At the Yeshiva University High School for Girls, Torah learning is an essential part of student life. Across all four classes, students engage with Jewish texts, traditions, and values, and participate in a wide range of programs designed to challenge and inspire. “The Judaic Studies program is the foundation of what we offer,” said Freshman Grade Dean and Judaic Studies faculty member, Mrs. Karen Lavner, who will also be serving as YUHSG’s Assistant Principal during the 2026-27 school year. “We want to instill a sense of Jewish identity and a meaningful connection with Hashem, as well as the skills and the desire for independent learning, in our students through discussion and rigorous textual study.”
Over the course of their high school careers, YUHSG students take courses such as Chumash, Navi, and Torah She’b’al Peh, exploring classical sources and contemporary questions through discussion, analysis, and collaborative learning. Behind the scenes, faculty members work constantly to tailor this curriculum. This year, Mrs. Lavner collaborated with the Director of Student Activities and Judaic Studies faculty member, Mrs. Sydney Yaros, to refine the ninth-grade Navi curriculum. “We’re really proud of it,” Mrs. Lavner said. “The goals are knowledge, skills, and big ideas, and the course is scaffolded to equip each class for the coming year. We want to connect students to the Jewish calendar in particular, and we focus on the major s’farim that students will be reading on holidays for the rest of their lives. And our extracurricular programming is designed to align with our curricula to provide a greater connection to the Jewish calendar.”
In addition to formal coursework, students also have opportunities to engage in Torah learning through schoolwide initiatives such as Rambam Bekiut and the Ethics Program, which bring Torah learning into the context of the everyday. “Both programs connect students to their love of Judaism and Torah,” said YUHSG’s Rosh Beit Midrash, Rabbi Zvi Lew, who leads both programs. “In Rambam, it’s through overall knowledge. And in Ethics, it’s through deep discussions of human behavior in the eyes of the Torah.” Participants engage in guided study all four years of high school. Each week, Rabbi Lew’s lectures are featured on YU Torah to an audience that includes YUHSG’s extensive alumnae network. Both cornerstones of YUHSG’s Torah offerings, Rambam and Ethics, have long fostered the values and perspectives graduates carry with them beyond the classroom. “Ethical and philosophical issues come up in discussion all the time,” Rabbi Lew said. “Jewish law affects students on a regular basis. If you are dealing with issues of prayer, or a kosher diet, those are daily concerns.”
These opportunities for real-world discussion have proven wildly successful. “Rabbi Lew gives up his free periods to teach Jewish Ethics,” Mrs. Lavner remarked. “And an impressive number of our students voluntarily join in discussions for both Ethics and Rambam. It’s a great example of the meaningful Torah study that we offer outside the classroom.”
YUHSG’s dual curriculum encourages students to bring their Torah learning across disciplines, applying it to STEM and Humanities courses. It also encourages an atmosphere that values personal growth through action – that the Wildcats have formed over ten Chesed clubs is a strong example – and facilitates events, like YUHSG’s F.I.R.E. (Friends Inspiring Religious Experiences) Ruach Fellows. As the school year comes to a close, these student-led efforts are a testament to the strength of the school’s Torah focus, which has resulted in a greater sense of purpose and community.
