Shiur on Parshat Yitro

Please click here to listen to a shiur (in Hebrew) on the parsha from the Rosh HaYeshiva, HaRav Yechezkel Yaakovson, shlit”a.

For other shiurim at Sha’alvim, please click here. 

Chessed Panel at SFW

On Tuesday, we were privileged to be a part of a special Chessed panel discussion celebrating and honoring the great work that the girls have been doing this year thus far.

Please click here to hear the panel discussion.

We also from incredible ba’alot chessed including Mrs. Rachel Nadel (founder and director of “Anywhere in Israel” - click here), Mrs. Karen Thaler (founder and director of “Gemach Yad Leah” - click here) and Mrs. Reena Rosenblum (founder and Director of “Reena’s Place”). We were inspired by their “regular” chessed - the kind of chessed that almost anyone can do if they put their mind to it. 

Our girls know firsthand from their own lives and from their chesed opportunities this year - and they heard from the panelists - how incredible things can come from just one person!

 

We would like to thank our faculty advisors Mrs. Mindy Hilewitz and Mrs. Mim Schwedel for arranging this panel and for their work all year for the girls and their chesed!

Alumni Shiur with Rabbi Turetsky

Rabbi Turetsky delivered a shiur to alumni yesterday in Washington Heights. The shiur, entitled "Tu B'Shvat, Re-Jew-venation," discussed the natural, halachic midpoint of the year and the necessity for every one of us to refresh and reinvigorate ourselves in our avodat Hashem!

Rabbi Turetsky, beloved Rosh Beit Midrash and Rebbe at SFW, graciously gave of his brief time in the US to share words of Torah to our alumni. Thank you!

Shiur on Parshat Beshalach

Please click here to listen to a shiur (in Hebrew) on the parsha by the S’gan Rosh HaYeshiva, HaRav Aryeh Hendler, shlit”a

For other shiurim at SFW, please click here

Scenes from SFW: Mesibat Machatzit and Tu B'Shvat Seder

For the latest "Scenes from SFW", please click here!

For more.... click here!

S.E.M. Torah - Beshalach

Please click here to listen to S.E.M. Torah for this week.


For more S.E.M. Torah, please click here. 

S.E.M. Torah is a series of brief divrei Torah delivered by various members of the faculty of Sha’alvim for Women. S.E.M. stands for "Squeezing Every Minute" and represents an important philosophy at SFW: every minute counts and every minute can be used productively. Torah must be learned deeply and profoundly on the highest levels possible. However, even when you find that you have only a few moments, we believe that opportunities - like listening to this S.E.M. Torah - are always available…. if you know where to look!

Mr. Sam Kapustin Comes to SFW

We were privileged this week to host a shiur from renowned educator and historian Sam Kupustin, Jewish Studies Principal of the CHAT School in Toronto. 

Continuing our trek through Jewish history via our unique Shiurim V’siyurim Program, Mr. Kapustin shared some of his vast knowledge with a shiur entitled “The Jews of Eretz Yisrael During the Christian and Muslim Periods.” Using original sources from the period, along with extensive maps and charts, Mr. Kapustin made this time period come alive for our students and gave us the context and background necessary to continue our siyurim throughout the Land of Israel. 

To hear the shiur, please click here. 

Kedma/Stern College Choir Competition

Many of our students invested dozens of hours preparing for the Choir Competition sponsored by Kedma and Yeshiva University this past Motzaei Shabbat. 

A great time was had by all as SFW students and students from 14 other seminaries displayed incredible achdut as they sang and cheered each other on. 

Click here for pictures!

The evening raised thousands of shekalim for tzedakah. It was a special honor for us when we found out that SFW won the award for most tzedakah raised.... for the third year in a row! 

We were also especially honored that our presentation - a beautiful medley of tunes from the Yamim Noraim combined with dance, drumming and stunning harmonies - netted SFW a third place finish!

Though our wonderful students competed against many other seminaries, the evening reminded us that we're really all "on the same team."

S.E.M. Torah - Bo

Please click here to listen to S.E.M. Torah for this week.


For more S.E.M. Torah, please click here. 

S.E.M. Torah is a series of brief divrei Torah delivered by various members of the faculty of Sha’alvim for Women. S.E.M. stands for "Squeezing Every Minute" and represents an important philosophy at SFW: every minute counts and every minute can be used productively. Torah must be learned deeply and profoundly on the highest levels possible. However, even when you find that you have only a few moments, we believe that opportunities - like listening to this S.E.M. Torah - are always available…. if you know where to look!

Rav Shalom Rosner at SFW

This past week, we had the great privilege of hearing a guest shiur from Rav Shalom Rosner. Rabbi Rosner is a maggid shiur in Yeshivat Reishit Yerushalayim and Yeshivat Sha'alvim and is the Rabbi of the Nofei Hashemesh community in Beit Shemesh. In addition, Rav Rosner is Rebbe to thousands who learn from him regularly as he is a popular and prolific online lecturer. 

At SFW, Rav Rosner discussed the methods and techniques that we need to employ in order to become a "Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation." With his trademark wide-ranging use of in-depth sources, Rav Rosner inspired us to work together to build up ourselves and our community in the service of Hashem.

To hear the shiur, please click here.

The shiur was sponsored by Michelle Elmaleh and the Elmaleh family l'ilui nishmat Yair Elmaleh z"l, brother of Rabbi Dr. Gil Elmaleh. Yair a"h passed away 6 years ago yet his convivial personality and selfless chessed continue to inspire. 

We thank Rav Rosner for taking the time to share of his wisdom and inspiration!

To hear more shiurim at Sha'alvim, please click here.

Shiur on Parshat Bo

Please click here to listen to a shiur (in Hebrew) on the parsha from the Rosh HaYeshiva, HaRav Yechezkel Yaakovson, shlit”a.

For other shiurim at Sha’alvim, please click here. 

Scenes from SFW!

For the latest "Scenes from SFW", please click here!

For more.... click here!

Mazal Tov to Shayna Frankel (SFW ‘11)!

Mazal Tov to Shayna Frankel (SFW ‘11) on her engagement to Yisrael Apfel!

שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל

For other announcements see the scrolling list on our homepage or click here

SFW Alumni

Are you not getting our weekly emails?

SFW sends out weekly emails with written and audio shiurim and divrei Torah, alumni and faculty news, information about upcoming alumni events, and general goings-on at SFW.

If you have not been getting our emails - or if you would simply like to add or update an email address - send us an email to: sfw.alumni@gmail.com!

Looking forward to hearing from you!

We're also on Twitter! Follow us @ShaalWomen!

Mazal Tov to Tamar Garbow (SFW ‘08, ‘09)!

Mazal Tov to Tamar Garbow (SFW ‘08, ‘09) on her engagement to Shmuli Shulman (brother of Dassi Shulman, (SFW ‘08)!

שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל

For other announcements see the scrolling list on our homepage or click here

S.E.M. Torah - Vaera

Please click here to listen to S.E.M. Torah for this week.

For more S.E.M. Torah, please click here. 

S.E.M. Torah is a series of brief divrei Torah delivered by various members of the faculty of Sha’alvim for Women. S.E.M. stands for "Squeezing Every Minute" and represents an important philosophy at SFW: every minute counts and every minute can be used productively. Torah must be learned deeply and profoundly on the highest levels possible. However, even when you find that you have only a few moments, we believe that opportunities - like listening to this S.E.M. Torah - are always available…. if you know where to look!

Shiur on Parshat Vaera

Please click here to listen to a shiur (in Hebrew) on the parsha by the S’gan Rosh HaYeshiva, HaRav Aryeh Hendler, shlit”a

For other shiurim at SFW, please click here

D'var Torah on Parshat Vaera

Please click here for this week's D'var Torah on the Parsha.....

For more shiurim from SFW please click here 

Snow in Jerusalem!

While it wasn't exactly the "Blizzard of 2013" as predicted by the forecasters, it did snow in Jerusalem on Wednesday night and Thursday morning... a bit.

After night seder and Thursday morning, the SFW students had a great time enjoying the beautiful sights of "Snow in Jerusalem." Many of our students have never seen snow in their lives while others have seen much, much more... in August!

Whatever the case, a great time was had by all!

For more pictures, please click here.

For more Scenes from SFW, please click here

Mazal Tov to Julie Greenberg (SFW ‘10)!

Mazal Tov to Julie Greenberg (SFW ‘10) on her marriage to Aryeh Gottlieb!

שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל

For other announcements see the scrolling list on our homepage or click here

Mazal Tov to Lauryn Maister (SFW ‘09)!

Mazal Tov to Lauryn Maister (SFW ‘09) on her marriage to Ari Berman!

שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל

For other announcements see the scrolling list on our homepage or click here

S.E.M. Torah - Shmot

Please click here to listen to S.E.M. Torah for this week.

For more S.E.M. Torah, please click here. 

S.E.M. Torah is a series of brief divrei Torah delivered by various members of the faculty of Sha’alvim for Women. S.E.M. stands for "Squeezing Every Minute" and represents an important philosophy at SFW: every minute counts and every minute can be used productively. Torah must be learned deeply and profoundly on the highest levels possible. However, even when you find that you have only a few moments, we believe that opportunities - like listening to this S.E.M. Torah - are always available…. if you know where to look!

Rav Yakov Haber: Fate and Destiny

This past week, we had the great privilege of hearing a "guest shiur" from no guest at all! Rav Yakov Haber has been a beloved member of the SFW faculty for many years.

This week, Rav Haber delivered a moving and in-depth sicha based upon - and an expansion of - Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik's thoughts on the differences between one's "Fate" and one's "Destiny." In other words, Rav Haber explores in his unique, engaging and thought-provoking manner how one balances between those components of our lives that we were born into, about which we have no control and those things which our in our power to control and improve?

We thank Rav Haber for taking the time to share of his wisdom and inspiration!

To hear the shiur, please click here.

Rabbi Yakov Haber is known for the clarity of presentation and dynamic teaching style that he brings to his in-depth halacha shiurim. An enthusiastic educator, he comes to SFW with a decade of expertise in high-level Torah education at Yeshiva University: as a rebbe in YU´s Stone Beit Midrash Program; as coordinator of the practical halacha learning program at RIETS; and as a teacher of Halacha, Jewish thought, and prayer at Stern College for Women. After learning at Yeshivat Kerem B´Yavneh and pursuing a master's degree in Computer Science, he was a fellow at YU´s prestigious and challenging Gruss Kollel Elyon. Rabbi Haber, his wife and children made aliya in 2007 and live in Ramat Beit Shemesh.

To view other SFW Faculty Highlights, please click here or click on the following links to learn more about SFW's wonderful faculty and administration!

Shiur on Parshat Shmot

Please click here to listen to a shiur (in Hebrew) on the parsha from the Rosh HaYeshiva, HaRav Yechezkel Yaakovson, shlit”a.

For other shiurim at Sha’alvim, please click here. 

Shiurim v'Siyurim: Siyur and Jeeping trip in Nitzan

This week, we continued our Shiurim v’Siyurim program (click here or here) with an outstanding Siyur and Jeeping trip to Nitzan.

Click here for pictures!

In December 1943, the JNF-KKL purchased a 400 acres plot of land, including a citrus orchard, a well and a vineyard on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea in order to assist the “illegal” immigration to Israel. This settlement, known as Nitzanim, was cut off from the center of the country during the War of Independence in 1948.

 

On our siyur, we heard about the “Baby Evacuation” where most of the women and all of the children slipped into the relative safety of the center of the country. We also heard about the 10 women who stayed behind with the men to stop Egyptian troops from advancing on Tel Aviv.

The fierce battle for Nitzanim lasted more than 14 hours and resulted in 33 fighters – including 3 women – were killed.

The heroism of the women in this area – and around Israel - led to the development of the site as a place for identifying with female soldiers and the initiative construction of a Women of Valor Center in Nitzanim.

Part of our siyur included a fun and “daring” Jeeping trip through the sand dunes of Ashdod! We saw beautiful sights, learned about the fauna in the area (especially connected to Tanach) and heard inspiring stories!

A great time was had by all!