Midreshet Rachel v'Chaya

I am SO excited to invite you to join your rebbeim, teachers, and friends for a special

MRC Alumnae Return & Learn on Tuesday, September 8.

Our fantastic lineup of speakers will engage you in exploring models of personal and national redemption and return. It’s a chance to reconnect, prepare for Tishrei with intention, and enjoy meaningful Torah learning in the spirit of MRC.

Reserve your spot now at www.darchenoam.org/mrc-learn-5786.

It means a lot to all of us to gather our community together - we hope you will join us!

INTRODUCING OUR FIFTH SILVIAN FOUNDATION MARRIED COUPLES FELLOWS: IAN AND EDEN HAREL

Shapell’s/Darche Noam and Midreshet Rachel v’Chaya are proud to announce that Ian and Eden Harel have been awarded the fifth Slomo and Cindy Silvian Foundation Married Couples Fellowship. Married shortly after Tisha B’Av, Ian and Eden are spending their first year of marriage learning together in our schools as they build a home in Israel rooted in Torah, learning, and shared growth.

“I am so grateful to the Silvian Foundation for giving us the opportunity to begin our first year of marriage in an environment devoted to Torah, learning, and personal growth,” said Eden. “My hope is that this year will help us build a home rooted in a deep love of Hashem and give us the foundation to continue learning and growing together throughout our marriage.”

At Rutgers University, Ian became increasingly involved in Jewish life, serving on the Hillel board and taking an active role in the Orthodox Union’s JLIC program. “I am tremendously grateful to the Silvian Foundation for the opportunity to devote this year to developing the textual skills that can serve as the foundation for a lifetime of Torah learning,” he said. Ian hopes to pursue a career in public service in Israel, with a focus on diplomacy, security, or policy.

Eden, also a Rutgers graduate, was deeply involved in campus Jewish life. She served as Hillel’s Interfaith Chair and on the International Executive Board of the Maccabee Task Force, working to combat antisemitism on campus. Looking ahead, she hopes to build a career in hi-tech while continuing to mentor young women in their religious journeys.
Ian and Eden hope to use what they gain this year not only to strengthen their own religious lives, but also to contribute to the communities around them. “We believe that strong communities are built when their members are invested in one another and willing to step forward and help build the community they want to be part of,” they shared.

The Slomo and Cindy Silvian Foundation memorializes Mr. and Mrs. Silvian of Long Beach, New York. They were well known and respected for their friendship, business leadership, civic-mindedness, and philanthropy. Shapell’s/Darche Noam and American Friends of Darche Noam are grateful for the foundation’s support and proud to again be one of the many important organizations it so generously supports.

Our campaign has officially begun.

For the next 36 hours, every donation to Midreshet Rachel v'Chaya will be matched by generous supporters. I hope you'll take advantage of this opportunity to double your impact by making your gift today.

Donate now:
www.darchenoam.org/1Million

One of the greatest privileges of my years at Midreshet Rachel v'Chaya has been watching young women discover who they really are and what they can accomplish.

I'd like you to meet Sarah Nechama Spitzer.

Growing up in New Jersey, Sarah Nechama had very little exposure to Judaism beyond occasional holiday observance. Although she was always proud to be Jewish, she knew very little about Jewish history, traditions, or her own heritage. Without that foundation, she found herself disconnected from her identity and vulnerable to ideas that distanced her from both Judaism and Israel.

In her own words: "I had learned very recently that Israel is the Jewish homeland, which is kind of crazy for a Jew to grow up not knowing that. But because I didn't have that knowledge, I became anti-Zionist. I was very anti-religious until I learned this information."

While traveling after college, Sarah Nechama began exploring her Jewish heritage for the first time. Along the way she discovered not only the richness of Jewish life, but the warmth of the Jewish family. That journey eventually brought her to Jerusalem, where she was determined to learn everything she could about living a Torah life. After visiting every seminary in Israel for women beginning their Jewish journeys, she found MRC.

"This is where I learn how to actually live as a Jewish woman."

In just ten months, Sarah Nechama has advanced to the second-highest level in Chumash, Navi, and Hebrew grammar, completed three cycles of halacha classes, and found something even more important: the confidence that she can continue growing for the rest of her life.

"I've gotten to the point where I really believe in myself that this is how I can continue for the rest of my life. I'm not alone in this because I've found so many mentors and such a beautiful community."

Having recently made aliyah, Sarah Nechama now looks forward to building her future in Israel, bringing Torah into every part of her life, and one day raising a Jewish family in Eretz Yisrael.

"I'm so, so grateful to everyone who supports MRC and who has supported my learning. My life has been revolutionized thanks to all the teachers and the staff here, and I'm so excited to see how I can bring that into my life to come."

If Sarah Nechama's story resonates with you, please take a moment now to invest in students like her.
www.darchenoam.org/1Million

This year, MRC is blessed with one of our strongest groups of students in years. Young women from across the Jewish world have come seeking serious Torah learning, honest answers, lifelong mentors, and the confidence to build lives rooted in Torah. It is a privilege to watch them learn, grow, and prepare to strengthen the Jewish future.

At the same time, we are facing a challenge unlike any we have experienced in recent years. Because much of our revenue comes in dollars while virtually all of our expenses are spent in shekels, the dramatic decline in the value of the dollar has created a significant financial gap. Your partnership today will help ensure that our students continue to receive the outstanding Torah education, mentorship, and personal guidance that define MRC.

The next 36 hours are our opportunity to meet that challenge together.

Our students are investing in their Jewish future.

Let's invest in them.

Please don't wait. Every gift made during the next 36 hours will be doubled by our generous matching donors.

Give now:
www.darchenoam.org/1Million

Meet Kayla Stern, an MRC student who put a promising career on hold to fulfill a dream she had carried for years: spending a year in Israel building a stronger Torah foundation before beginning the next chapter of her life.

Raised in a Modern Orthodox home on Long Island and educated in yeshiva day school, Kayla graduated from the University at Albany with a degree in Communications before beginning a career in legal recruiting at an international law firm. Although she enjoyed her work, she knew there was one investment she wanted to make first. "Every day since coming to MRC has been my dream coming true, even more than I could have ever imagined."

From the moment Kayla arrived, her warmth, positivity, and contagious smile have made her a beloved part of the MRC community. Just as meaningful has been the impact MRC has had on her. "The community of friends that I have here has made such a positive impact on me and my Yiddishkeit."

Surrounded by dedicated teachers and lifelong friends, Kayla has found a place where she can grow intellectually, spiritually, and personally. She has embraced every opportunity to learn, ask questions, and deepen her connection to Torah.
As she prepares to return to New York, Kayla knows she is taking far more than memories home with her. "I'll feel so much more equipped to be back in the corporate world with all the things I've learned at MRC and to be a strong, confident Jewish woman."

Students like Kayla remind us that an investment in Torah learning prepares them to engage the world with greater confidence, stronger values, and a deeper sense of purpose.
Kayla is investing in the Jewish future.
Let's invest in her.

$1 Million in 36 Hours. All donations matched.

www.darchenoam.org/1Million

Make sure to watch Kayla's short video message by clicking:
https://player.vimeo.com/video/1203749819?h=b04c09e900&transparent=0

Meet Josh Cohen, a Shapell's student who came to Israel with a clear goal: to develop his Gemara and learning skills as he prepares for a career in Jewish education and leadership. What he found was an experience that has challenged him, broadened him, and transformed the way he learns.

Before arriving at Shapell's, Josh had already built an impressive record of Jewish leadership. He served as President of the WUJS - World Union of Jewish Students, worked in Jewish enrichment and campus engagement across the UK, and continues to teach, lead tefillah, and mentor others. Yet despite those experiences, Josh knew that if he wanted to dedicate his life to Jewish education and leadership, he first needed to strengthen the foundation on which everything else would rest: serious Torah learning.

"My main objective is developing my Gemara and learning skills. Shapell's is the perfect environment for that, working my way through the levels of Gemara shiur surrounded by my fellow students, similarly motivated in a serious way."

For Josh, one of the defining moments of his year came in shiur, when a methodological approach that initially felt out of reach suddenly came into focus:
"A real highlight was one of my early shiurim with Rav Silverberg… I wasn’t quite getting it and didn’t quite get on with his methodological approach until I put it into practice in the Beit Midrash and it just clicked in a very satisfying way."

That experience of growth has been reinforced by the broader learning environment around him:"One unexpected benefit has been the diversity of both fellow students and the Rebbeim. It's given me the chance to broaden my learning beyond my usual sources and ideas."

Looking ahead, Josh is already preparing to bring what he's learning far beyond the walls of the Beit Midrash:"I’m planning a career in chinuch, something I’ve already started doing, in fact. Thanks to Shapell’s flexibility, I'm able to do some part-time chinuch work alongside my learning as a Madrich for Forum for Jewish Leadership (FJL). I came to Shapell's as it is the best place to build a serious foundation in our core texts."

Josh's story is a powerful reminder that Shapell's isn't only shaping students who are just beginning their journeys. It is equipping future educators, community leaders, and role models with the Torah knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to strengthen Jewish life for generations to come.

Josh is investing in the Jewish future.

Let's invest in him.

$1 Million in 36 Hours. All donations matched.

www.darchenoam.org/1Million

Make sure to watch Josh's short video message by clicking:Make sure to watch Josh's short video message by clicking: https://player.vimeo.com/video/1203395319?h=a1cbf526b4&transparent=0

Just in time for the 3 weeks! Rabbi Shurin explores why he believes sinas chinam is at an all-time high and what each of us can do to strengthen respect and unity within the Torah world. https://open.spotify.com/episode/0g4TTyKA3YewhqJMGpWufr?si=Ya44-mLAQNqgbyypCI2GcQ

Rebbi, I Have a Question! 10 Shapell's/MRC Virtual Beit Midrash · Episode

This week we were honored to host HaRav Yosef Tzvi Rimon (Chief Rabbi of Gush Etzion, Rosh Beit Midrash Machon Lev, Nassi World Mizrachi i and prolific author and posek) for a special on line program with alumni throughout the world. We invite you to watch, learn and be inspired!
If you prefer just audio, you can hear it at https://open.spotify.com/episode/1qOcFjErIeR9MijyRh3twH?si=5caba27fa5a340fe or https://soundcloud.com/shapellsdarchenoam/rav-yosef-zvi-rimon-q-a

Rav Yosef Zvi Rimon - Q & A Session - The Hand of Hashem in the War Since Oct 7 Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.