About Deracheha

Deracheha is an initiative of Yeshivat Har Etzion
in partnership with the Israel Koschitzky Virtual Beit Midrash
and the Stella K. Abraham Beit Midrash For Women – Migdal Oz

Deracheha’s name was inspired by a pasuk in Mishlei: “Deracheha darchei no’am, ve-chol netivoteha shalom.” “Her ways are pleasant ways and all her paths are peace.”

In this pasuk, the Torah’s ways are “her ways.” Deracheha.org is the meeting point of the Torah’s ways and a woman’s.

Purpose

Jewish women, and our communities as a whole, need greater understanding of halachot pertaining to women.

Understanding Halacha has a positive impact on halachic commitment and practice, and raises the level of our communal discussion.

Halacha is a guide for living, rich in nuance and alive to its adherents. It is responsive to religious intuitions and spiritual aspirations. It is much more than a black or white bottom line.

Deracheha presents Halacha accurately and respectfully, in a woman’s voice.

We explore a range of halachic voices as clearly and thoroughly as possible, leaving room for each reader to find a place within it.

We don’t advocate, we educate. We are passionate about informing you about Halacha, without telling you what to think.

Read more about why we think its important for women to engage directly with halachic texts in our Introduction.

Goals

To grant women access to halachic discourse.
To build a community of learners.
To raise the caliber of halachic discussion and mitzva observance.

This Site

Our content grows regularly, with topics organized in four sections:

Concepts: Halachic Foundations

Constants: Daily Practice

Seasons: The Jewish Calendar

Passages: The Life-Cycle

For each topic, the IN BRIEF tab provides a summary.

The IN DEPTH tab presents guided source study and textual analysis to help readers understand the issues on a deeper level. By clicking on highlighted questions, readers access discussion of different perspectives on the issues, to help relate the sources under discussion to real life practice.

The SOURCES tab provides a source sheet to further facilitate learning.

Q&A contains common questions and answers.

The PODCAST tab provides an audio shiur and related episodes from our Kol Deracheha Podcast.

Our Ask and Q&A pages provide opportunities for visitors to the site to add to this discussion and learn from each other. Stay tuned for more interactive features to come…

Deracheha Team

Laurie Novick, SITE DIRECTOR

Laurie Novick, Director of Deracheha, has taught at Nishmat and worked as a Yoetzet Halacha since Fall 5763. Laurie is a member of a pilot cohort of Yoatzot Halacha who have received advanced training in fertility issues and Halacha. She has degrees in Bible, Jewish Education, and Talmud and has also done graduate work in Counseling.

Ilana Elzufon, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Ilana Elzufon is a graduate of Yale University and was among the first Yoatzot Halacha. She spent several years in Toronto, where she was a popular teacher and lecturer. She has taught at Nishmat and other midrashot and is the editor of Nishmat’s English Yoatzot Halacha websites. Ilana and her family live in Jerusalem.

Shayna Goldberg, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Shayna Goldberg teaches Tanach and Halacha in Migdal Oz to both Israeli and American students. Before making aliya in 2011, she worked as a Yoetzet Halacha for a number of synagogues in New Jersey and taught Halacha in Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls. She lives in Alon Shevut with her husband, Judah, and their five children.

Rachel Weber Leshaw, DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL CONTENT

Rachel Weber Leshaw is a graduate of Nishmat’s Keren Ariel Yoetzet Halacha Training Program, as well as the Graduate Program in Advanced Talmudic Studies at Yeshiva University. She has taught Torah in a variety of educational institutions in Israel and around the world, including Sydney, Houston, and Princeton University’s Center for Jewish Life. Rachel is currently an advanced Halacha fellow at Migdal Oz, and teaches Gemara and Halacha at Midreshet Torah V’avodah in Jerusalem, where she lives with her husband and two children.

Rav Da'vid Sperling, EDITOR

Rabbi Da’vid Sperling, Rosh Beit Midrash of Nishmat, was born in Sydney Australia. He studied at Yeshivat Machon Meir for several years, and then studied for over a decade at Yeshivat Ateret Kohanim under the tutelage of Rabbi Shlomo Aviner. Rabbi Sperling received advanced rabbinic ordination from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, as well as from Rabbi Yehuda Henkin. Rabbi Sperling has taught at Nishmat for many years, as well as at Yeshivat Machon Meir. He has published a wide range of halachic articles in journals and on the internet. Rabbi Sperling lives in Jerusalem with his wife and children.

EDITORS-AT-LARGE: Dena Freundlich, Myrna Stawski Mann, Sarah Rudolph

Sarah Rudolph is a freelance Jewish educator, writer, and editor. She has been sharing her passion for Jewish texts of all kinds for over 15 years, with students of all ages. Sarah’s essays have been published in a variety of internet and print media, including Times of Israel, Kveller, Jewish Action, OU Life, The Lehrhaus, TorahMusings, and more. Sarah lives in Cleveland with her husband and four children, but is privileged to learn online with students all over the world through www.TorahTutors.org and www.WebYeshiva.org.

FELLOW: Hannah Cowen
INTERN: Rivka Mandelbaum

DEVELOPER AND SITE MANAGER: Susan Suna

Susan Suna of David’s Consultants (R.G.A) has over 20 years of experience in web design and development for small to large organizations. Susan created this site in WordPress, including custom coding and xml. She starts her day with Daf Yomi, studies in the Advanced Halacha Program at Migdal Oz, and truly believes in the importance of Deracheha.

DESIGNER: Zahava Bogner, Zatar Creative

Thank you to everyone whose insights or support have helped bring this project to fruition.

Special thanks to Colin Mackenzie of Mackenzie Solutions and Adena Fraser for XML consulting.

Leadership

Yeshivat Har Etzion

Rav Baruch Gigi, Rosh Yeshivat Har Etzion
POSEK

Rav Mosheh Lichtenstein, Rosh Yeshivat Har Etzion
POSEK

Rav Yaakov Medan, Rosh Yeshivat Har Etzion
POSEK

The Israel Koschitzky Virtual Beit Midrash

Rav Ezra Bick, Ram Yeshivat Har Etzion, VBM Director
HALACHA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Rav Reuven Ziegler, VBM Editor-In-Chief
SERIES EDITOR

The Stella K. Abraham Beit Midrash for Women – Migdal Oz

Rabbanit Esti Rosenberg, Rosh Beit Midrash Migdal Oz
ADVISOR

Supporters

Deracheha is supported by a grant from the Arev Fund.

BUILDERS

Anonymous

The Adlerstein Family

Drs. Isaac and Etta Novick, in memory of Maria Siegelstein and Miriam Novick

Lynn Sykes, in memory of Gene Sykes

The Silverman Family, in memory of Mrs Anita Hirsch Silverman ob”m

Nancy Weissman

Support Deracheha

Help Deracheha make a difference!

Our ability to maintain and develop this site depends on you!

Please support us by making a donation.

For tax-deductible donations in the United State, click here.

For tax-deductible donations in Israel, click here: COMING SOON

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