Along with cascading leaves, crisp temperatures, and changing clocks, the season has arrived for the fall semester of the Ateret Emet Seminary. This past Sunday heralded Emet Outreach’s latest installment of the higher-level learning initiative for young women. There was great reason to rejoice as the first class of this four-week program got off to a promising start at Congregation Bene Naharayim in Jamaica Estates.
“The energy and appreciation that our girls brought to this first class was truly amazing,” said Ms. Shira Fendel, Women’s Director. “This semester will be a little shorter than our usual eight weeks. Our goal is to get in-person seminary learning back on everyone’s schedules in a way that makes it easier to commit. B’ezras Hashem, we hope to host a longer semester this winter.”
A group of 25 young women were treated to an invigorating morning of study with their peers. Following a light breakfast, Mrs. Amit Yaghoubi introduced the topic of “Women in Tanach,” with a discussion of Eishes Chayil. The women were then engrossed in a lesson on M’silas Y’sharim with Rabbi Aryeh Sokoloff of Kew Gardens Synagogue, whose warm insights touched everyone’s hearts. Ms. Chevi Garfinkel capped off the learning with “Insights on Prayer,” a lecture that had everyone laughing and crying throughout her engaging class.
“I’ve attended Ateret Emet seminary before, but I really appreciate having the opportunity to learn during COVID times,” said Miriam Gurzhiev. “At first, I hesitated to enroll in seminary because Sundays are always super busy and I felt like I couldn’t find the time. After my first class a few semesters ago, I realized how much I had been missing. The seminary has helped me achieve my true potential and grow spiritually. I look forward to each class, and this semester is especially meaningful!”
“The ability to continue in-person Torah study during COVID-19 is something that Emet students and educators embrace with dedication and gratitude. Currently, this means providing an impactful curriculum while strictly following safety guidelines such as limiting attendance and requiring masks,” said Rabbi Akiva Rutenberg, Emet Co-Founder and Director. “Our women’s division is committed to the ongoing growth of every student. We offer programs like this to meet the needs of our students at every step of their spiritual journey.”
For further information on upcoming Emet programs and learning opportunities, visit www.EmetOutreach.org.