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I always loved learning Torah. In my all-girls high school, I was constantly challenged by my in-depth Tanach classes and by my detailed practical Halacha courses. I spent a year studying in Israel at a seminary well known for its high level of learning. However, I had never studied Gemara until I came to Drisha in the summer after my freshman year of college. Learning Gemara gave me a new perspective and passion for Talmud Torah. Gemara is a proactive spiritual and analytical experience, which carries with it the countless discussions of the previous generations, grappling with God's presence, the halachic process, and legal details. Unlike other Torah subjects, it requires complete immersion and is the foundation for all halachic discourse. In many Jewish communities today women and girls do not have access to studying Gemara. They are encouraged to master Tanach and practical halachot, but they are not given the opportunity to experience Talmud Torah at its core. Not only are they denied the inspiration that learning Gemara can provide, but they are, consequently, omitted from all contemporary halachic discussions. One of my most cherished goals is to share with young women the passion and rigor of learning Gemara and to impart an attitude of ownership over the texts. I directed the Drisha Summer High School Program where I first had the opportunity to do this. Recently, I visited a junior high school in Chicago, where I gave a special Yom Iyun lecture to the students. When one of the students mentioned after my class that she was surprised at how exciting learning Gemara could be, I felt optimistic that the status quo was changing. When one of the rabbis commented that this was the first time the boys had learned Gemara from a female teacher, I was reminded as to how much further we have to go. I am forever grateful to Drisha for introducing me to the wonder of Talmud, and I hope to share this reverence with many more students around the globe. |
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Dr. Beth Samuels, a”h, was a gifted teacher of Torah and mathematics, inspiring her audiences with her passion for learning and life.
She was an alumna of Hillel Hebrew Academy, YULA High School and Michlalah in Jerusalem. Beth studied full time in the Scholars Circle at Drisha, where she both taught in and directed the Summer High School Program.
She earned a PhD in Mathematics from Yale University and served as a scholar-in-residence across the country. She was an assistant professor of mathematics at UC Berkeley.
