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Hi,
I’m looking at Pninim, Maor and possibly Seminar as my choices for next year. Does anyone know anything about any of these places?
1. Is the school very Yeshivish?
2. What’s the crowd like?
3. Are they strict about things like non-Jewish music?
4. How heavy is the workload?
5. Do they allow smartphones? Specifically iPhones
6. Dress codes?
7. Curfew? Free time?
Thank you
All I know is that Meor and Seminar, for sure do not allow smart phones at all- you have to get a kosher phone. Pninim requires you to wear a button down, and either a straight or pleated skirt to class for uniform. Meor and seminar require you to wear a button down, and pleated skirt for uniform. Seminar has a 10:15 curfew on weeknights and 10:30 on Motzei Shabbos. I hope this helps a bit- I only know because I have friends at all three schools.
Also, Meor has an 11 pm shabbos curfew. I have heard that at Meor, you have to wear the uniform all the time, except for shabbos, but I am not completely sure if this is true. At Seminar, you are not allowed to use your cell phone at all when you are on tiyulim, meaning there is a two day tiyul now, and my friend isn’t allowed to talk to me on the phone until she gets back to her dorm. Seminar’s dress code is that you aren’t really supposed to wear bright colors. My friend who goes to seminar seems to get out of class early a few days a week, so I guess that means they get plenty of free time. Pninim, you can wear what ever colors you want, even with the uniform. On the spectrum of BY seminaries, they are all on very different ends of the spectrum.
*motzei shabbos curfew.
I was at the pninim presentation last year when rabbi measles came to my high school, they are very based on hashkafa. All seminaries have to have some text in it, I have heard that Meor is known to be very academic, and I remember at the beginning of this year, a girl was complaining about having to learn a whole sefer… so I think that means it is very textual there. If you know anyone who went to all of these seminaries, I would recommend asking them for more specifics, I only know lots of these things because I am in a bit of a tough situation, so I have been looking at a bunch of seminaries. I think seminar might be somewhat text based as well, but they probably use mostly lecture method instead of independent preparation of meforshim.
Also, in my opinion, if you are looking into by seminaries, that means you should not necessarily be listening to Jewish music, however, there may be girls who do so at these places anyway.
Pninim is really not strict about things like dress code and lateness, and, I’m pretty sure they don’t make a big deal about electronics (I”m not sure about iPhones/SmartPhones). They expect respect, but they really give the impression that they care about the important stuff,and are not nit-picky. They are very hashfaka based, which is great if you’re a motivated learner in general. If you’re not, you could technically chill out the whole year, but they have AMAZING classing and the worlds best teachers and lessons to offer.
I visited Israel this past month, and went to check out pninim, and the girls made me feel comforrtable immediately. Rabbi Meisels was very easy going and kind, and it was really not a stressful interview at all. (Actually, he told me I could come during the interview.)
Uniforms only need to be worn during class, although even then, they are lenient with it. (i.e. if your skirt is a dark shade other than black, if your shirt isn’t all button down, even just two buttons or three…).
The school is completely not yeshivish. Be careful, though, not to listen to rumors, because some say they take “bad” girls, and when I went there, it was completely the opposite. Of course, every seminary and has a variety of levels, in terms of yidishkeit and stability, but the girls seemed very healthy, warm, and growing.
The workload is not heavy. There are barely and tests; like I said, very hashkafa based. They really just want each person to grow at their own pace.
I wasn’t there long enough to know, but it seemed Pninim had plenty of free time. I’m not sure what time curfew is.
If you go, I’ll meet you there!
None of those skools r yeshivish… did u consider darchei bina or midreshet tehilla?
from what I know, Meohr is not very text-based but more academic. Academic can be subjective. Talk to alumnae from ur high school and find out how hard it is based on that and based on what friends and teachers tell you. I think I heard Seminar has 2 tracks, though not sure how hard the honors track is(i have heard that people say Seminar is easy but ppl say they really do have work, so not sure abt that). Pninim isnt very hard.
Hatzlacha!
*Meohr isnt very text based and I hear it is very intellectual, not sure how hard it is tho academically
hi does seminar allow ipods, more like ipod touch or an iphone which is used as a ipod and not a phone?
nope! not many seminaries (at least the by ones) will let you have an ipod with video and internet capabilities. And a phone other than a kosher phone forget it…
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