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Category: Learning Centers

  • Open Learning Environment For Women

    If you’re a post-high school girl looking to spend the year in Israel in a warm and personal environment,

    Open Learning Environment For Women

    Sharei Bina may just be the right place for you. The seminary is located in the city of Safed, which in spite of its lofty history, remains a quaint city with

    a small-town feel. Enrollment is kept to a maximum of 20 students.

    Seeking Roots

    Sharei Bina appeals to young women who want to experience Jewish spirituality in a more open environment. The student considering a year at Sharei Bina may have fallen off the beaten track and found it hard to compete in a typical academic environment, or it may be that some Sharei Bina candidates have questioned their commitment to Judaism and are now seeking to come back to their roots.

    What Sharei Bina offers is learning for the sake of learning for the self-motivated student who is not afraid to explore the holy depths of what Judaism has on offer. The Sharei Bina curriculum includes the study of classic works like Ethics of the Fathers, Prophets, practical Halacha (Jewish law), and the Chafetz Chaim’s Ahavat Chessed, but the seminary also offers classes in Yoga, creative writing, and

    music. While there is a slight slant in the direction of Chassidic thought, Sharei Bina has an all-inclusive study program. The “mother” of Sharei Bina, Rebbetzin Tova Weingot, states that the school’s offerings are, “balanced and all eclectic.”

    Field Trips

    The school also offers its students a chance to see and enjoy the country through its various field trips including visits to the Dead Sea, Masada, and Ein Gedi, a trip to Mount Hermon where students may sled or ski, a tour of Gamla, a swim in the Sea of Galilee, a trip to Tiberias where students have the chance to pray at the burial sites of the famous sages Rambam and Ramchal, a hike from Safed to Meron where Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai is buried, a visit to the grave of Rabbi Yonason Ben Uziel where students may pray for a good match, and two group Sabbaths or Shabbatonim in Jerusalem. Field trips are held on an average of once a month and all suc

    h trips include picnics or barbecues. The school also encourages its students to visit friends and relatives located in various parts of the country as another means of experiencing the Land of Israel.

    “Torah True”

    Sharei Bina is headed by Rabbi Rafael Weingot, who was mentored by the late Rabbi Shlomo Freifeld, Rosh Yeshiva (yeshiva head) of Yeshiva Sha’ar Yashuv in Far Rockaway. Rabbi Weingot has a BA in English Literature from Brooklyn College and a master’s degree in education from the Mesivta Rabbi Chaim Berlin. His wife, Tova, has a bachelor’s degree in Comparative Religions from Florida State University. Some 90% of the staff are Haredi and Rebbetzin Weingot describes the atmosphere of the school as being “‘Torah-true’ and Kosher L’Mehadrin.”

    For the most part, the students at Sharei Bina are from American or Canadian stock. In some cases, the families of the students have made Aliya to Israel and English remains their mother tongue. The students range in age from 17-19 years.

     

  • “Serious And Busy”

    Yeshiva Shalom Rav is one of the many men’s Jewish seminaries located in the ancient city of Safed, one of the cities cons

    Yeshiva Shalom Rav Tzfat

    idered to be holy according to Jewish tradition. Shalom Rav’s unique spirit lies in its ability to attract disaffected Jewish youth who may have lost their way in the more traditional Israeli learning institutions. “The goal of this Yeshiva is less about imparting knowledge than about stirring the soul of young Jewish men”, according to the manifest of the institution.

    No Pressure

    The Rosh Yeshiva, or head of the institution is Rabbi Rafael Weingot who follows the path of the late Rabbi Shlomo Freifeld. Rabbi Weingot attempts to individualize the process of connecting each student’s soul to his own brand of spiritual labor with the goal of bringing students closer to God. There is a distinct lack of pressure in the air of the Yeshiva, but Rabbi Weingot describes the atmosphere o

    f the Beit Midrash (study hall) as “serious and busy.” He believes that freedom is the path through which a craving for learning can develop.

    While the atmosphere may seem a bit Bohemian at first, the courses on offer are standard classic Torah fare such as Talmud, the redacted oral law, bible, and Jewish law, but with philosophy, ethics, and contemporary issues thrown in for good measure. The Yeshiva prides itself on its open attitude which embraces all Jewish people and supports the Land of Israel.

    Personal Attention

    Yeshiva Shalom Rav specializes in providing personal attention and sees each student as a separate individual. Personal tutors and mentors are available to each student. The Yeshiva strives to inculcate a deep love and appreciation of the Jewish Sabbath and holidays.

    Not every student at the Yeshiva is ready for a classic course of Jewish study and the Yeshiva offers a full array of introductory classes for these fledgling students. These introductory courses include classes, tutorial sessions, and personal reading time where students can explore topics through the resources of the yeshiva’s cassette tape and English library. At this level, there is an emphasis on Jewish philosophy. Shalom Rav feels that allowing students the leeway to probe these varied topics can help them break through the emotional and spiritual obstacles they may have encountered as they learned in the more classic settings elsewhere. Rabbi Weingot feels that this freedom of study allows such students to become mainstreamed into the regular learning schedule quite fast.

    Motivating Perks

    Shalom Rav also offers other perks that can help motivate a lackluster student. The yeshiva boasts some really wonderful field trips including kayaking and rafting on the Jordan River, off-Road all terrain vehicular trips (ATV), overnight camping, a hike from the Sea of Galilee to the Mediterranean Sea, trips to the burial sites of famed rabbis and kabbalists, a customary camping trip to Meron on the holiday known as Lag B’Omer, bicycling around the Sea of Galilee, camping and bird watching in the Hula Valley, a hike from Safed to Tiberias, the Jerusalem Discovery Seminar, group Sabbaths known as Shabbatonim in various parts of Israel, and barbecues and sing-alongs (kumtzitim).

    In addition to all this, the Yeshiva has a music room. Rabbi Weingot feels that music can be a key feature in putting young men in touch with their inner spirituality. Shalom Rav teachers and students enjoy making music together which helps foster close student/teacher relationships.

     

  • Chabad Lubavitch Girls’ Seminary

    Established in 1977, the Machon Alte Seminary was the first of its kind as the only Chabad-Lubavitch seminary for wome

    Chabad Lubavitch Girls' Seminary

    n in Israel. The purpose of the seminary is to provide Jewish women a full-time academic program where they might find and feed their spirit. Machon Alte is located in a part of the ancient holy city of Safed where peace and contemplation are easy to come by.

    The director of the seminary, Rabbi Joseph Rosenfeld states that over the past 20 years, almost 3000 young adult Jewish women have attended classes at Machon Alte. Students have come from countries such as America, Canada, Russia, Israel, Europe, Central and South America, South Africa, and Australia. The students range in age from 18-32.

    Mystical Side

    The curriculum at Machon Alte stresses the mystical side of the Torah and includes discussions of classic Chassidic thought, along with some delving into the mysteries of the relationship between God and man. The majority of the students at Machon Alte have little or no background in Judaism or in Judaic studies. Courses offered include Jewish law, the bible, prophets, prayer and meditation, Chassidut (Chassidic philosophy), and Hebrew.

    Classes are conducted in three languages: English, Hebrew, and Russian. The seminary is willing to accommodate students fluent in other languages by offering courses in their mother tongues. The English and Hebrew programs are given at both the beginner

    and the advanced levels, while the Russian program is geared in the main toward the beginning student. Once completing the Russian program, the Russian students are mainstreamed into the more advanced Hebrew program.

    Chevrusa Style

    Private tutoring is an option and students learn in chevrusa (sometimes pronounced: chevruta) style, in groups of two, which fosters an air of shared discovery and friendly scholarship. Those who wish to improve their Hebrew language skills can take Hebrew lessons in the popular immersion method known as the Ulpan.

    During the week, three square meals are offered to the Machon Alte students. On the Jewish Sabbath and ho

    lidays, the students are hosted by families throughout Israel. Sometimes, the students gather together for a Sabbath to hold what is known as a Shabbaton, or a group Sabbath. Shabbatonim (plural) are held at Machon Alte, in Jerusalem, or in Hebron.

    The school claims that most colleges and universities accept Machon Alte’s credits, but recommends students check with a given institution about its policy. Machon Alte’s study year is divided into three semesters and a summer program is offered as well, though students may enroll at any point of the year. The school doesn’t turn away prospective students for lack of funds, but requests such students to seek help from their home communities if at all possible. Students enrolling in the school for a minimum of 2 months are eligible for inexpensive medical coverage, which is mandatory.

    Historic Building

    Dormitory facilities are located within an historic building which was once a hotel. There are no more than two students per room and rooms are furnished in full. Many of the rooms have private bathroom and shower facilities.

  • Chaya Leader, Kabbalah Meditation

    Meditation and Judaism

    Chaya Leader: Kabbalistic Meditation

     

    Many people, accustomed to hearing the term “meditation” used in conjunction with Eastern religions, would be surprised to know that there are also Jewish forms of meditation.

    One which comes to mind is “hitboddut” or the Hassidic practice of isolating oneself when contemplating one’s relationship with God and one’s fellow man. Breslev Hassidim are known for their efforts to find lonely spots in nature, as their Rebbe, Rabbi Nachman, did one hundred and fifty years ago.

    Today however, most people who feel the need to sit and meditate study the practice through Hinduism, Buddhism and other Eastern traditions. Slowly, however, more people are becoming aware of the Jewish meditative practices, specifically those which are found in the study of Kabbalah.

    One Teacher Of Kabbalistic Meditation

    Chaya Leader is one such teacher of Jewish Kabbalistic meditation. Chaya has been studying Kabbalah with family mem

    bers who are rabbis and teachers of Kabbalah in Israel and abroad. She moved to Israel in 1970 and has been teaching Jewish spirituality workshops since the 80’s. The Kol Kabbalah workshop was born when she was on staff at the health spa in Israel-Mitspe Allumot-2007-2008.  Chaya explains, “Although I enjoy textual study of the vast literature of Kabbalah, it is not enough for me to simply study the texts and consider the concepts, as profound as they are; it has always been important to me to tie these concepts with flesh and blood reality.”

    Tying the study of Kabbalah to a reality that one can feel and be a part of, rather than simply learning and understanding texts, is where Chaya brings her style of Kabbalistic meditation in to play. She works with individuals and groups to integrate the ideas of Kabbalah with healing and reparation.

    Chaya’s meditation techniques center on sounding the Hebrew letters-emphasizing the vowel sounds– through chanting and integrating these sounds with visualizations. “We start with silent meditation, an ancient Jewish practice that allows us to release the stress of repetitive, negative nagging thoughts and to be open to being receptive to higher thoughts and emotions. The word kabbalah means ‘receptivity.’ For some people it’s strange at first to be chanting sounds, but they soon feel comfortable and then start to enjoy the experience” Chaya says. “Many people have a transformative experience–even in the short space of the workshop– and that is what these workshops

    are about–getting a taste, a tone, a whiff of our own soul”.

    Chaya works with people of all backgrounds, religious and secular.  She finds that non-religious people feel at ease with her non-threatening methodology, while religious people often feel their religious practices renewed and refreshed. One young participant from a workshop wrote, following a session, ” Chaya Leader’s Kol Kabbalah workshop is an innovative, expressive, inward looking, soul calming and joyous experience. The workshop, using diverse elements derived from ancient Kabbalistic meditation techniques, awakens new parts of your Jewish soul and recharges your energies, increasing self-awareness and promoting a feeling of flowing well-being and invigoration. Chaya’s dynamic, yet non-invasive guiding allows you to feel completely comfortable in partaking of the connection between sound and mind in a new way–opening consciousness to Jewish identity and soul. After an hour of Chaya’s workshop I felt so warm and calm inside and had a huge smile on my face. ”

    For more information, Chaya Leader can be contacted at kabbalah.meditation.workshops@gmail.com.

  • International Center for Tzfat Kabbalah

    Authentic Study

    International Center for Tzfat Kabbalah

     

    “Tzfat,” groups are told by almost every tour guide who brings his group to the city “is the City of Kabbalah” And, if the guides

    know a little bit about Jewish Mysticism, they explain that Tzfat was the city where the discipline of Kabbalah was developed and expanded upon in the Middle Ages, as many of the greatest Kabbalistic scholars of the time arrived in the city after the Spanish Expulsion of 1492.

    However, many of these guides don’t quite understand why Tzfat is known as the City of Kabbalah, nor exactly, or how to explain what kabbalah is to their tourists. So after the initial pronouncement, they continue to guide their visitors through the streets of the Old City, pointing out the synagogues and other sites that have made Tzfat famous.

    The International Center for Tzfat Kabbalah is trying to fill this void and help make it easier to understand the meaning of

    Kabbalah. Located in the heart of the Old City, on Alkabetz street between the ARI Ashkanazi and Abuhav synagogues, the Center is slowly helping to make Kabbalah ‘user-friendly’, while at the same time maintain its authenticity.

    The Kabbalah stems from the Torah and is drawn from the Five Books of Moses, which G-d gave to the Jewish people at Mt. Sinai. Kabbalistic scholars believe that due to this origin, Kabbalah must be studied and understood in conjunction with the Torah and not as a discipline of its own, detached from its roots in the Torah. This belief is what separates the Tzfat Kabbalah Center from the pop-Kabbalah Centers which have sprung up throughout the world. To be properly understood, the International Center for Kabbalah believes, Kabbalah must be studied with the understanding that it is part of the Torah, and must be learned within the framework of Jewish law.

    Opportunities for Study and Experience

    The Center has been open for two years, and offers visitors the opportunity to delve into Kabbalah study in a variety of ways. Some people are looking for a tour while others request a short learning session. Others come for a series of seminars. The Center is there to answer all their needs. Their staff of guides and lecturers is able to bring the subject alive with creative workshops, storytelling, and visits with local scholars.

    The variety of people, both individuals and groups, who have stepped into Kabbalah study through the International Center of Tzfat Kabbalah is staggering. Israelis often come as part of organized tours through schools and work places and others find their way to the center from all over the world. Many English-speakers take advantage of the wide English-program that the Center offers, and German visitors have made so many inquiries about studying Kabbalah that the Center is developing a German website. The Center maintains a staff of French, Spanish and Russian-speaking guides and lecturers, and the Center’s library is always available to those who simply want to stop in and look around. All are welcome.

    For more information check out the official International Center of Tzfat Kabbalah site.

    Address: POB 6286 Old City, Tzfat Israel

    Phone: 04-682-1771

  • Community Service with Livnot

    Livnot U’Lehibanot in Tzfat

    Commmunity Service with Livnot

     

    Long before “Tikkun Olam” became a byword for young Jewish adults who wished to make a difference in the world, participants of the Livnot U’Lehibanot program were actively involved in community service in Tzfat. In the early years of the program, the municipality of Tzfat noticed that there was an enthusiastic group of young English-speakers living in the Old City, and in the midst of digging out the ruins of the Jewish Quarter, they were interested in engaging in assisting the larger community. So slowly, the municipality began to ask Livnot to undertake projects for the betterment of the city residents – building parks, making unsafe areas safer, and in general, beautifying the city. When the first wave of Ethiopian immigrants arrived in Tzfat in 1984, Livnot was one of the first groups to become involved in helping them in their absorption. Groups of Livnoters were often found at the Absorption Centers, leading games with the children, organizing activities, and helping the overworked Center staff to maintain the Center physically.

    Someone to Count On

    Tzfat’s Welfare Department frequently contacted Livnot with requests for assistance, asking them to help repair dilapidated apartments of poverty-stricken citizens, usually senior citizens. The staff, accompanied by Livnot participants, found themselves in apartments of people whose electricity was hanging by threads, whose sinks had fallen off the walls, and where mold was growing out of cracks in the walls. Livnot never turned down a single project, no matter how small the budget was – they helped scores of residents who had no where else to turn.

    Schools and kindergartens also benefit from Livnot’s intervention. Schools which have not been painted for years, kindergartens with paint peeling on the playground equipment, and yards with overgrown weeds and thistles are all attended to. “The impression that this makes on our children is tremendous” one local teacher said. “They see the volunteers, English-speakers who could probably be doing things a lot more enjoyable with their time, coming to paint murals on the school walls and in the classrooms. The effect is that everything that we’ve ever tried to teach them, about the Jewish People being One….all of a sudden, it’s clear to them that it’s so!” The truth is that the impression is no less felt on the other side. “It’s the best thing that I’ve ever done” one Livnot participant exclaimed. “I’ve never felt so alive! I’ve never felt so much a part of Israel, and of my people” Which, ultimately, is what it’s all about.

  • Livnot U’lehibanot

    Nestled in a corner of the Old Jewish Quarter of Tzfat, you can find a Jewish Experience Program like no other. Livno

    Livnot Israel Experience Programt U’Lehibanot, “To Build and Be Built” was established in 1980 to give young Jewish adults an opportunity to explore their Jewish heritage on their own terms, through experiences and hands-on activities.

    How It Began

    The beginnings of Livnot, as its participants call it, were in a small corner near the home of Livnot’s founders, Miriam and Aharon Botzer. Newlyweds themselves, the Botzers had begun to excavate the ruin which they had bought to be their home. As they slowly dug out and renovated their own home, Aharon and Miriam noticed that passing backpackers were fascinated with the process, and from there, the idea of a non-religious Jewish identity program came into focus. Through the years, Livnot has slowly acquired more rui

    ns, which the participants, under the supervision of professionals, excavate and renovate. Today, these rooms, once the homes of families who lived in Tzfat hundreds of years ago, serve as the Livnot campus.

    The Program

    The core program, once only lasting for 3-month periods, today offers programs spanning from 2 weeks to 5 months.

    Each program, no matter what the length, includes a wide variety of experiential and interactive activities. Livnot’s hiking component is probably the most popular component of all Livnot programs. Livnot staff take the participants on some of Israel’s most beautiful and unspoiled trails, both in the North of Israel and in the desert. Much of the formal “teaching” of Livnot takes place during these hikes, as participants walk, climb, swim, and bike through the Land.

    Before “Tikkun Olam” became a byword for Jewish activism, all of Livnot’s programs were involved in volunteerism. Livnot participants helped Ethiopian immigrants who had just arrived at the local Absorption Centers, painted and fixed the homes of elderly and disadvantaged residents of Tzfat (and later, Jerusalem, when a campus opened there), built public parks, repaired and painted schools and kindergartens, and worked with the municipality on many other public service projects. After the Second Lebanon War, Livnot took

    on the responsibility of renovating bomb shelters in cities of Tzfat, Hatzor and Kiryat Shmoneh, and Livnot Galilee Fellowship participants were at the forefront of this work.

    Jewish Studies

    Livnot’s workshops and seminars are designed to be interactive and experiential, giving participants the opportunity to

    become involved in the process of learning about various aspects of Judaism and Israel. For instance, Livnot teaches about Judaism and the environment through modeling a Tu B’Shevat Seder. The concept of belonging to a Jewish community is shown by involving the participants in the Tzfat community, meeting local residents and workers, and celebrating Shabbat with Tzfat families. The final, and mos

    t important component of any Livnot program, is Shabbat celebration. For Livnot, Shabbat is the culmination of the week – everything that the group does throughout the week leads towards Shabbat. Thursday nights and Fridays are filled with Shabbat preparations, as the participants prepare the food themselves, make the challahs, and get ready to do their own d’var Torahs at Friday night dinner. Kabbalat Shabbat, singing and dancing on Livnot’s porch facing the sunset over Mt. Meron, is an experience that is not quickly forgotten, and Saturday lunches are an opportunity for the participants to get together with local Tzfat families.

    As Livnot prepares to celebrate 30 years of changes and development, it anticipates many more years of, as its staff believes, serving the Jewish People with a unique opportunity that opens the doors of Judaism to many people who would otherwise not even peek through the window.

  • Safed Learning Programs And Information Centers

    While visiting Safed you do not just have to take on the role of a tourist, you can also become a student. Throughout the centuries, many people from around the world have journeyed to Safed in order to engage in the study of Kabbalah, of Judaism, of mysticism and spirituality, and more recently of Israel studies. Check out the many different study options available in Safed and see if Safed holds the right learning environment for you.

    Learning And Information Centers

     

    Religious Programs

    One popular place of study in Safed is Azamra, the “Jewish House” International Center of Jewish Spirituality. Y

    ou do not need to register with this center in advance. They provide a drop in center so you can decide at the spur of the moment to pop in and explore their study program.

    As Safed is world-famously known as the City of Kabbalah, no spiritual exploration would be complete without at least a quick dive into the world of Kabbalah. Contact the International Center for Tzfat Kabbalah, Tzafat’s Official Kabbalah Center, for information about Kabbalah courses and seminars. For something a bit off the beaten trail check out Ladders and Tapestries of Tzfat or Kabbalistic Meditation.

    Jewish and Israel Learning

    If you are looking for a real Israel Experience then check out the Livnot U’Lehibanot program which is based in Safed. Explore the State of Israel, learn about Jewish history and participate in a wide-range of programs from social outreach programs to archeological digs.

    If archeology is your thing, then you may want to look into Sinkholes, Tzfat Style. This program is involved in digging through the historical layers of Safed’s Old City in order to get a better understanding of the earlier communities who lived there. Also try contacting the Ascent Youth Hostel where you can not only find a place to stay while in Safed but where you can participate in courses on Jewish heritage.  Ascent offers many informal courses on Judaism in a warm and welcoming enviroment.

    Also check out some of the many Yeshivas and Seminaries in Safed like Machon Alte Seminary, Yeshiva Shalom Rav Tsfat, Your Eternal Spark, Sharei Bina Seminary,  Nachal Novea, and Yeshiva Toraht Chaim, and Midrasha Mayim Chaim and see if any are right for you.

    A Few Courses

    Take a look at our article on In The Quiet Space which tells about a course you can take to help deal with the many pressures of daily life.  Also take a look at our information on Safed’s local community college and on a poetry workshop in Safed.

    Just Looking For Some Information—Check Out Our Resource Section?

    If you just want some basic information about Safed, about where to go and what to do, then contact the Tourist Info Center of Safed. This place will provide you with everything you ever wanted to know about Safed. Also, drop into the English Library of Safed which is home to a treasure trove of English language books. Start up a chat with the librarian Edyth Geiger, without whom the library wouldn’t exist, and get some information about Safed from an expert.  Also check out our articles on banks and post offices in Safed, and information sharing lists in the city.