Machon L’Yahadus – Each Student Has Her Own Story

Machon L’Yahadus Women’s Yeshiva is a unique school in Crown Heights where young Jewish women learn, live and love Judaism.

At different points on their Jewish journey and arriving from around the world, the students come to study for up to two years or as little as a week.

And each student has her own story.

Yocheved attended UMBC in Maryland and graduated with a degree in linguistics. Since joining Machon L’Yahadus she has easily advanced levels in Hebrew skills as she explores the spiritual syntax of the Torah’s timeless message. Yocheved shares: “I am forever grateful that I have been able to study every day with incredible teachers and build such a wonderful and inspiring community.”

Naomi took a leave of absence from her job as an assistant pre-school teacher at LEC in Miami to study at Machon L’Yahadus. After guiding toddlers in Jewish basics, she had decided it was time for her own deep dive into Torah.

Feiga arrived at Machon L’Yahadus from Chelyabinsk, Russia, via Jerusalem. In Chelyabinsk, while getting her dual degree in architecture and graphic design, Feiga was a youth leader at the local synagogue. Even after moving to Israel with her mother and grandmother, she stayed connected with the teens in Chelyabinsk via a weekly class on zoom. To teach more, Feiga needed to learn more, so she came for a year of study at Machon L’Yahadus.

Another current student, Izzy, attended Machon L’Yahadus’ 12-day Winter Program three years ago. After graduating from Brooklyn College with a bachelors in Political Science, she returned to Machon L’Yahadus as a full-time student. “My experience at Machon L’Yahadus is exactly what I hoped for: exciting, life-changing and inspiring!”

What unites these students from diverse backgrounds, levels of observance and Jewish knowledge? A genuine desire to learn and grow as Jewish women.

Machon L’Yahadus students immerse themselves in a rigorous curriculum that ranges from the basics of learning to read Hebrew to delving into the deepest concepts in Chassidus.

And when they come up with an especially novel plot twist, they can turn for guidance to Rabbi Shloma Majeski or any of the other dedicated, devoted, non-judgmental staff.

Rabbi Majeski shares, “For many students, their involvement and pursuit of Yiddishkeit in general is already raising eyebrows and challenging to their relationships with family and friends. When they decide to study in a yeshiva the challenge is even greater.

“It is inspiring for us to see how their desire to deepen their knowledge and connection is so sincere that they are ready to make sacrifices and overcome these challenges to pursue Torah study. With the help of their learning and life-choices illuminated by the Rebbe’s teachings, the hope is that one day their friends and family will understand and appreciate this change,” concludes Rabbi Majeski.

What possibilities are in the future for Machon L’Yahadus students?

Chana Raizel from Connecticut completed the two-year program at Machon L’Yahadus. Initially she had planned to advance her degree in health sciences and move forward with a career in medicine. While waiting for registration to open for the program of her choice, she started teaching secular studies to middle school students at a Brooklyn Jewish day school. She soon realized that her passion is education, following in the footsteps of her mother, a school speech therapist.

Chana majored in psychology at Texas A & M. She studied for two years at Machon L’Yahadus. Soon after she married Dovid, they moved to Michigan where they are the teen volunteer coordinators for Friendship Circle. Chana shares, “I could literally not be here in this position without Machon L’Yahadus!”

After getting her bachelors in political science at McGill University in Montreal and studying at Mayanot in Jerusalem, Zeesy came to Machon L’Yahadus for a year. She stills lives in Crown Heights and is pursuing a law degree at Yeshiva University where she leads a weekly lunch and learn.

Explains assistant principal Mrs. Yehudis Cohen, “When prospective students are concerned about how they will be able to afford tuition costs, we tell them, ‘Our mission statement is to enable young Jewish women to study Torah. We are committed to working things out; finances will not get in the way.’

“We give out scholarships even when there is no money to back it in the bank and no pledges to cover the scholarships on the horizon. We rely on people who realize what a precious opportunity it is to partner with us in educating and empowering these young, remarkable Jewish women.”

Machon L’Yahadus invites everyone to be part of these young women’s stories and a partner in raising $500,000 at https://www.charidy.com/mly

Machon L’Yahadus is under the auspices of NCFJE