About Mevaseret

Hybrid Learning - What is it?

There is only one criterion to gaining entrance into YSMZ; a Talmid must have a sincere desire to grow. We believe that with true desire anything can be achieved. The Yeshiva recognizes that each Talmid is on a different level and should be taught in his own unique way (chanoch lana’ar al pi darko).

Morning Seder

The Mevaseret Program offers Morning Seder Gemara shiurim at every level, from advanced shiurim that focus on sharpening the Talmid’s analytical abilities, to skill-building shiurim that enable a Talmid to gain a comfort level with learning Gemara. It is not uncommon for a Talmid to start the year in one of the more basic skill-building shiurim, and build himself up to one of the more advanced shiurim. Shiur sizes are kept small so that each Talmid receives the personal attention that is his right. In addition to the Rebbe, each shiur has two Shoel U’Meshivim who are available during seder time to answer any questions and help Talmidim prepare for shiur. Our Rebbeim are dynamic, world class Talmidei Chachamim who breath life into the pages of the Talmud, making learning exciting and relevant. It is amazing to see how quickly under the tutelage of our Rebbeim, the Talmidim develop a real love and appreciation of learning. Shiurim are offered in both English and Ivrit to cater to the unique needs and desires of each Talmid.

Afternoon Seder

Afternoon Seder in Mevaseret is perhaps the most diverse program in all of Eretz Yisrael. The goal of Afternoon Seder is to vividly expose our Talmidim to the rich diversity and tradition of our Jewish heritage, and be able to draw on all of the varied disciplines within Yahadut to develop their personalities and their unique connection to Avodat Hashem.

To that end, the afternoon is divided into two parts, minors and majors. Minor classes run through the first hour of Afternoon Seder and Talmidim enjoy shiurim on a broad range of stimulating and intriguing topics. Classes such as Journey Through Jewish Thought, Pirkei Avot, Personal Growth Workshop, Living the Parsha, Chassidut, Chumash B’Iyun, Parshanut, Halacha, Hashkafot of Rav Kook, Sophisticated Faith and others, are all geared towards providing our Talmidim with a complete picture of Yahadut.

The major classes run for the remainder of Afternoon Seder and are varied in nature. A one-hour preparatory period precedes each class, which gives the Talmidim the opportunity to analyze the texts and gain a more in-depth understanding of the subject matter. Classes such as Tanach, Halachot of Bein Adam L'Chaveiro, Jewish Philosohy, Contemporary Halacha, Gemara Bekiut, Torah MiSinai and Hilchot Shabbat are all taught in an interactive fashion by mechanchim who are experts in their field.

Night Seder

Night Seder begins with Our Unique "Power Hour." This includes Ulpan Torani as well as chavrutot with members of the Meretz Kollel. The Meretz Kollel Teachers Institute is a kollel for young Israeli men who have finished their tour of duty in the army (through the Hesder Yeshiva units). Meretz Kollel fellows are married and live on campus, and are studying for Semicha in order to become Rabbanim and Mechanchim. During this hour, our Talmidim have the opportunity to learn the subject of their choice, and the benefits of these chavrutot are many. Talmidim have special role models to look up to, they improve their skills in Ivrit, develop insights into Israeli society, and are exposed to idealistic young men (not much older than themselves), who are soldiers in Tzahal, and share with them their passionate commitment to Zionism. Perhaps the biggest benefit, however, are the close relationships that are forged, and that our students feel that they have another home away from home, a few steps away from their dorm rooms. Ulpan Torani offers a fun and engaging forum for Talmidim to improve their skills in Ivrit and at the same time expand their Torah knowledge.

The remainder of Night Seder is geared towards Gemara Bekiut where b”eH every Talmid will make a siyum on the masechet that we are learning. There is nothing more inspiring than seeing the entire Yeshiva say the hadran at the end of year banquet, when there is a tangible sense of real accomplishment as Talmidim have grown so much in such a short time. Most of our Night Seder Rebbeim live on campus, which makes Night Seder a special time for learning and close Rebbe-Talmid relationships to develop.

Post-Night Seder

As the year progresses many Talmidim will choose to stay in the Beit Midrash after Night Seder to continue their development in learning. Mevaseret Talmidim go on to become leaders of Klal Yisrael and it is clearly a function of their training at YSMZ. Shana Bet Talmidim are encouraged to learn with their Shana Aleph counterparts after Night Seder creating a winning relationship for all involved. Shana Aleph Talmidim gain from the experience that Shana Bet Talmidim have acquired and Shana Bet Talmidim learn to mentor their younger colleagues. Designated Rebbeim are available to answer any questions that the Talmidim may have.

In addition, the Yeshiva offers a bi-weekly post Night Seder class in Mixed Martial Arts by one of our very own Rebbeim, Rav Daniel Glanz. The Talmidim have the opportunity to stay in shape while learning the discipline that MMA has to offer.

Va'ad Night

One night a week, instead of regular Night Seder, the Yeshiva has Va’adim. Groups of ten or fifteen students are invited to the homes of our Rebbeim or special friends of the Yeshiva to eat and schmooze for an hour or two. This gives students an opportunity to discuss issues that many young adults have about Judaism and about life. Va'ad offers the Talmidim an informal and relaxed atmosphere to “chill” with friends and Rebbeim and to learn about concepts that go well beyond the classroom.

At least once a month the Yeshiva brings in a special guest speaker to give shiur to the Talmidim. This exposes our Talmidim to many different engaging personalities allowing them to draw from the wellsprings of all hashkafot and streams within the Torah spectrum.