Prepare yourself for the Spiritual Renewal of the High Holidays with Midreshet B’erot Bat Ayin’s 6-week Elul Session “In the Path of Our Matriarchs”  

• Gain insights into the special Torah readings during Tishrei as Rebbetzin Chana Bracha Siegelbaum reveals the significance of the Torah reading of Rosh Hashana and inner dimensions of Sefer Yonah!
• Bond with like-minded women integrating Torah, Nature & Creativity!
• Learn how Chana prayed and why prayer is based on a feminine personality as you delve deeply into Sefer Shmuel!
• Develop a deeper connection to the tefilah of the High Holidays when you explore Spiritual Insights on the Machzor!

Elul is the time to really immerse yourself in Torah, so we have intensified our program with additional classes in two levels. Our Elul program offers the best of Bat Ayin Rabbis, scholars and female role models and features a well-rounded exposure to Torah texts from Tanach, classical Jewish thought and various kinds of Chassidut including the teachings of Chabad, Rebbe Nachman, and Rav Kook. 

 The Elul learning seder includes multiple special mini-programs in the spirit of the High holidays such as visiting Kever Shmuel, and the Me’arat HaMachpelah in Chevron, where you can daven in the place where our matriarchs and patriarchs are buried.  We’ll pick figs on our herbal walk to the wellsprings of Bat Ayin and celebrate our Annual Grape Festival where you’ll traverse the hills of Bat Ayin gathering grapes and learning about the significance of grapes & wine. 

*Online zoom classes – ONLY $180 for 6 weeks or over 90 hours of classroom time.

*Our program is 6 weeks long but you are welcome to join us for any length of time.

*All classes are recorded for your convenience.

*For information/registration for the full-time campus resident program: info@www.berotbatayin.org

*Zoom in from around the world! Link in box below.

Where: Midreshet B’erot Bat Ayin’s growing campus or live on Zoom classes from around the world with our brilliant teachers, plus recordings of every class to keep, review, and listen to again and again.

When: Sunday through Thursday

Online Times: 9 to 1:10 pm/EST | 4 to 8:10 pm/Israel time

NEW: Catch an additional early class 7:15-8:30 pm/EST | 2:15-3:30 PM Israel time (ask for details)

Supplies needed: A passion to learn, connect, and grow!

 Rebbetzin Chana Bracha Siegelbaum, Director 

Rebbetzin Chana Bracha Siegelbaum, a native of Denmark, is founder and director of Midreshet B’erot Bat Ayin: Holistic Torah for Women on the Land. She holds a Bachelor of Education in Bible and Jewish Philosophy from Michlala Jerusalem College for Women, and a Master’s of Art in Jewish History from Touro College. Rebbetzin Chana Bracha creates curricula emphasizing women’s spiritual empowerment through traditional Torah values. She has published the following books: Women at the Crossroads: A Woman’s Perspective on the Weekly Torah Portion; Ruth: Gleaning the Fallen Sparks; The Seven Fruits of the Land of Israel with their Mystical & Medicinal Properties; Parasha Meditations for Spiritual Renewal and Strengthening Communication with the Creator and My Memoir: The Story of a Danish Jew who Fled the Nazis. Rebbetzin practices EmunaHealing as a gifted spiritual healer through Emunah, tefilah and energy work. Chana Bracha has a married son and several granddaughters, and lives with her husband and younger son on the land of the Judean hills, Israel. 

The Rosh Hashana Torah Reading

Why was the story of Sarah’s infertility and subsequent pregnancy and birth selected as the Torah reading for the first day of Rosh Hashana? How do we learn from Sarah to juggle the roles of wife and spiritual seeker? How does Rashi learn out from the text that Avraham was inferior to Sarah in prophecy? How come the theme of ‘laughter’ is the red thread in the Torah reading of such serious day? Through in-depth textual analysis (Iyun) of Rashi, Midrash, chassidic and kabbalistic commentaries, students will receive tools for gaining a clearer and deeper understanding of Chumash (The five books of Moses). We will also discuss moral and religious issues involving the characters, the relationship between them and the dilemmas they face in the light of the High Holidays themes.

Yonah – The Fleeing Prophet

How can any sane person imagine that it is possible to escape G-d? Moreover, how can a person who rebels against G-d receive prophecy? The enigmatic book of Yonah expresses the tension between the prophet and Hashem. Teshuvah is the red thread of the Book of Yonah. Like Yonah we too sometimes run from the truth of our power and purpose. Only through the darkness, deep prayer and self-reflection – of his soul journey – does Yonah return to embrace his path, inspiring us to return to ourselves with our deepest prayers, to fulfill our purpose on earth.

Through textual study, creative writing, art and drama, we may be able to relate our own spiritual struggles to Yonah’s story and find ourselves reflected in his personality. A comprehensive source sheet in Hebrew/English accompanies the textual study of each of the classes integrating, Bible texts, Midrash, and Kabbalah.

Herbal Workshop, Torah & Healing

The Herbal Workshop integrates vast information of the ancient wisdom of our Torah about plants, herbology, nutrition and health with traditional folk medicine and medical research. The course delves into textual Torah sources on herbs and healing, as well as general knowledge of the use of herbs. For the Elul program, we will focus on the seven holy fruits of the Land of Israel with their mystical and medicinal properties, as this is the time of their ripening. A comprehensive source sheet in Hebrew/English accompanies the textual study of each of the classes integrating, Bible texts, Midrash, chassidism kabbalah, folk medicine and medical research.

Rabbi Mechael Siegelbaum, MD, Rabbi of B’erot
Rabbi Dr. Siegelbaum holds a BA in Philosophy and Psychology from Yale University, and an MD from Rutgers Medical School, New Jersey. Rabbi Mechael received his rabbinical ordination from Toras Zekeinim, Jerusalem in 1987.  In addition to teaching halacha in B’erot Bat Ayin, Rabbi Siegelbaum learns Torah part time, is active in the Bat Ayin central synagogue, where he serves as the Gabbi and practices medicine in Bat Ayin and various other clinics.

 Halacha
Rav Siegelbaum will discuss the halacha pertinent to the High Holidays. In addition, to learning the “how” of the mitzvot, the student will come to appreciate the process of the development and transmission of halacha from the written and oral Torah. 

Morah Tsipi Egert  
Tsipi Egert grew up in Israel where she attended high school. She received her B.A. in Jewish History from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Tsipi has been teaching Nevi’im (The Prophets) at Midreshet B’erot Bat Ayin since 1998 and has a Master’s in Education in Tanach from H*erzog College. She is currently obtaining a MA at Hebrew University towards a PhD in Tanach. Tsipi lives with her family in Efrat, Gush Etzion.

The Book of Shemuel: Prophecy, Spiritual Transitions and Malchut

In this class we will become acquainted with the Jewish people during the end of the era of the Judges’ (שופטים/shoftim) leadership. We will explore the relationship between leadership and the spiritual stature of the people. We will meet great Jewish leaders such as Elkana, Chana, Eli, Shmuel and Shaul and learn the trials and triumphs that our leader David Hamelech overcame. Through the textual analysis of Sefer Shemuel, we will try to understand, what is the spiritual make up of a good leader. How does the leader impact the people? How does a nation undergo spiritual change? What lessons can we take from these leaders into our own lives, as we too strive for greatness.

Rabbi Hillel Benchimol 
Born and raised in Gibraltar in southern Spain, Rabbi Benchimol at age 16 learnt in Sunderland Yeshiva, England and Beer Yakov, Israel. He received Semicha from Rabbi Shalom Messas זצ״ל, Chief Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu זצ״ל and Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach זצ״ל. Served as Rabbi of the Turkish, Iranian and Iraqi communities in Miami and Los Angeles for over 20 years. A certified active Mohel since 1992, Rabbi Benchimol is married to Keter, has 6 children and lives in Moshav Aviezer in the Ella valley Israel.

Parashat HaShavua
Rabbi Benchimol will be teaching our Parashat HaShavua from an inner dimension viewing the weekly Torah portion as part of a bigger plan – part of the jigsaw puzzle and tapestry of life. You will receive a broad perspective as to how the parsha is lived today and how it pertains to your life today.

Rabbi Avraham Iskowitz   
Rabbi Izkowitz spent the first 16 years of his life on American army bases in Europe and the United States while attending litvish yeshivot, after which he made aliyah with his family to Jerusalem. After high school, he pursued his hobbies as a rock keyboardist and songwriter, creative writer, and BMX biker, while tutoring at Yeshivat Ohr Sameach and working in the optometry industry. His hobbies led him to Manhattan where he almost signed a record contract with Atlantic Records, but Hashem had other plans for him. Avraham returned to Jerusalem, worked as a landscape artist whilst studying psychology and anthropology at the Hebrew University. At the age of 27, he ‘retired’ to study full time at the Bat Ayin Yeshiva for seven years. Avraham, his wife and 5 children live in Bat Ayin, where he teaches, practices safrut and therapy.

The Tests of Avraham Reflected in Our Lives

Our founding father, Avraham, lived a life of constant trials and tribulations. His unwavering emunah in Hashem gave him the strength to succeed in overcoming every challenge. As his descendants, we have inherited his ability to rise above nature as we come closer and closer to Hashem. By studying together about Avraham’s tests, we will learn how to tap into our inner strengths in preparation for the new year.

Morah Devorah Konikov

Devorah is a mother and grandmother, raising growing family in Bat Ayin for 21 years. She is striving and thriving with life skills ingrained from learning chassidut. Devorah is a long-time student of Rav Yitzchak Ginsburgh shlita.

Climbing the Ladder of the Machzor

Tefilah can be viewed as the ladder to self-transformation.  We will start with an introduction to some important terms and concepts connected to the Machzor (the High Holiday prayer book). The class will spend a significant amount of time on the Amidah (Silent Prayer) which makes up the bulk of the High Holiday Services. We will learn the inner meanings of the holiday prayers, going deep into the words, to emerge rejuvenated and strengthened to fulfill our roles in life.

Dr. Nurit Sirkis Bank, PhD
Nurit Sirkis Bank was born in Boston, Mass. in 1964 to Israeli parents who were studying there. In 1991 during her doctoral studies, she discovered Judaism, and became Torah observant.  Since then, Nurit studies and teaches Chassidut regularly. She completed her PhD in Visual Arts in 2017, at the Bar-Ilan University. The topic of her dissertation: Visual Aspects of Contemporary Chassidic Weddings in Israel. In 2019 Nurit was awarded by the President of Israel as Volunteer of the Year for activity in Art, Culture and Spirit.

Insights for Life| Weekly topics to be announced. 

Morah Sarah Goldstein
Sarah has an extensive Torah education from various perspectives – from Old Gateshead seminary to B’erot Bat Ayin, Orayta summer program and learning at Shiviti. She has a BSc in psychology from BPP University in London. Sarah has been on her own internal journey to discover and receive the light, transformational wisdom and Divine connection available in the Torah. A lover of everything connected to the Torah of early chassidut, with a focus on the Torah of Rebbe Nachman and the writings of Rav Kook, she delves deeply into the texts of our tradition, while facilitating others to find their own connection and transformation as well.

The Process of Inner Teshuva

Join me in delving into teshuva as a process of inner transformation. Using the models of teshuva brought from chassidic sources and the writings of Rav Kook, we will discover teshuva from a deeper and more expansive view of a healing process within ourselves and the world.

Morah Yedida Miriam Levy 

Yedida Miriam grew up in UK and made aliyah early on. With a passion for education, and a background in theatre, she spent ten years teaching in Jerusalem, before returning to Bat Ayin in 2018. Her passion is ‘tutoring’, teaching the Holy texts, and Hebrew ~ making it accessible to students.

Creative Writing Workshop

Creative writing is a tool for connecting to ourselves, to our world and to our Creator.  The workshop combines techniques such as mind maps, brainstorming, meditation, memory scanning and opening the heart in order to develop one’s creative, spiritual and perceptual abilities.  Each class combines a segment of theory, practice and analysis of our works in a warm, encouraging and noncompetitive atmosphere.  The students are guided to explore and accept their inner thoughts and feelings and turn them into creative writing.

Morah Miriam Raphael

Miriam grew up in Israel and has been involved in Jewish education for 20 years. She lives in Bat Ayin Bet with her husband and four children.

 Interpersonal Relationships in the Torah

In this study group we will focus on sources from the Torah, midrash and chazal about interpersonal relationships. Each class will present texts on a different type of relationship within the family, between man and a woman, children and parents, between siblings and within the greater society. We will discuss how to build our personality from what we learn and how the Torah stories inspires a higher level of ethics and morality in our interpersonal relationships.

Reb David Martin

Reb David is an Aish HaTorah and Dvar Yerushalayim Yeshiva graduate, who has held positions of leadership in various programs such as Yeshivat Tevat Noach and Camp Kedusha. He is passionate about holistic Torah living, strengthening local community, and the healing arts. David lives in Bat Ayin with his wife Sigalit, a B’erot Alumna. Together they are homeschooling their five children while developing educational programs for self-empowerment and vibrant living.

Finding Yourself in the Machzor

Join Reb David Martin in discovering the basic meaning of the Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur services. Through this course you’ll gain a greater understanding of the structure of the High Holiday prayers how the spiritual dimensions and technical requirements apply to each section of the high holy day prayer services, preparing yourself to be able to follow the High Holiday Prayer services!

Retreat Cancellation Policy

* Until five days before the program you may claim refund minus 60 NIS cancellation fee.
* From five days before the program until 24 hours before the program, you receive credit minus 60 NIS, which may be applied to another Midreshet B’erot Bat Ayin retreat, classes, book purchases. *Credit is good for 2 full years.

*Within 24 hours before the retreat no credit is given.