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Hi, I am looking into seminaries… Not sure which one to apply to there are so many!
anyway, I’m looking for a yeshivish sem with very non-jappy type of girls. Nothing too hard. A sem where everyone is friends with each other… Putting all differences aside. One where you grow a lot! A lot a lot a lot! When I say nothing too hard I mean– not an overwelming amount of homework and stuff, but not one where you are chilling all day. Out-of-town type. People recomended bnos sarah and mechon raya. Agree/disagree? Thanks.
BS and MR are very growing type places, with a lot of work but not what i would consider ‘yeshivish’.
I would say the two yeshivish places in Israel are more Tiferes and Hadar, Tiferes being more chilled in a sense of hard work, but still a lot of growing goes on.
MR and BS are very similar; I would say both fit your description, aside from the ‘yeshivish’ part. They are BY, and have BY girls that go, but they are not Yeshivish…
If this is for next year its far to late be applying now.
both have a lot of work. both have wonderful girls and a warm staff.
based off your description, i’d personally recommend me’ohr and ateres.
Sounds like Bnos Chana / Halichos might be perfect for you. It is a more relaxed Bais Yaakov school with two programs. The Bnos Chana program is all day limudei kodesh with a strong emphasis on mussar lehaskil. There are tests and minimal homework, but it is very relaxed. It is a small place with a lot of inidividual attention.
Halichos is a more intense program geared towards girls who want to learn a profession on a high level without giving up on a full seminary experience. So there is a half day limudei kodesh, tiyulim, shabbatonim etc. The professional study options are: Graphic Art and Design including Photography; Early Childhood Education, and Cosmetology.
It is a great place and the girls who have gone are very happy (it is going into it’s fifth year).
Good luck
twinkleSTAR: Ahem. Bnos Sarah is yeshivish up the yazoo. I would put it on par with Tiferes (or maybe even Hadar. But not quite.) Machon Raaya is OOT yeshivish. (And if you’re basing your opinion of either on how many button-downs and pleated skirts they wear, I have friends from both places who wear them all the time.)
Goq: lol, I actually applied in June. At least five girls from my seminary did also.
They both pretty much fit what the OP is looking for, but both have a pretty intense workload, so I’m not sure if they are for the OP. Based on what the OP is looking for, I recommend Tiferes. Or maybe Binas, but I’m not sure what the workload there is like. Ateres maybe also, but that happens to be one sem I know very little about, so I’m not so confident about that recommendation.
OOM really? wow im surprised.
OOM, not sure about your year, but this year the seminaries had 30% more applicants than previous years, so it was a a very hard year to get in. Excellent girls didn’t get in to any sems they applied to.
Nanny, there is a new seminary opening up for next year- I think it’s called kesser Chaya. It’s geared to the strong BY girl. but not intensely academic. That might be an option for you.
Ha, if you knew me IRL you would roll your eyes and say “Typical.” 😛
On what continent are you looking to attend seminary?
Yeah, I think my age group is significantly smaller than the one below. In HS, our grade was half theirs. But anyway, my sem wasn’t the hock of the town when I applied, so admissions weren’t so competitive.
Hey OOM and nanny…I’m not saying ANYTHING bad about BS and MR, Just its a fact that Hadar and Tiferes are way more yeshivish then any other seminary.
Nachlas, BYA, BJJ, BS, MR, BC are all VERY good BY seminaries, but Hadar and Tiferes are for the more yeshivish crowd.
Sorry if you took it in any other way. Personally, I think Machon Raaya and Bnos Sara are really good sems, but u said ur looking for a yeshivish place, so hadar and Tiferes were the first two places that came to mind.
When saying that, I didn’t intend anything negative, u mustv’e taken it the wrong way, and I’m sorry.
I think you we are mistaking each others’ meanings. When the OP said “yeshivish,” I think she was referring to the spectrum of yeshivish BY seminaries, not b’davka to the far right extreme. (Part of what clued me in was her mention of the “out-of-town type.” The far right extreme and the “out-of-town type” pretty much mutually exclusive.) But also… you did say “BS and MR are…not what i would consider ‘yeshivish,'” which has a very different meaning than “Hadar and Tiferes are way more yeshivish.” Just saying.
Parenthetically, Bnos Sarah is pretty uber-yeshivish. Machon Raaya is a little more OOT-ish. I would put Bnos Sarah on the same tier as Hadar and Tiferes. MR I would not.
@OOM By writing, ‘I wouldn’t consider yeshivish”
You may have a diff. meaning of Yeshivish, then What I would consider yeshivsh.
Yeshivish to me is s/thing like Hadar and Tiferes
Nachlas, BYA, BJJ, Machon Raaya, Bnos Sarah, Bnos Chava etc, are all what I would consider BY, but not Yeshivish.
Another definition – Yours? may mean, there all yeshivish, but some more extreme than the other, which is what i was outlining in my last post,
When I saw the word Yeshivish, hadar and Tiferes came to mind, but yeah I see what your saying, and I said I was sorry ;/
Okay, you can define yeshivish however you’d like, but since your opinion is not the general consensus, you probably shouldn’t be giving out general advice based on it.
The niece of a a good friend is very happy at a new seminary, Bnos Chaim, in Lakewood. Hatzlacha rabbah…
@OOM and u dont give advice based on your opinion?!?!?
and, ummm…nanny, u wrote “Good, yeshivish girls.”
Does Yeshivish define how “Good” a person is? There are many “good” girls that aren’t yeshivish…
and, no I haven’t heard anything bad abt either places. I think they are really good seminaries, but, again u wrote Yeshivish, so hadar and tiferes came to mind…i didn’t mean anything else….
Off the top of my head I can think of
Ateres
Seminar
Nachlas
I mentioned this seminary because they are supposedly not only half the price of Israel but also have a midyear trip to Israel as part of their curriculum. Hatzlacha rabbah whatever you decide.
Obviously I do, but only if it is a well-informed opinion. Otherwise I indicate that my own feelings my be tainting my knowledge of the subject.
I really don’t know how you define yeshivish, but I define it as having a fixed devotion and sense of self-efficacy toward Torah, da’as Torah, and a torah lifestyle.. The externals don’t figure in primarily, but they are generally influenced. Why don’t you share what you think yeshivish means?
“Nachlas, BYA, BJJ, Machon Raaya, Bnos Sarah, Bnos Chava etc, are all what I would consider BY, but not Yeshivish.”
Ummm… no.
In my opinion bjj is as yeshivish as it gets! ( not intendin to offend pple!)
GO SEMINAR!!!
You’re describing almost perfectly Ateres!
It’s getting much more yeshivish and is famous for being very friendly, very little social pressure
good luck!
I went to Bnos Chana this past year and had an amazing year. Your description is exactly what the sem is like. Great frum/yeshivish girls, low pressure but lots of great learning and growth. Everyone got so close it was AMAZING! BTW the staff was also incredible. You should really check it out.
Once again, a thread where almost no one is talking to each other, because of their assumption that they will be understood when using the word “yeshivish”.
Bnos Chava is not low pressure. Sorry
Bnos Chana, not Chava.
Ateres also came to my mind. Great place. But I have tried to get my daughter to tell me what yeshivish means and I still dont get it.
Whats bnos chana?
It’s a seminary.
Snort
^_^
I am thrilled for you that you seem to really know what you are looking for! Good for you! The seminaries that you mentioned you are looking into are very different from one another… It’s hard to give information in a place like this for there are so many different types of people, and we don’t know each other! So what may be considered yeshivish for you may be considered modern for me and maybe the opposite! get what I’m saying? I went to Ateres which I saw is one that you are looking into and would be more then happy to give you any information I you need! I loved it more then anything and could talk about it for days! 😉
Wow! I’m so excited! I love talking about my school! So I would much rather talk about it more personally with you then post here, so if the mods would give you my email address that would be great, but I could start here.
So, I’m not sure what you call yeshivish, but Ateres is a HUGE mix! If you want a more cookie cutter all the same type seminary, then Ateres is really just not for you. There were so many different types of girls! I will say, even though me as well as many other girls there were more the black and white type, shabbos was a little colorful. They were all bais yaakov girls, but from different places. we had some girls who had gotten into tiferes and hadar, some more bnos chava type, some bya type we had it all!!! No one made me feel uncomfortable in ANY way! It is definitely more on the out of towny side, which I happened to love, for it made everything so warm and sweet, and everyone was yes as you say bffs! We did have a bunch of girls from NY but they were not the superficial type and were very warm so enjoyed the out of town part of it. it went from like 48 girls to 60 and this year is 80 so who knows what it will be for you! I have a feeling it will be somewhere in between 60 and 80. Whatever it is though, it is the warmest place you will find. Every seminary has a maala they are known for, and I believe Ateres is known to have the warmest staff ever!!!! Even though this year is a little bigger then mine, I know it will be just as warm, because that’s just what Ateres is!
About hard/easy: There is a place for everyone! There are 3 tracks. Actually 3 tracks for the more textual subjects and 2 for the more hashkafah subjects so everyone found their places! There were brilliant girls who were put in class 1 and had lots of prep and reports and stuff then there was the middle class (which I was in) had some prep but you had prep class in the day with navi and chumash tutors which was like 4 girls to 1 teacher and this was one of my favorite classes!!! And then there is a 3rd class which is easier you know not as much prep and all tests in English. They are super flexible and work with you wherever you are!!! It’s really great because you feel very cared for! They have an incredible academic adviser who is actually one of the teachers who everyone loves and she understands everyone and is more then happy to give you extensions or modifications if need be!
So about social pressure, I never have seen something so special in my life! There was ZERO negative peer pressure. By saying that I don’t mean that the whole place was nerds and not put together. There were girls that were plenty with it with full face makeup the belts scarves, you know really getting dressed everyday, and then there were girls who were more chilled but everyone was friends with everyone for real!!! I was always amazed and thought I was dreaming because I have never heard of such a thing and just loved it! I don’t want to compare it to other seminaries at least on here, but I would love to give you more information privately! I actually wrote something up for another girl interested in Ateres and would love to email it to you! Sorry I went on a whole tagent. I hope you can read and understand this and please feel free to ask any more questions!
No problem! Ya try to figure it out… I don’t how or if it will happen though. Are you really looking into Ateres? If you need any more info let me know, and if you are looking for any info about the other seminaries you mentioned before I may be able to help you because I had some very close friends there and do know about them quite a bit. The most important think to keep in mind is that it is all min hashamayim! Wherever Hashem wants you to go, THAT IS WHERE YOU WILL END UP! Things can get quite interesting in that way! I applied to Ateres and another seminary, really wanting to go to the other seminary. I actually got into both! I super close to going to the other seminary and then ended up deciding Ateres would be better for me. I’m thrilled with the decision I made at the end, it was just funny, because for years I thought I was for sure going to the other one! So don’t get too worried about it! Good luck, and keep me posted!
So like I said before, each seminary has its own maala. Bnos Sara’s is that it completely runs on trust! They have great girls who they are able to do this with. Bnos Sara is a bit of a mix, not as big as Ateres, and not as out of towny as Ateres, but the girls are known to be very good girls as Ateres has also. It’s definetely more textual, and more academic. They have a lot of work, a lot of very hard big reports. I have a very close friend who went there, and she was showing me also most of the classes are in Hebrew, don’t know if that’s something that you can handle or enjoy… It’s a tough place but a great place!
Tiferes like you know is very yeshivish. If you want a non mixed cookie cutter type of place which is not a bad thing, Tiferes kinda fits that. Obviously not everyone is the same, but it is not a mix at all compared to all the other seminaries. It is not really academic and has more hashkafah then the average seminary except Ateres and Meohr. It is smaller at least it was not sure now, and it has a very nice atmosphere. It is very yeshivish, not a lot of color if you know what I mean which I do not mean in a bad way at all. I had a bunch of classmates there as well and they loved it, and visiting them showed me why they love it so much!
Machon Raaya is probably the most similar to Ateres then the others you have mentioned. Like Ateres it is very warm, the teachers are approachable, and all that nice stuff. It is for more intelectual people (one reason I didn’t go 😉 It is a lot of work, and busy work! The girls are a little more in towny then Ateres, but not crazy in towny. The girls seem to be extremely nice and it’s a great seminary as well. I’m making the differences seem very small but they really are bigger. These places are all very different I hope you can kinda get a picture of each place. Please take notice that I believe all the places you mentioned are incredible not just Ateres, I just love it and am of course biased.
Feel free to ask any other questions I’m open!! 😉
You sound like an awesome person from the way your questions are worded! I’m really seeing you in Ateres more and more! 😉 I understand why you are hesitant to post such questions, but it’s really fine, and I was far from offended in any way!
So I went to seminary not wishing to have to listen to any goyish music either, and not even having it on my i-pod or anything, and was also nervous. To answer your question I just want to say that I had a very good friend who did so well in seminary, and straight out at her interview she said I’m not sure if your seminary is for me because I listen to not jewish music, and watch videos at home. My principal answered her that she will not be able to have access to videos while you are here which will be great, and about not jewish music, she cannot control what is on other people’s i-pods, but will not allow it to be played in the dorm! So yes there were a few people who I knew had such music on their i-pods not in a sneaky way, just that they were not yet at the point to take it off. It was never a problem for me though. No one ever would turn it on for anyone else to hear, and many girls themselves removed it from their i-pods during the year as well, so although I totally get your worry there, Ateres is not a place where you would have to worry about such a concept!
I feel the same way about knees! It’s nice to see someone is like me in that way!!! And yes that problem does exist in the most yeshivish of schools and communities! Ateres is an extremely growthful type of place and the halachos of tznius and many other things were talked about bluntly and openly and because the atmosphere was so accepthing and ready to grow higher it really wasn’t a problem either. It was talked about in the beginning of the year how it really isn’t acceptable in Ateres and also through our Tznius Yom Iyun we learned more about it, and by then even the people it was hard for really were doing fine! I wish I can describe the atmosphere, it was really nice how people were able to each on their own level (and there were girls in many different places) make advances and become so much greater and stronger in areas they were having trouble in for sure by the end of the year!
The questions are so not awkward your are so smart for asking such things, it shows you really want to make the most of your year! It’s so not a problem I’m glad i can help even if it’s not the greatest! I’m always here! Good Luck!
Nanny, I think it would help if you would define to us what your definition of Yeshivish is, because you see how everyone is answering based on where they come from. To people who are more modern, BJJ is as far right as you can get. To other people, it may seem less extreme than other seminaries. It depends where you are coming from. So if you want an answer that will help you, you should let us know more about where YOU are coming from, and your definition of yeshivish.
Hatzlacha.
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