmetz. Rabbi Steinmetz, a maggid shiur in the Five Towns and Washington Heights communities as well as a current member of the Wexner Kollel Elyon, presented shiurim that meticulously analyzed the basis of each halacha, resulting in a more nuanced understanding and an ability to apply the halacha to practical cases. Halachic texts are displayed on the screen, so participants are engaged in watching, listening and reading all at once. With over 100 weekly participants, Rabbi Steinmetz utilized technology and creative resources to engage, encourage interaction, and field personal queries from the students.
Many distinguished rabbanim and roshei yeshiva have supported Asicha Seminars from its inception, and several have offered guest shiurim. Rav Mordechai Willig joined the program twice, fielding halachic questions submitted by the participants. Rav Ahron Lopiansky offered a brilliant pre-Sukkos shiur that drew a crowd of more than 200 women. Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz has been a source of support and guidance and has presented fascinating halachic shiurim on multiple occasions. This semester, these rabbanim as well as Rav Zvi Sobolofsky, Yael Kaisman, Elisheva Kaminetsky and others are slated to participate in the programming.
Asicha’s fall semester features a 10-week course with Rabbi Steinmetz titled, “The 39 Melachos in Your Home: Deepening Our Grasp of Hilchos Shabbos.” A second track, studying topics in navi and machshava, was also opened this semester. Rabbi Raphael Stohl, a former member of the Wexner Kollel Elyon and a rebbe in the Masmidim Program at Katz Yeshiva High School in Boca Raton, is offering a course titled, “Read The Words, Hear The Message.” The shiur studies Sefer Yehoshua and Sefer Shoftim, with a focus on important philosophical and ethical lessons borne out from the neviim. Rabbi Stohl, author of multiple books on navi and machshava, is a passionate teacher whose words are both intellectually stimulating and inspiring.
Asicha Seminars is committed to providing high-level learning of exciting, practical topics in Jewish law and Jewish thought. Most importantly, Asicha is committed to engendering continued growth and inspiration, drawing off the seminary years and propelling participants toward a brighter future of limud haTorah and shmiras hamitzvos.
Registration for Asicha Seminars is free of charge, thanks to generous donors. To register for the fall semester, visit tinyurl.com/AsichaRegister. For more information or sponsorship opportunities, please email [email protected].
