Ma’ayanot continues to introduce new ways of inspiring their students with challenging and creative opportunities to learn Torah outside the classroom. This winter saw the launch of the Ma’ayanot Matmidot program, a new series of multifaceted educational programs that offer students a growing menu of Torah learning opportunities and challenges.
The word Matmidot translates as “persistent learners,” girls who want to build on their Torah study and learn “lishma,” for the sake of learning. As a reflection of the school’s Torah-learning culture, nearly the entire student body attends the Bruce Ritholtz z”l Mishmar Program every Thursday evening and popular shiurim are offered at lunch every week. However, as Rabbi Donny Besser, Talmud teacher and mashgiach ruchani at Ma’ayanot explains, “We wanted to raise the bar for all girls who view themselves as Torah learners and are looking for other outlets to study Torah lishma.”
Rabbi Besser, and his colleague Rabbi Zev Prince, launched the Matmidot program in January with a challenge for students to study Torah over winter vacation. The results were a resounding success. “Students amassed over 120 hours of Torah lishma over vacation,” said Rabbi Prince, director of Co-Curricular Programming. The students earned prizes of sefarim for the amount of learning they accomplished, both as individuals and as classes.
A second feature of the program is the Matmidot Morning Midrasha in which students customize their week with a “prix fixe learning menu.” After davening, they enjoy breakfast in the beit midrash and get a quick 15-minute lesson before classes begin. On Mondays, they learn Gemara Berakhot with Rabbi Prince. On Tuesdays, Rabbi Jay Goldmintz teaches “Biur Tefillah, Finding Personal Meaning in Shmoneh Esrei.” On Wednesdays they learn “Mishnah Berurah, Laws Upon Rising in the Morning,” with Leah Herzog. On Thursdays, Rabbi Besser teaches parshat hashavua. As many as 20 students attend these classes daily.
In honor of the Hebrew month of Adar, two new opportunities were added: The Ma’ayanot Matmidot learned two to three halachot per day of Rambam’s Hilchot Megillah, completing all of the laws of Purim in the Mishneh Torah before Purim. Ma’ayanot parents and the community were invited to join a WhatsApp group, which was updated daily with a recording of the halachot taught by Rabbi Besser. In addition, Ma’ayanot Matmidot signed up to learn the entire Gemara masechet Megillah and make a communal siyum over Purim.
“Chazal teach that when the megillah writes ‘Kiymu vekiblu hayehudim,’ ‘The Jews established and accepted,’ it implies that there was a second acceptance at the time of Purim, where we accepted the Torah with greater willingness and intensity than we even did at Har Sinai,” Rabbi Besser told his students. “In light of that, our Ma’ayanot Matmidot Learning Challenge involved intensive immersion in the Torah related to Purim.”
The effects of the new Matmidot program are already coming to fruition. “The students are learning the importance of carving out time to learn Torah every day, even with their busy schedules,” said Rabbi Prince.
On February 21-25, a group of 14 sophomores and juniors joined Rabbi Prince on the Rapid Response Chesed Mission to New Orleans in partnership with NCSY. “After a full physical and emotional day of volunteering and visiting a Jewish cemetery, a group of students joined me at midnight to learn a daf of Masechet Megillah,” said Rabbi Prince.
Ma’ayanot plans to continue similar Matmidot incentive programs and learning opportunities leading up to Pesach.
