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Rabbanit Taragin with her family. Rabbanit Taragin with some of the participants of the Lapidot Educator’s Training
Program, at the World Mizrachi Leadership Shabbaton in Ein Gedi, January 2023.
spend Shabbat with – to see how she cuts vegetables halachically, have come to associate Gemara learning with the more liberal
how she dresses, exercises, and raises her children. She can help camp. Those who prefer to be associated with the traditional
guide her students as they choose between going to shul, nursing community will opt out of learning Gemara altogether.
a child, or both. This is a significant and incredibly positive shift Thirdly, women know that their obligation to learn Torah she’ba’al
to help maintain mesorah, especially if we don’t live with our peh is predominantly for functional purposes – to hone their
mothers and grandmothers as we once did. knowledge, understanding and practice of halacha. Beyond that,
learning is an expression of a devotional goal of strengthening
How does Mizrachi’s Lapidot program fit into this story? one’s relationship with Hashem. Throughout history, many
It is imperative that we train women in teaching both Tanach women have found that they develop a stronger relationship
and halacha. In high schools today, it is critical to have female role with Hashem through learning Tanach, tefillah and machshava
models for teaching and living halacha, so we started Mizrachi more than through the intricacies of Gemara. These women
Lapidot to train these women in understanding halachic sources, want to focus on those means of “ahavat Hashem”, and rightly so.
pedagogy of halacha, and halachic topics pertaining particularly Finally, this is tied to a general shift I have seen in the last ten
to women. Until now, in many schools, women taught Tanach years in Jewish education. Due to general concern about how
and Jewish philosophy but not halacha, because they didn’t feel kids are growing up, and how the broader world and the Jewish
sufficiently confident. It is so important in areas of halacha to world has changed through technology and social media, par-
have women teach and impart the importance of living a halachic ents and educators are more concerned today with their kids
lifestyle as personal role models – Shabbat, kashrut, mo’adim, and being frum and inspired than they are with their children and
especially laws of ervah and nidda which are very sensitive and students acquiring skills and content. When that happens, people
raise issues of women’s physical and mental health. naturally begin focusing less on Gemara. Is this a done deal
that we must accept as the new normal, or should we try to
Over the last few years, many womens’ seminaries with change our educational culture? Rav Aharon Lichtenstein z”l
a heavy focus on Talmud study have struggled to attract wrote that every woman must be exposed to Torah she’ba’al peh,
students from the Diaspora. What is causing this trend? to in-depth Gemara study in order to strengthen her functional
and devotional Jewish beliefs. Beyond that, each woman should
Many factors have contributed to this. In America, due to finan- continue to pursue Torah learning to strengthen her devotion
cial restraints and career pressures, many talented women find to Torah and mitzvot.
it difficult to pursue learning Torah she’ba’al peh long term, which
requires serious dedication and investment to develop proper Most women will choose to pursue inspiration through Tanach
skills and scope. They are also disillusioned by the few positions and machshava. If so, it should be through appreciation of our
available to teach Torah she’ba’al peh in the US and the general texts! There are the few who are completely enthused by Gemara
financial pressures accompanying careers in Jewish education. and feel that it genuinely strengthens their commitment to Torah
Those passionate about Jewish education will often opt to invest and mitzvot. They may be the minority, but they are a minority
in skills in other areas of Torah which may inspire more students who should be celebrated, guided and invested in so that they
in middle and high schools. may serve as proper religious role models in Torah she’ba’al peh
for the next generation!
Secondly, the learning of Gemara has unfortunately become
very stereotyped in the United States among both young men
and women and is associated with liberal “open” Orthodox orga- Your teaching schedule is famously packed and demand-
nizations and the mitigated observance of halacha. ing. You teach an incredible number of classes each week
across Israel, and to the Diaspora on Zoom. Why do you
In the media today, liberal voices are amplified more loudly push yourself so hard?
than more conservative and traditional voices, so young women

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