Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
7:00
Shacharit
7:30
8:30
Shacharit
7:30
8:30
Shacharit
7:30
8:30
Shacharit
At the Kotel
7:00
8:30
Description:
The bus leaves the Yeshiva at 7:00 am.
Required Texts:
Schedule:
Language: עברית
Faculty:
Shacharit
7:30
8:30
8:00
Breakfast
8:30
8:45
Breakfast
8:45
9:00
Breakfast
8:30
8:45
Breakfast
8:45
9:00
Breakfast
8:45
9:00
9:00
Talmud 1
M. Silverstein
9:00
12:00
Description:
The rabbinic tradition represented a transformation in the Jewish tradition. It introduced the idea that universal study could be a means for both transcendence and the search for truth. The Babylonian Talmud may be its crown achievement. Shaped between the first through sixth century, it contains a panoply of the elements that make up Jewish life and religion. Throughout the ages, its unique way of argumentation has provided its charm and its challenge. The ability to fathom its depths has been a lynchpin in shaping Jewish identity. In Introductory Talmud, we first focus on the earliest works of the rabbinic tradition: Mishnah, Midrash Halakha and Tosefta as independent texts before moving on to see how the Talmud uses them and other materials to build the basic units of Talmudic discussion know as a sugya or argument. Emphasis will be placed on learning Talmudic terminology, the structure of the Talmudic sugya, and on the Talmud’s manner of interpreting earlier sources. This class aims at fostering independent learning skills including the use of Rashi’s commentary.
Required Texts:
Schedule:
Language: English/עברית
Faculty: Rabbi Mordechai Silverstein
Talmud 2
Kurshan
9:00
12:00
Description:

Required Texts:
Schedule:
Language: English/עברית
Faculty: Ilana Kurshan
Talmud 3
Cohen
9:00
12:00
Talmud 4
Kulp
9:00
12:00
Talmud - Geiger
Salzberg
9:00
12:00
Talmud 1
M. Silverstein
9:00
12:00
Description:
The rabbinic tradition represented a transformation in the Jewish tradition. It introduced the idea that universal study could be a means for both transcendence and the search for truth. The Babylonian Talmud may be its crown achievement. Shaped between the first through sixth century, it contains a panoply of the elements that make up Jewish life and religion. Throughout the ages, its unique way of argumentation has provided its charm and its challenge. The ability to fathom its depths has been a lynchpin in shaping Jewish identity. In Introductory Talmud, we first focus on the earliest works of the rabbinic tradition: Mishnah, Midrash Halakha and Tosefta as independent texts before moving on to see how the Talmud uses them and other materials to build the basic units of Talmudic discussion know as a sugya or argument. Emphasis will be placed on learning Talmudic terminology, the structure of the Talmudic sugya, and on the Talmud’s manner of interpreting earlier sources. This class aims at fostering independent learning skills including the use of Rashi’s commentary.
Required Texts:
Schedule:
Language: English/עברית
Faculty: Rabbi Mordechai Silverstein
Talmud 2
Brody
9:00
12:00
Talmud 3
Cohen
9:00
12:00
Talmud 4
Kulp
9:00
12:00
Talmud 1
M. Silverstein
9:00
12:00
Description:
The rabbinic tradition represented a transformation in the Jewish tradition. It introduced the idea that universal study could be a means for both transcendence and the search for truth. The Babylonian Talmud may be its crown achievement. Shaped between the first through sixth century, it contains a panoply of the elements that make up Jewish life and religion. Throughout the ages, its unique way of argumentation has provided its charm and its challenge. The ability to fathom its depths has been a lynchpin in shaping Jewish identity. In Introductory Talmud, we first focus on the earliest works of the rabbinic tradition: Mishnah, Midrash Halakha and Tosefta as independent texts before moving on to see how the Talmud uses them and other materials to build the basic units of Talmudic discussion know as a sugya or argument. Emphasis will be placed on learning Talmudic terminology, the structure of the Talmudic sugya, and on the Talmud’s manner of interpreting earlier sources. This class aims at fostering independent learning skills including the use of Rashi’s commentary.
Required Texts:
Schedule:
Language: English/עברית
Faculty: Rabbi Mordechai Silverstein
Talmud 2
Brody
9:00
12:00
Talmud 3
Cohen
9:00
12:00
Talmud 4
Kulp
9:00
12:00
Talmud - Geiger
Salzberg
9:00
12:00
Talmud 1
Kurshan
9:00
12:00
Description:

Required Texts:
Schedule:
Language: English/עברית
Faculty: Ilana Kurshan
Talmud 2
Brody
9:00
12:00
Talmud 3
Cohen
9:00
12:00
Talmud 4
Kulp
9:00
12:00
Talmud - Geiger
Aviezer
9:00
12:00
The Torah of Human Rights - Achvat Amim
Rothberg
9:00
12:00
Description:
The Torah is not just a book but a way of life. For thousands of years, Jews have sought the meaning of their lives in the study and practice of Torah. At the core of the Torah project stands the struggle for justice. In this course, we’ll explore the struggle for global human rights through the prism of Torah tradition. Starting with creation, we’ll follow the logic of the Holy Story through the exile from Eden, the choosing of Abraham, the covenant at Sinai, entering Eretz Yisrael, the visions of the prophets, and the meaning of these in Rabbinic, Medieval and modern interpretation. As we immerse ourselves in the logic of Jewish tradition, we will ask: What do human rights mean in Torah terms? And how can Judaism help achieve global human rights?
Required Texts:
Schedule:
Language: English
Faculty: Dr. Shaiya Rothberg
Israel Education
9:00
12:00
12:00
Lunch
12:00
13:15
Lunch
12:00
13:15
Lunch
12:00
13:15
Community Lunch
12:00
13:15
Lunch
12:00
13:15
13:00
Artistry of Aggadah
Kurshan
13:15
16:15
Description:
Though the Talmud is commonly regarded as a legal text, it also includes many stories, legends, homilies, and parables, known collectively as Aggadot. In this class we will consider the Aggadot of the Talmud as literary texts that both shed light on the world of the Talmudic sages and contain timeless spiritual and ethical wisdom. Classes will focus on core concepts that inform Talmudic Aggadot, enabling us to construct a veritable Talmudic alphabet from Astrology, Beauty, Courtship and Death to Yearning and Zealotry. We will also consider clusters of stories about key Talmudic figures such as Rabbi Akiva (and his wife, son, and daughter), and discuss the possibilities and problematics of Talmudic biography. Students will emerge from the class with a deep appreciation of the conceptual complexity and artistic sophistication of rabbinic literature, as well as its eternal and ever-evolving relevance.
Required Texts:
Schedule:
Language:
Faculty: Ilana Kurshan
Haggadah: From History to Halakhah
Kulp
13:15
16:15
Description:
The Haggadah and Seder developed in the wake of the Destruction of the Second Temple and to this day remain the richest and most observed Jewish ritual. In this class we will trace the development of the Seder and Haggadah from their origins in the tannaitic period through their manifestations in practical halakhah. Topics we will focus on include the dipping and appetizer before the meal, blessing over handwashing, and the afikoman.
Required Texts:
Schedule:
Language:
Faculty: Dr. Joshua Kulp
The Five Megillot
Hollander-Goldfarb
13:15
16:15
Description:
Shir Hashirim is the picture of young Shlomo Hamelekh, while Kohelet was written in the end of his life, so claims the Midrash. Where do the poems, the thoughts, and the stories of the Five Megillot take us? From the fields of Beit Lehem to the palaces of Persia, from the glory and angst of love to the futility of old age, from communal tragedy to personal retrospect. Where are you in the Megillot? Let’s study together.
Required Texts: Tanakh, for those interested in Mefarshim: Haketer Mikraot Gedolot (Bar Ilan Press)
Schedule:
Language:
Faculty: Vered Hollander-Goldfarb
Advanced Midrash
Cohen
13:15
16:15
Description:
What God did Israel actually see at the Sea? Why do people suffer? Is there really such a thing as halakhically sanctioned slavery? All of these questions and many more are addressed in the Mekhilta, the Tannatic midrash on Shemot. This course is an in-depth, close read of the Mekhilta. We will focus on two sections, Beshalach and Mishpatim (Kaspa) in an effort to learn more about the project of the Tannaim, the midrashic process by which they derived and created halakha and theology. The class requires a strong knowledge of Hebrew and a background in Rabbinic literature.
Required Texts:
Schedule:
Language:
Faculty: Rabbi Shoshana Cohen
Mysticism for Real Life
D. Silverstein
13:15
16:15
Description:
In this course we'll study key kabbalistic concepts such as the Sefirot of the Tree of Life, and learn about their development through the centuries of Jewish texts. Our focus will be on how the concepts we learn relate to our lived experiences, our day-to-day dilemmas, and our regular practices, such as Tefilah, Tzedakah, relationships, studying and so on
Required Texts:
Schedule:
Language: English
Faculty: Rabbi Daniel Raphael Silverstein
Class for Geiger
Aviezer
13:15
16:15
The Way of Faith in the Zohar
Rothberg
13:15
16:15
Description:
The Zohar seeks to wake us up to the presence of God. It sees Torah and Mitsvot as a practical path - the way of faith - that moves us toward self-transformation. One of the Zohar's powerful tools of awakening is its interpretive methodology. The Zohar's hermeneutics construct and deconstruct Jewish tradition until every sacred text is a signpost pointing the way. Another powerful tool is its invitation to re-imagine the world we live in through its mystical-philosophical-experiential prism. In this course, we'll seek to understand the method and content of the Zohar. We'll approach the Zohar critically and historically, and also as in invitation to the way of faith. We'll engage in a close reading of the text in the Aramaic original and in translation, and also in visualization, meditation and other techniques. (Note: Second semester will cover all new material relative to first semester. We'll also focus on an additional text, The Gates of Light, which is closely related to the Zohar).
Required Texts: Coursebook available for purchase from CY office.
Schedule: Meets once per week
Language: English
Faculty: Dr. Shaiya Rothberg
Language Skills for Text Learning
Zacharow
13:15
15:15
Description:
Students of Tanakh and those who have occasion to read or chant biblical or rabbinical texts often want to learn how to bring each word and verse into sharper focus, to be able to understand them and pronounce them with greater precision. This introduction to the sounds, word structures, and sentence structures that characterize Biblical Hebrew and Rabbinical Hebrew— distinct dialects from modern Hebrew—can help make that happen. Text (copies in Bet Midrash): Biblical Hebrew for Students of Modern Israeli Hebrew by Marc Brettler.
Required Texts:
Schedule:
Language:
Faculty: Rabbi Shlomo Zacharow
Sugiyot of Social Justice
Cohen
13:15
15:15
Bamidbar
Hollander-Goldfarb
13:15
16:15
Description:
From year 2 to year 40 in no time, Bamidbar is the book of life in the desert. Not the super events, rather the smaller difficulties. The people mature (or not) and Moshe is gaining more leadership experience than he cared to have. We will use mostly classical commentaries found in Mikraot Gedolot to gain a deeper appreciation of the narrative.
Required Texts: Mikraot Gedolot Bamidbar
Schedule:
Language:
Faculty: Vered Hollander-Goldfarb
The Anger of God & the Golden Calf
Rothberg
13:15
16:15
Description:
A close reading of the story of the golden calf reveals surprising theological teachings about God’s anger and the need to resist it. In this class, we’ll delve into the meaning of the story of the golden calf through a close reading of the Biblical text with help from Rashi and the Midrash. We will also explore how commentators ranging from the Zohar to the Rambam understood the problem of God's anger in the Hebrew Bible. For the Zohar in particular, God's struggle to overcome anger in order to fill the world with life and loving-kindness has deep existential implications for our own spiritual practice. We are meant to both assist and imitate God in this struggle. In this course, will try to tackle one of the thorniest theological problems in Jewish tradition while exploring its implications for our own lives.
Required Texts: Coursebook will be available for purchase from the CY office.
Schedule:
Language:
Faculty: Dr. Shaiya Rothberg
Midrash & Parshanut
M. Silverstein
13:15
16:15
Hasidut
D. Silverstein
13:15
16:15
Description:
Hasidut is a revolutionary movement founded by the Ba'al Shem Tov in the 1700s that changed the face of the Jewish world in dramatic ways. It started as a spiritual revivalist movement which touched the hearts of millions of Jews and gradually became institutionalised, like many other spiritual movements before it. However, it has also experienced a surprising rejuvenation and return to relevance in recent years, and is seen by many key thinkers and leaders as a helpful resource in addressing contemporary challenges. In the first semester of this course, we explored the background conditions and early teachings which helped the movement transform from a kernel of radical ideas into a mass-movement that transformed the lives of millions of people. In the second semester we will explore the development of the movement after the first two generations. As before, our primary focus will be on the most radical and transformative teachings and practices found in the great classics of the Hasidic canon, and our time will be mostly spent on studying these texts, with some time allocated for experimenting with the practices they describe and integrating them into our own lives. Students who did not attend the first semester of the class will be warmly welcomed, and the class will begin with some review to help them catch up.
Required Texts:
Schedule:
Language: English
Faculty: Rabbi Daniel Raphael Silverstein
The Torah of Democracy & Human Rights
Rothberg
13:15
16:15
Description:
In this course, we will explore the halachic and theological vision of Rabbi Chaim Hirschensohn (1857-1935). Rabbi Hirschensohn was a founder of religious Zionism and one of the greatest Torah scholars of his generation. He passionately taught that fighting for democracy and human rights is a core obligation for religious Jews in our era. We will explore not only the Rabbi's vision but also his halachic methodology and theological sources. Additionally, we will juxtapose his ideas to Torah scholars who opposed him, such as Rav Kook. Rabbi Hirschensohn's deeply learned synthesis of Torah Judaism and enlightenment humanism touches on the course issues of liberal Jewish identity. We will seek not only to understand the Rabbi, his sources and those that opposed him, but also to explore implications for our own Jewish identity.
Required Texts: Coursebook will be available for purchase from the CY office.
Schedule: Meets once per week
Language: English
Faculty: Dr. Shaiya Rothberg
15:00
Minchah & Announcements
15:15
15:30
Practical Halakha - Beginner
M. Silverstein
15:30
18:30
Practical Halakha - Kashrut Level 1
Zacharow
15:30
18:30
Practical Halakha - Kashrut Level 2
Roth
15:30
18:30
Description:
The subject matter of this course is the laws of kashrut, and will include all of the primary matters of kashrut law. The course meets one day a week for two sessions, each of 1.5 hours, one devoted to hevruta and the other to shiur.
Required Texts: The primary sources for the course will be distributed in advance, and will focus primarily on the Shulhan Arukh, commentators thereto and later posekim.
Schedule:
Language:
Faculty: Rabbi Dr. Joel Roth
16:00
Minchah & Announcements
16:15
16:30
Practicing the Way of Faith
Rothberg
16:30
18:15
Description:
This course is a workshop in theology, prayer and meditation. We will split our time between study and discussion on one hand, and meditation, chanting, visualization, breathing and other techniques on the other. The goal of the course is to set our feet more firmly on the way of faith, that is, a life lived in the presence of God. Our study and practice will draw on Jewish sources, such as the Zohar, Rambam, R. Yehudah Halevi, Rav Kook, Martin Buber and Abraham Heschel, and also non-Jewish sources, such as John Woolman, Paul Tillich, Ram Dass and Eckhart Tolle.
Required Texts: Coursebook available for purchase from the CY office.
Schedule:
Language: English/עברית
Faculty: Dr. Shaiya Rothberg
Upper Level Hebrew Ulpan
Various Teachers
16:30
18:15
Minchah & Announcements
16:15
16:30
Tefillah Skills Workshop
Shrell-Fox
16:30
18:15
Description:
Tefillah Skills Workshop will concentrate on Megillat Esther Trope, with the idea that each student will read "something" this Purim. The remaining classes will focus on Shabbat Arvit, Musaf and Mincha.
Required Texts:
Schedule:
Language: English/עברית
Faculty: Saralee Shrell-Fox
The Mission of Israel: Between Rashar Hirsch & Martin Buber
Rothberg
16:30
18:15
Description:
Modern Jewish thought is characterized by a reevaluation of the mission of Israel in history. Following the French revolution and the advent of the "The Rights of Man", Jewish religious leaders began to ask, "What constitutes a nation of priests and a holy nation in the modern era?" Rashar Hirsch, the anti-Zionist founder of modern Orthodoxy in 19th century Germany, and Martin Buber, the early twentieth century Zionist thinker, provide contradictory but also complementary answers to this question. In this course, we will revisit classic Jewish sources through the prism of these two thinkers, as well as exploring other 19th and 20th century interpretations of the mission of Israel in the modern period.
Required Texts: Coursebook will be available for purchase from the CY office.
Schedule:
Language:
Faculty: Dr. Shaiya Rothberg
Minchah & Announcements
16:15
16:30
Contemporary Teshuvot
M. Silverstein
16:30
18:15
Upper Level Hebrew Ulpan
Various Teachers
16:30
18:15
Minchah & Announcements
16:15
16:30
Shechitah Program
Zacharow
16:30
18:00
18:00
Maariv
18:30
18:45
Maariv
18:30
18:45
Maariv
18:30
18:45
Maariv
18:30
18:45