This Year's Theme

Conversion and Mitzvot: All or Nothing?

This year’s Halakhah Intensive will explore the concept of kabbalat hamitzvot in the process of conversion to Judaism. Does a convert to Judaism need to go through a separate stage of accepting the mitzvot, in addition to the embodied requirements of circumcision and immersion? If so, what is the nature of this acceptance? Is it akin to checking "I Agree" on a form, ensuring merely that the convert is fully aware of the terms of the process? Is it a commitment to practice in a particular way in the future? What if this step was skipped or somehow deficient? Does that affect the validity of the conversion? Play out these questions as we get to the bottom of why conversion politics are plagued by ideological disputes. Through intensive havruta learning and sensitivity to personal and political questions, we will work through core sections of the relevant siman in the Shulhan Arukh, and trace the development of halakhah from Talmud and rishonim through modern day poskim.

Faculty

Rabbi Tali Adler is a member of the Hadar faculty. A musmekhet of Yeshivat Maharat and alumna of Stern College for Women, Rabbi Adler has studied at a number of institutions including Hadar, Drisha, and Midreshet HaRova.

Rabbi Aviva Richman is a Rosh Yeshiva at Hadar, and has been on the faculty since 2010. A graduate of Oberlin College, she studied in the Pardes Kollel and the Drisha Scholars' Circle and was ordained by Rabbi Danny Landes. She completed a doctorate in Talmud at NYU. Interests include Talmud, Halakhah, Midrash and gender, and also a healthy dose of niggunim.

Rabbi Micha'el Rosenberg is faculty at Hadar. He received rabbinic ordination both from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and from his teacher, Rav Elisha Ancselovits. He also holds a PhD in Talmud and Rabbinics from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Micha’el has served as associate professor of rabbinics at Hebrew College, and as the rabbi of the Fort Tryon Jewish Center in Washington Heights. He is the author of Signs of Virginity: Testing Virgins and Making Men in Late Antiquity (Oxford University Press, 2018), and with Rabbi Ethan Tucker, he is the co-author of Gender Equality and Prayer in Jewish Law (Ktav, 2017).

Rabbi Ethan Tucker is President and Rosh Yeshiva at Hadar and chair in Jewish Law. Ethan also directs Hadar’s Center for Jewish Law and Values. Ethan was ordained by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and earned a doctorate in Talmud and Rabbinics from the Jewish Theological Seminary and a B.A. from Harvard College. A Wexner Graduate Fellow, he was a co-founder of Kehilat Hadar and a winner of the first Grinspoon Foundation Social Entrepreneur Fellowship. He is the author, along with Rabbi Micha'el Rosenberg, of Gender Equality and Prayer in Jewish Law (2017). Ethan serves as a trustee of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.

Rabbi Miriam-Simma Walfish is faculty at Hadar and a Senior Coach for Pedagogy of Partnership. She is completing her PhD in Rabbinics at Harvard University. Her interests include rabbinic approaches to gender, parenting, and education. She has published several articles, including, "Upending the Curse of Eve: Reframing Maternal Breastfeeding in BT Ketubot" (2017). Rabbi Walfish has taught Tanakh, Talmud, and Jewish Law in numerous settings including the Conservative Yeshiva, Hadar, Harvard University, Hebrew College, and the National Havurah Committee's summer institute. She revels in the process of learning Torah with and from her students.

Schedule
 

Please note that there is no online component this year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it for me?

This program is for experienced learners interested in immersing themselves in halakhic texts. It is an especially exciting opportunity for rabbis, rabbinical students, and graduate students.

Note About Learning Background: Unlike many Hadar programs, this immersive program requires prior learning background. This program requires significant prior experience with learning halakhic texts, and it will be tracked by level, from intermediate to advanced. The brief application form includes a skills assessment to place participants in the appropriate level for their skills and background.

• The intermediate level is designed for those who have spent time in a beit midrash and feel confident working through a sugya independently.
• The advanced level is designed for those with fluency in Talmud and rishonim and have extensive yeshiva background.

When is it?

May 14-18, 2023

Where is it?

The intensive will take place at Yeshivat Hadar - housed at West End Synagogue, 190 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10023

Can I bring a havruta? Will you provide one?

If possible, we recommend bringing a havruta to this program so that you will be able to learn together. If that isn’t possible, we will match you with another participant who is looking for a havruta.

Is there a fee?

The fee for this program is on a sliding scale with options to pay either $500, $250, or $180. Tuition includes access to the full range of programming, daily breakfast and lunch, and dinner when programming runs into the evening. Travel subsidies are also available.Please don’t hesitate to contact [email protected] to request further financial assistance.

I cannot join an in-person intensive, will there be a virtual option?

This year’s Halakhah Intensive will only be offered in person. Stay tuned for opportunities to engage with similar topics and modalities online in the near future.

How can I find out more?

We’d love to tell you more about this program! Please reach out to [email protected] with any questions.

Application

Please fill out this form to apply for the Halakhah Intensive on May 14-18, 2023.