Monday, February 29, 2016

Parshat Vayakhel: Kodesh and Kodesh Hakodashim

Please click here to listen to a shiur on Parshat Vayakhel from SFW's Menahel, Rav Yamin Goldsmith.

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

Mazal tov to Leah (Alter) Shereshevsky (SFW '04)!


Mazal tov to Leah (Alter) Shereshevsky (SFW '04) and her family on the birth of a baby girl!

שיזכו לגדלה לתורה לחופה ולמעשים טובים

For other announcements please click here

Mazal Tov to Estee Siegel (SFW ‘12)!


Mazal Tov to Estee Siegel (SFW ‘12) on her engagement to Avi Hirt!

שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל

For other announcements please click here

Mazal Tov to Jeanette Eliezer (SFW ‘14)!


Mazal Tov to Jeanette Eliezer (SFW ‘14) on her engagement to Tzvi Goldstein!

שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל

For other announcements please click here

Thursday, February 25, 2016

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.

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 listen to 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!

Rav Yammer on Parshat Ki Tissa

Please click here to listen to a shiur (in Hebrew) on Parshat Ki Tissa from the Sgan Rosh HaYeshiva, HaRav Michael Yammer, shlit”a.


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

Holocaust Survivor Martha Weiss Speaks at SFW


Holocaust survivor Mrs. Martha Weiss came to SFW on Purim Kattan to describe the Amalek she saw in the Shoah with her very own eyes. Mrs. Weiss told us the tragic story about her pre-war childhood and her nightmare experiences in Auschwitz/Birkenau. Mrs. Weiss volunteers at Yad Vashem and her story has been recounted in the press several times (click here for example) and, last month, she represented Israel in the United Nations on the UN's International Holocaust Day.
SFW’s Guest Speaker Program for 5776 is generously sponsored by an anonymous family.
Please click here to listen to her talk

S.E.M. Torah for Parshat Ki Tissa

Please click here to listen to S.E.M. Torah for Parshat Ki Tissa by Rav Gershon Turetsky

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 (good-humoredly) 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!

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Parshat Ki Tissa: Lessons from the Eigel

Please click here to listen to a shiur on Parshat Tissa from SFW's Menahel, Rav Yamin Goldsmith.

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

Mazal tov to Tali (Abell) Wohlgelernter (SFW '07, '08)!


Mazal tov to Tali (Abell) Wohlgelernter (SFW '07, '08) and her family on the birth of a baby girl!

שיזכו לגדלה לתורה לחופה ולמעשים טובים

For other announcements please click here

Mazal Tov to Elana Rosen (SFW ‘10)!


Mazal Tov to Elana Rosen (SFW ‘10) on her engagement to Max Baruch!

שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל

For other announcements please click here

Mazal Tov to Rita Gordon (SFW ‘12)!


Mazal Tov to Rita Gordon (SFW ‘12) on her engagement to Carmi Muskin!

שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל

For other announcements please click here

Friday, February 19, 2016

Mazal tov to Tova (Kreinberg) Klapper (SFW '06, '07)!


Mazal tov to Tova (Kreinberg) Klapper (SFW '06, '07) and her husband and family on the birth of a baby boy!

שיזכו להכניסו בבריתו של אברהם אבינו בזמנו ולגדלו לתורה לחופה ולמעשים טובים


For other announcements please click here

Thursday, February 18, 2016

HaRav Yechezkel Yaakovson on Parshat Tetzaveh

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

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

Dr. Smadar Rosensweig at SFW

Rebbetzin Smadar Rosensweig, Judaic studies professor at Stern College for Women, came to SFW to deliver a moving and meaningful guest sicha entitled “Shevet Levi's Journey to Spiritual Leadership.” We were - as with every time she visits - riveted by her tremendous breadth of knowledge of Tanach and of history! 

To listen to the shiur, please click here.

Rebbetzin Smadar Rosensweig is a professor of Bible at Stern College for Women at Yeshiva University, as well as a professor of biblical studies at Allegra Franco Sephardic Women’s Teachers College. Previously, she was a professor of Judaic studies and history at Touro College. Rebbetzin Rosensweig received a master’s degree in philosophy and a master’s degree in arts from Columbia University. 

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

S.E.M. Torah for Parshat Tetzaveh


Please click here to listen to S.E.M. Torah for Parshat Tetzaveh from Rav Rafi Rosenblum

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 (good-humoredly) 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!

Monday, February 15, 2016

Rav Yamin Goldsmith on Parshat Tetzaveh

Please click here to listen to a shiur on Parshat Tetzaveh from SFW's Menahel, Rav Yamin Goldsmith.

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

Mazal tov to Mrs. Mindy Hilewitz!


Mazal tov to Mrs. Mindy Hilewitz and her husband and family on the birth of a baby boy!

שיזכו להכניסו בבריתו של אברהם אבינו בזמנו ולגדלו לתורה לחופה ולמעשים טובים


For other announcements please click here

Mazal tov to Dassi (Shulman) Tiefenbrunn (SFW '09)!


Mazal tov to Dassi (Shulman) Tiefenbrunn (SFW '09) and her husband and family on the birth of a baby boy!

שיזכו להכניסו בבריתו של אברהם אבינו בזמנו ולגדלו לתורה לחופה ולמעשים טובים


For other announcements please click here

Mazal Tov to Aliza Kaye (SFW ‘10)!


Mazal Tov to Aliza Kaye (SFW ‘10) on her engagement to Ari Margolin!

שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל

For other announcements please click here

Thursday, February 11, 2016

S.E.M. Torah for Parshat Terumah


Please click here to listen to S.E.M. Torah for Parshat Terumah from Rav Yamin Goldsmith.

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 (good-humoredly) 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 Yammer on Parshat Terumah

Please click here to listen to a shiur (in Hebrew) on Parshat Terumah from the Sgan Rosh HaYeshiva, HaRav Michael Yammer, shlit”a.


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

Thursday, February 4, 2016

HaRav Yechezkel Yaakovson, shlit”a on Parshat Mishpatim

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

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

Mazal Tov to Ariella Bodoff (SFW '12, '13)

Mazal Tov to Ariella Bodoff (SFW '12, '13) on her Aliya to Eretz Yisrael!

ושבו בנים לגבולם!

For other announcements see the scrolling list on click here

Mazal Tov to Talia Lichtenstein (SFW '11, '12)!


Mazal Tov to Talia Lichtenstein (SFW '11, '12) on her marriage to Noah Cohen!

שיזכו לבנות בית נאמן בישראל

For other announcements please click here

S.E.M. Torah for Parshat Mishpatim


Please click here to listen to S.E.M. Torah for Parshat Mishpatim from Rav Gershon Turetsky.

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 (good-humoredly) 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!