Summer Beit Midrash
The Yeshivat Hadar Summer Beit Midrash is a unique opportunity for a highly committed group of Jewish students to live in a community that combines intellectual openness and curiosity with the personal and spiritual rigor of yeshiva life. Participating in a full-time immersive study at Hadar is an investment in your Jewish identity, one that will enrich and guide your Jewish life for decades to come. Yeshivat Hadar’s Summer Beit Midrash focuses on:
- Gaining the skills to independently approach the classic texts of Torah
- Developing a mature, intellectually rigorous approach to the fundamental questions of Jewish life
- Deep engagement with Jewish content, both practical and intellectual
- Spiritual and personal growth that comes from tefillah, hesed, and shared communal life
The rhythm of the day starts with Shaharit and continues with learning throughout the morning and afternoon, plus two evenings a week. We spend three vibrant, fun, and song-filled Shabbatonim together over the course of the summer.
Being a member of the Yeshivat Hadar community is not just about your time inside the Beit Midrash; it is a way of life for the summer. Over the past decade, hundreds of students have studied at Yeshivat Hadar and are now pursuing a wide range of careers and life paths, while contributing to the vibrancy of their Jewish communities and shaping the landscape of the next generation of Jewish life.
Full-time students commit to helping to build Hadar's vision of Torah, Avodah, and Hesed lived out by observant Jewish communities, where all, irrespective of gender, are full citizens. Applicants will either have already demonstrated leadership in these areas in their communities and/or see their studies at Hadar as an opportunity to enhance their future contributions to these values and the communities that embody them. Summer Beit Midrash students are generally in the age range of 20-35 and have already completed a year of university or national service, or equivalent.
Accepted, full-time Summer Beit Midrash students, in recognition of their significant investment in building the Hadar community, attend Hadar tuition-free, are provided breakfast and lunch during the summer program, and receive a $4000 fellowship to support full-time study.
Shaharit
Breakfast
Talmud Seder
Lunch
Parshanut Seder
Minhah
Parshanut Shiur
Bekiut Haburot
Shaharit
Breakfast
Talmud Seder
Lunch
Halakhah
Minhah
Tefilah/Hasidut
Small Groups
Dinner
Night Seder
Arvit
Singing (optional)
Shaharit
Breakfast
Shiur Klali
Lunch
Halakhah
Minhah
Tefilah/Hasidut
Evening Off
Shaharit
Breakfast
Talmud Seder
Lunch
Parshanut Seder
Minhah
Parashanut Shiur
Grab 'n Go Dinner
Optional Hugim
Singing
Sihah
Arvit
Shaharit
Breakfast
Talmud Seder
Cleanup
Rabbi Tali Adler
Rabbi Elie Kaunfer
Rabbi Aviva Richman
Rabbi Deborah Sacks Mintz
Rabbi Ethan Tucker
Rabbi Miriam-Simma Walfish
Dena Weiss
The application for the full-time Summer Beit Midrash has two parts: (1) a letter of reference and (2) a written application. Once your complete application has been reviewed, select candidates will be invited for an interview either on Zoom or in person, if circumstances allow. Interviews will be conducted shortly after the application deadline passes.
The application deadline is February 15, 2024 (expect a decision in early April). If you require an expedited decision earlier than April, please reach out to [email protected].
After February 15, we will offer rolling admissions, space permitting.
Participants are generally between the ages of 20-35. American students need to have been in college or the equivalent for one year. Students applying from Israel need to have completed one year of the Army, National Service or equivalent.
Full-time students come from a range of Jewish backgrounds and converge around a shared commitment to talmud Torah and shemirat mitzvot in egalitarian community. Some people have spent time in environments that reflect all of these values. For others, different aspects of the yeshiva environment are exactly what they are looking for but haven't yet experienced in community.
The Summer Beit Midrash is designed for a cohort characterized by shared obligation in mitzvot and halakhic practice, including daily minyan. For this program, Yeshivat Hadar has a working definition of Jewish status that is anchored in halakhah. Read more about Yeshivat Hadar’s approach to Jewish status.
Students in the Summer Beit Midrash find their own housing for the duration of the program, often connecting with each other as housemates. The richest and fullest experience of the summer will be facilitated by living in a nearby neighborhood with a robust Jewish community encompassed by an eruv. Most students end up in Washington Heights or the Upper West Side. Parts of Brooklyn, like can also work, for those ready for a longer commute. These eruv maps are a good place to start:
- Washington Heights
- The Manhattan Eruv (Upper West Side/Upper East Side/Midtown/Lower Manhattan)
- Brownstone Brooklyn (Brooklyn Heights/Park Slope/Crown Heights)
We are happy to provide vegetarian breakfast and lunch most days of the week. We have some capacity to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies and will do our best to do so. Please reach out with any questions.
We have three Shabbatot together as a yeshiva. On other weeks, students make Shabbat plans on their own.
Foreign students who are not US citizens should inquire about receiving a tourist visa to visit the United States that extends beyond the conclusion of the session.
Yes! Outside of the regular yeshiva schedule, three shabbatot are free and Sundays are generally open for recreation and exploring museums, cultural institutions, and everything else that New York City has to offer.
Hadar’s connection to Israel is strong and long-standing and there are often Israeli full-time students in our beit midrash. We have a full-time staff in Israel along with hundreds of Israeli alumni, many of whom have studied with us in person in New York City, and many of whom have participated in our Elul and Winter programs in Israel. You can learn more about those programs and see more Hebrew-language content here. Our New York-based faculty have logged a lot of time living, learning, and teaching in Israel. You will find a wide range of views and approaches to Israel among the faculty and fellow students. We approach Israel, Zionism, and the return of Jewish sovereignty with deep gratitude to live in this moment and a profound sense of responsibility around the ethics of power. The yeshiva says the prayer for the State of Israel before Musaf on Shabbat as well as Hallel on Yom Ha’atzmaut.
We are happy to answer any questions. Please contact us at [email protected].
Overview
The Yeshivat Hadar Summer Beit Midrash is a unique opportunity for a highly committed group of Jewish students to live in a community that combines intellectual openness and curiosity with the personal and spiritual rigor of yeshiva life. Participating in a full-time immersive study at Hadar is an investment in your Jewish identity, one that will enrich and guide your Jewish life for decades to come. Yeshivat Hadar’s Summer Beit Midrash focuses on:
- Gaining the skills to independently approach the classic texts of Torah
- Developing a mature, intellectually rigorous approach to the fundamental questions of Jewish life
- Deep engagement with Jewish content, both practical and intellectual
- Spiritual and personal growth that comes from tefillah, hesed, and shared communal life
The rhythm of the day starts with Shaharit and continues with learning throughout the morning and afternoon, plus two evenings a week. We spend three vibrant, fun, and song-filled Shabbatonim together over the course of the summer.
Being a member of the Yeshivat Hadar community is not just about your time inside the Beit Midrash; it is a way of life for the summer. Over the past decade, hundreds of students have studied at Yeshivat Hadar and are now pursuing a wide range of careers and life paths, while contributing to the vibrancy of their Jewish communities and shaping the landscape of the next generation of Jewish life.
Full-time students commit to helping to build Hadar's vision of Torah, Avodah, and Hesed lived out by observant Jewish communities, where all, irrespective of gender, are full citizens. Applicants will either have already demonstrated leadership in these areas in their communities and/or see their studies at Hadar as an opportunity to enhance their future contributions to these values and the communities that embody them. Summer Beit Midrash students are generally in the age range of 20-35 and have already completed a year of university or national service, or equivalent.
Accepted, full-time Summer Beit Midrash students, in recognition of their significant investment in building the Hadar community, attend Hadar tuition-free, are provided breakfast and lunch during the summer program, and receive a $4000 fellowship to support full-time study.
Schedule
Shaharit
Breakfast
Talmud Seder
Lunch
Parshanut Seder
Minhah
Parshanut Shiur
Bekiut Haburot
Shaharit
Breakfast
Talmud Seder
Lunch
Halakhah
Minhah
Tefilah/Hasidut
Small Groups
Dinner
Night Seder
Arvit
Singing (optional)
Shaharit
Breakfast
Shiur Klali
Lunch
Halakhah
Minhah
Tefilah/Hasidut
Evening Off
Shaharit
Breakfast
Talmud Seder
Lunch
Parshanut Seder
Minhah
Parashanut Shiur
Grab 'n Go Dinner
Optional Hugim
Singing
Sihah
Arvit
Shaharit
Breakfast
Talmud Seder
Cleanup
Faculty
Rabbi Tali Adler
Rabbi Elie Kaunfer
Rabbi Aviva Richman
Rabbi Deborah Sacks Mintz
Rabbi Ethan Tucker
Rabbi Miriam-Simma Walfish
Dena Weiss
FAQs
The application for the full-time Summer Beit Midrash has two parts: (1) a letter of reference and (2) a written application. Once your complete application has been reviewed, select candidates will be invited for an interview either on Zoom or in person, if circumstances allow. Interviews will be conducted shortly after the application deadline passes.
The application deadline is February 15, 2024 (expect a decision in early April). If you require an expedited decision earlier than April, please reach out to [email protected].
After February 15, we will offer rolling admissions, space permitting.
Participants are generally between the ages of 20-35. American students need to have been in college or the equivalent for one year. Students applying from Israel need to have completed one year of the Army, National Service or equivalent.
Full-time students come from a range of Jewish backgrounds and converge around a shared commitment to talmud Torah and shemirat mitzvot in egalitarian community. Some people have spent time in environments that reflect all of these values. For others, different aspects of the yeshiva environment are exactly what they are looking for but haven't yet experienced in community.
The Summer Beit Midrash is designed for a cohort characterized by shared obligation in mitzvot and halakhic practice, including daily minyan. For this program, Yeshivat Hadar has a working definition of Jewish status that is anchored in halakhah. Read more about Yeshivat Hadar’s approach to Jewish status.
Students in the Summer Beit Midrash find their own housing for the duration of the program, often connecting with each other as housemates. The richest and fullest experience of the summer will be facilitated by living in a nearby neighborhood with a robust Jewish community encompassed by an eruv. Most students end up in Washington Heights or the Upper West Side. Parts of Brooklyn, like can also work, for those ready for a longer commute. These eruv maps are a good place to start:
- Washington Heights
- The Manhattan Eruv (Upper West Side/Upper East Side/Midtown/Lower Manhattan)
- Brownstone Brooklyn (Brooklyn Heights/Park Slope/Crown Heights)
We are happy to provide vegetarian breakfast and lunch most days of the week. We have some capacity to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies and will do our best to do so. Please reach out with any questions.
We have three Shabbatot together as a yeshiva. On other weeks, students make Shabbat plans on their own.
Foreign students who are not US citizens should inquire about receiving a tourist visa to visit the United States that extends beyond the conclusion of the session.
Yes! Outside of the regular yeshiva schedule, three shabbatot are free and Sundays are generally open for recreation and exploring museums, cultural institutions, and everything else that New York City has to offer.
Hadar’s connection to Israel is strong and long-standing and there are often Israeli full-time students in our beit midrash. We have a full-time staff in Israel along with hundreds of Israeli alumni, many of whom have studied with us in person in New York City, and many of whom have participated in our Elul and Winter programs in Israel. You can learn more about those programs and see more Hebrew-language content here. Our New York-based faculty have logged a lot of time living, learning, and teaching in Israel. You will find a wide range of views and approaches to Israel among the faculty and fellow students. We approach Israel, Zionism, and the return of Jewish sovereignty with deep gratitude to live in this moment and a profound sense of responsibility around the ethics of power. The yeshiva says the prayer for the State of Israel before Musaf on Shabbat as well as Hallel on Yom Ha’atzmaut.
We are happy to answer any questions. Please contact us at [email protected].