Overview   In September 2007, the Shalom Hartman Institute launched its high school for girls in Jerusalem, the Midrashiya - a ground-breaking framework that tailors education to the needs of Orthodox Jewish young women in the modern world. Whereas most educational frameworks for young Jewish women are based on adaptations - of traditional learning to contemporary times, male pedagogy to the female classroom, and Jewish values to the feminist ethos - Midrashiya is built on a coherent, original educational vision.   Midrashiya students interview Rabbi Prof. David Hartman in his office at Shalom Hartman Institute, Jerusalem, Israel, May 2010 Click here to watch video from the interview   Hebrew    Midrashiya is in its third year of operations and is serving 200 students and will grow to serve 360 students in grades 7-12 in the coming few years. Midrashiya provides a rigorous academic education in both Jewish and general studies; yet it goes beyond other schools by providing unique programs that facilitate the development of values-driven, confident and socially committed women equipped to serve as leaders in the Jewish community and wider multicultural society.   These programs include: Jewish Studies Beit Midrash Body and Self Social Action Student Excellence Track Educator Enrichment Jewish Studies Beit Midrash   All Jewish studies in Midrashiya are taught in the intimate, informal format of a Beit Midrash. In this format, students learn in small groups of 10-15 with the guidance of a mentor. The Beit Midrash format is particularly suited to empowering young women to find their own voice, unlike traditional frontal instruction. Students are guided in analyzing the subject matter, formulating their own interpretations, and expressing their ideas in a peer setting. This practice of finding their own voice is especially important for young women who all too often are eclipsed by the ideas of teachers or male peers.   By teaching Jewish studies exclusively in the Beit Midrash format, Midrashiya ensures that students can develop a meaningful personal connection to Judaism, rather than feel alienated by a tradition that may appear patriarchal, remote or even irrelevant.   Body and Self   Midrashiya’s Body and Self program nurtures students’ emotional, psychological and physical development throughout their high school years. Through physical outlets such as yoga, dance and meditation and critical information in the areas of self-awareness, nutrition and living skills, the Body and Self program empowers each young woman to face her community, family and self, with confidence, acceptance and respect.   Social Action   Midrashiya instills in students a profound sense of responsibility for the Jewish people and the State of Israel. The school focuses not only on its own inner environment, but also on the community in which it is situated, facilitating each student’s active involvement in life around her.   Through yearlong projects appropriate to each grade - from the distribution of food baskets to initiating social activities with underprivileged youth - students in Midrashiya learn about the challenges facing various segments of Israeli society, and develop the initiative and leadership skills to take an active role in response.   Operated by an expert in tzedakah projects, the Social Action program guides students in developing and implementing innovative, entrepreneurial initiatives that contribute to others. The Social Action program is modeled after that in Shalom Hartman Institute’s Charles E. Smith High School for Boys.   Student Excellence Track   The Midrashiya provides an additional important challenge for students who show special academic promise. The Student Excellence Track nurtures distinguished students’ academic skills and broadens their intellectual horizons through a higher level of stimulation and personal engagement. Conducted in conjunction with the Institute’s boys’ high school, the Student Excellence Track enables students to pursue subjects of interest in an academically advanced setting through weekly sessions that include electives in the areas of Science, English Literature, Bible, Talmud and Jewish Philosophy.   Participants are required to select an individual avenue of research within their elective, and present their finding in a comprehensive end-of-year project. Currently operating in grades 9 and 10, the program will expand in the coming years to include students from the other grades.   Educator Enrichment   Actively battling the phenomenon of teacher burnout, Midrashiya ensures that its educators have the energy, time and tools they need to be enthusiastic, effective and inspiring. The Midrashiya supplements educators’ incomes and actively promotes their development through a professional Beit Midrash dedicated to exploring key issues confronting Judaism in modernity.   In weekly sessions with their colleagues, educators come together to analyze and discuss topics crucial to the future of the Jewish people and State of Israel. Substantive, challenging and at times confronting, this program enables educators to expand their knowledge, deepen their understanding and develop new ideas that enhance their role as educational leaders.   As another statement of its social commitment, Midrashiya is highly inclusive, with a student body that reflects the different segments of Israeli society: Ashkenazi and Sephardi, high income to low, native Israeli and new immigrant. All students receive daily meals and access to extracurricular activities regardless of their means.    Faculty   Midrashiya is run by Ms. Meirav Badichi and Ms. Shuli Isaacs.   Target Population   Midrashiya is open to young women seeking personal and spiritual self-realization, intellectual challenges and moral development. Candidates must be committed to in-depth Torah and general studies, Jewish feminist thought and social activism.