Ideas. Conversation. Community.
Bring the Hartman Beit Midrash into your own community with Siach.
Siach – Hebrew for “conversation” – was created to help learners step into deep, meaningful dialogue around Jewish ideas, texts, and values. Rooted in the belief that the heart of Jewish learning is active engagement, not passive reception, Siach invites participants to grapple with big questions, encounter complexity, and wrestle with disagreement, all while connecting what they are learning to their own lives.
Rather than a prepackaged lesson or strict curriculum, Siach is a flexible resource designed to support facilitators through carefully curated texts, summaries, and guiding questions to create a space where ideas are explored, challenged, and made personal.
What does being part of a Jewish community mean?How do we balance criticism of and love for the Jewish people?What do home and homeland mean for North American Jews today?Why should we build tolerant communities in a world that is increasingly intolerant?What does it mean to commit to pluralism?How can boundaries protect the integrity of our communities?Can Jews feel responsible for one another and humanity as a whole? Exploring universalism and particularism.
What does being part of a Jewish community mean?How do we balance criticism of and love for the Jewish people?What do home and homeland mean for North American Jews today?Why should we build tolerant communities in a world that is increasingly intolerant?What does it mean to commit to pluralism?How can boundaries protect the integrity of our communities?Can Jews feel responsible for one another and humanity as a whole? Exploring universalism and particularism.
Siach is designed for educators looking to facilitate meaningful conversations with young learners, including:
Congregational schools Jewish Community Centers FederationsCampsAny environment gathering young Jews for learning and discussion
Siach is best suited for ages 15–25, and is a great entry point for those without a strong background in text study as well as those with more experience looking for a fresh way to approach Jewish learning and discussion.
Each Siach begins with a central question that anchors the learning. Participants encounter core texts, explore competing perspectives through “Debate Midrash,” and move from ideas to lived experience through reflection and application. Siach is not a script. It’s a platform. It equips facilitators to guide conversations—not control them—and empowers participants to wrestle with disagreement, develop their own perspectives, and bring Jewish ideas into their lives. There is no particular order the Siach’s should be used in and each one can stand on their own.
