Midrasha

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2008)

A midrasha (Hebrew: מדרשה, pl. midrashot) is an institute of Jewish studies for women. It is roughly the equivalent of a yeshiva for men, and is mostly found in the Orthodox Jewish community. The term is often translated as 'seminary'. In Israel, a midrasha that offers degree studies is sometimes called a machon (institute). Some "midrashot" accept both men and women, such as the Ein Prat Midrasha^[1] in Israel.

1 Etymology
2 Structure
3 List of Midrashot
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Etymology

The word "midrasha" is cognate with the Arabic "madrasah," which also refers to a place of learning.

[edit] Structure

Midrashot vary in curriculum and philosophy. More liberal midrashot often place more emphasis on the study of Talmud itself, as in men's yeshivot, while more conservative midrashot tend to only incorporate selections from the Talmud in the context of classes on the Hebrew Bible, Jewish philosophy, Ethics and Jewish law instead. Most midrashot in the latter category are modeled on the Bais Yaakov teacher-training seminary established by Sarah Schenirer.

Many Orthodox Jewish girls attend a midrasha in Israel for a year or more following high school. Some midrashot are designed for the newly observant.

Most midrashot for English-speaking students are accredited by American colleges. Some midrashot offer second-year programs with religious-studies classes in the morning and general-studies classes in the afternoons, allowing students to pursue a religious education and a general-studies education leading to a college degree simultaneously. In Israel, several of the religious affiliated teacher training colleges also offer a religious studies program in conjunction with the B.Ed. degree.