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 of Arts in Jewish History from Touro College. Rebbetzin Chana Bracha creates curricula emphasizing women’s spiritual empowerment through traditional Torah values. In 2010, she published her first book, Women at the Crossroads: A Woman’s Perspective on the Weekly Torah Portion. Since then, she has published Ruth: Gleaning the Fallen Sparks (2012), the award-winning The Seven Fruits of the Land of Israel with their Mystical & Medicinal Properties (2014), her first children’s book The Nameless Chicken from Judea (2015), Parasha Meditations for Spiritual Renewal and Strengthening Communication with the Creator (2016), My Memoir: The Story of a Danish Jew who Fled the Nazis (2019), The B’erot Bat Ayin Songbook with  Guitar Chords and Torah Tidbits, (2022), and Esther, the Moon and Me: The Hidden Path to Feminine Empowerment and Redemption (2025).
Rebbetzin practices EmunaHealing as a unique approach to spiritual healing through emunah, tefilah, and energy work, and offers EmunaHealing training courses.  Chana Bracha has two adult sons and several granddaughters and lives with her husband in the Judean Hills of Israel.

Basic Jewish Concepts
This class is for beginners and those who have focused on the inner dimensions of the Torah and want to fill the gaps in their basic Torah knowledge. In Basic Jewish Concepts, we will systematically cover the foundation of the Torah, including Torah Hebrew terminology, reviewing the Tanach, The Written Torah (Bible); the development and structure of Torah She’Ba’al Peh – (Oral Law); Emunah (Jewish Faith); major Torah personalities who contributed to biblical, medieval and modern History; summarizing the Jewish holidays and more. Whereas Basic Jewish Concepts is not exclusively for conversion students, the topics have been gleaned from the Rabbis’ questions at the final Beit Din for conversion. The class is interactive, each week students are given an assignment to present to the class.

Women in Tanach – A Textual, Mystical & Creative Exploration of Women Who
Built the House of Israel
Rebbetzin Chana Bracha Siegelbaum’s teachings empower women while bringing new sources and a fresh perspective, highlighting the importance of Women’s role in the Torah. This course offers an in-depth analysis of our Foremothers, highlighting sources that tap into women’s hidden power. A comprehensive source sheet in Hebrew/English accompanies the textual study of each of the classes, integrating Bible texts, Midrash, Chassidism, and sometimes Kabbalah, weaving together and amplifying the personalities of these holy women. Creative writing, art, & drama will help make the struggles and aspirations of these inspirational role models come to life.

The Kuzari – The Foundation of Emunah
This course serves as an in-depth analysis of The Kuzari on the backdrop of general medieval Jewish philosophy. Through reading, introspection, and discussion, the student will discover the foundation of Jewish belief as portrayed by Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi. The course highlights the structure and pattern of the text of The Kuzari as well as the gradual development of the Khazar king’s self-discovery. Concurrently with her בס׳ד learning of the Khazar king’s gradual discovery of true emunah, the student herself will step by step develop and expand her own perspective. She will realize how emunah affects everything and how everything that we believe influences how we think and behave.

Torah & Herbology
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. When the blessed rain begins to fall, the healing herbs will pop up ready to be picked for B’erot Bat Ayin Herbal Formula for Colds, Cough and Flu. 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, is active in the Bat Ayin central synagogue, where he serves as the Gabbay, and practices medicine part-time in Bat Ayin.

Halacha
Rav Siegelbaum will discuss the halacha pertinent to the Purim and Pesach. 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 till Contemporary halachic responsas.

Rabbi Avraham Itzkovitz   Jewish Thought

Avraham spent the first 16 years of his life on American army bases in Europe and the United States while attending litvish style yeshivot, after which he made aliyah with his family to Jerusalem. After high school, he pursued his hobbies of rock keybordist/songwriter, creative writing and BMX biking 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 come 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.

Derech Hashem – The Way of G-d
The classic work of the 18th century master Kabbalist and Talmudist, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (The Ramchal), enables the exploration of such questions as: “Why Hashem created the world,” ‘The principles of Hashem’s Providence over Human Affairs,” “The Suffering of the Righteous vs. the Success of the Wicked,” “The Relationship between the Soul & the Body,” and “The Relationship between Israel and the Nations.”  Emphasis is placed on resolving some of the most basic contradictions and dualities which we tend to encounter as Jews, thus giving the student the clarity to strengthen her faith.

Tsipi Egert   Neviim (The Prophets)

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 Herzog College. She is currently obtaining a MA at Bar Ilan University towards a PhD in Tanach. Tsipi lives with her family in Efrat, Gush Etzion.

The Haftorah (The Weekly Prophet Reading)
Our Shabbat and holiday readings from the Tora are accompanied by parallel readings taken from the books of the Prophets. Each reading acts as a commentary or an expansion of an idea from the Torah reading, or one connected to the holiday at hand. In this course, we will take an intimate look at selected readings from the prophets chosen by our sages to illuminate the weekly Torah reading (Parashat Hashavua).

Rabbi Yosef Benarroch

Rabbi Yosef Benarroch was born in Tangiers, Morocco, and raised in Winnipeg. Following graduation from Joseph Wolinsky Collegiate, he received a Bachelor’s degree in Physics Ed and Biology, and a teaching certificate from the University of Manitoba. He attended Yeshiva in Israel and received his rabbinic ordination in 1989 from Machon Harry Fischel Yeshiva in Jerusalem. A fluent speaker of Hebrew, English, and Spanish, Rabbi Benarroch taught Jewish studies and served as a congregational rabbi in Phoenix, Arizona, and in Vancouver, British Columbia. He was Rabbi and Educational Director of the Sephardic Educational Center in Jerusalem from 1999-2010 and Rabbi and Director of Midreshet Eshel Seminary for Sephardic Women in Jerusalem from 2009-2016, and served as Rabbi of Congregation Adas Yeshurun Herzlia, Winnipeg, Canada, until present, while commuting between Winnipeg and Efrat, where his family resides. Rabbi Benarroch has now returned full-time to his family in Israel.

Parashat HaShavua
Delve into the depth of the weekly Torah portion integrating textual and inner dimensions of the Torah with practical takeaways for bettering ourselves. In this class you will receive a broad perspective on how the parsha pertains to our lives today.

Heather Gelb Movement

Rav Avraham Shira

Additional Teachers

Devorah Konikov  Tefilla

Originally from New York, Devorah made aliyah with her husband in 1996. She has a close connection with and experience as a tour guide at Machon HaMikdash (The Temple Institute). Devorah is a mother and grandmother, raising a 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. Devorah lives in Bat Ayin with her husband. They have 10 children and one granddaughter.

Climbing the Ladder of Tefilah 
Tefilla can be viewed as the ladder to self-transformation.  We will learn the inner meanings of our daily tefilot, going deep into the words, The class will spend a significant amount of time on the Amidah (Silent Prayer) which makes up the bulk of the daily prayers. We will learn the inner meanings of the various prayers, going deep into the words, to emerge rejuvenated and strengthened to fulfill our roles in life.

Rabbi Daniel Kohn 

Rav Daniel Kohn is the rabbi of Bat Ayin. He has taught hundreds of students, uniquely combining the world of Torah learning, Jewish mysticism, and deep psychological insight. A talented musician and composer, Rav Daniel’s own spiritual path took him from university studies at Columbia College to many years of yeshiva learning and to ordination by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, Rav Zalman Nechmia Goldberg and the “Crown of Wisdom” by Rav Avraham Farbshtein. Deeply rooted in Talmud and halacha, Rav Daniel also draws his innovative insights from his profound knowledge of Maharal, Kabbala, Rav Kook, and Chassidut, especially the teachings of the first Lubavitcher Rebbe and his student Rav Aaron Halevi. Rav Daniel lectures and conducts meditation retreats and personal growth seminars for groups, academic staff, and communities throughout Israel. Rav Daniel has produced three music albums and recently published a learning package and book (in Hebrew) called The Siddur as a Spiritual Journey soon to be published in English.

Yedida Miriam Levy Creative Expression

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.