ADVANCED STUDY PROGRAMS AT MIGDAL OZ

For 25 years Migdal Oz has been committed to providing significant opportunities for women’s Torah study, and we continue to be on the cutting edge of advanced Jewish education for women. With over 300 students in the beit midrash and over 2500 alumnae, Migdal Oz is the largest and most influential community of female Jewish scholars anywhere, and our graduates are staffing every major institute of Modern Orthodoxy. We proudly continue to set the bar for women’s learning and leadership with several different programs for advanced female scholars.

The Gwendolyn Straus Kollel Iyun

The Kollel Iyun focuses on traditional Talmud study, and it accepts only women who have already spent at least 2-3 years immersed in Talmudic learning. In addition to full participation in classes and study sessions, there are regular tests that must be passed, and students are required to prepare and lead study sessions within the group, and to research a Talmudic topic of interest and present their findings in writing.

The Gwendolyn Straus Kollel Iyun Gavoha

The Kollel Iyun Gavoha is for highly advanced Talmudic scholars, who are already in their 5th to 7th year of fulltime Talmud study. In addition to full participation in classes and study sessions, there are regular rigorous tests that must be passed, students are required to prepare and lead study sessions both to the kollel group and to chaburot of younger students from the Beit Midrash, and to do research and present their findings in writing.

The graduates of this program are carefully trained in education and leadership skills so that they can take their place as leaders in their communities after graduation.

Kollel Machshava

This advanced program focuses on Jewish thought and philosophy. The teaching staff includes several educators with different areas of expertise. The program also includes a writing workshop.

Kollel Halacha Gavoha

This program aims to train the halachic decisors (poskim) of tomorrow, thereby greatly enhancing the role of women in determining the practice of Judaism and changing the face of Jewish life in a very significant way. The participants in this program are required to take an external exam, from either the Ministry of Religion or Tzohar, to demonstrate their expertise in halacha.

The Kollel Ramiot

This past year, Migdal Oz began a new and exciting program; the “Kollel Ramiot” brings together members of our teaching staff, who are among the most knowledgeable Jewish female educators in the world, for high-level weekly workshops. The participating women receive grants in order to devote themselves to Talmud study every Sunday. Each week the participants study in pairs, chevruta style, followed by a group shiur and discussion, which is led by a different member of the group each time. This program provides ongoing intellectual development and growth for some of the world’s most advanced female scholars, and many of the participants have commented that the cross-fertilization of ideas has deeply enhanced both their personal study and their teaching.