A Beit Midrash or Study House is a unique and traditionally Jewish way of learning. In a beit midrash students learn in pairs or small groups grappling directly with texts and each others ideas and interpretations. This intimate form of study lets the students be in charge of their learning and build relationships with each other and with the text based on trust and openness.
Students are supported by dedicated teachers who take teens seriously. They encourage and guide the teens in making meaning of both the texts and the big ideas and questions and how they relate to their lives. In our one room classroom, students learn to use dictionaries, grammar and translations.
Each year we choose a different Massechet (section or tractate) of the Talmud and follow it in its rich combination of Jewish law, morals, history, stories, and theology.
Each week we meet for dinner and community building. We then delve into the sugiya or section for the night. Some students begin the translation process with hints and tools to access. Other students have more English support. We break part way through for a snack and then dive deep into discussions about the texts and the bigger questions raised in the sugiya. We end the evening with how these ideas relate to our lives and our society.