TryingMyBest

Obnoxious, I for one, find it odd, that someone would try and find out who the people who share their opinions in these threads are, and then try and discount their participation. It sort of gives me the creeps. It seems that all momonabudget needs to do is find someone whom she trusts in Israel, and ask them to go to the seminary and check it out! See what the girls are like, maybe sit in on a class, check out the dorm and speak to the teachers and staff. Halichos, like every other seminary or yeshiva in the world has those who love it, and probably those who don’t care for it. That seems pretty par for the course. In terms of in Yerushalayim or out of Yerushalayim, it is what it is. Clearly, the students and former students who contributed to this discussion don’t think it is a problem and clearly obnoxious does. Regarding mitzvalovers accusation of mental illness, firstly it is a ridiculous and mean spirited thing to say. Are you a doctor? did you treat someone from the seminary who was ill? Or are you just giving credence to baseless and vicious lashon horah? Momonabudget, now that you have some information on the place, look into it more. Speak to the principal of your daughter’s school, send someone to check the place out, but please please don’t allow the anonymous rants of the Coffee Room to influence you. Much Hatzlacha in choosing the right place for your daughter!

check out Halichos Bais Yaakov. It sounds like it is exactly what you are looking for.

Try halichos no links

It is Bais Yaakov. Yeshivish but not crazy. Really great girls

Never stop trying!

You should really think about Halichos BY. It is in Israel, so it is already going to be less expensive cuz there is no air fare. It is a great place, very warm, excellent girls who are frum and honest and very sweet. If you want you can learn kodesh all day, or if you want you can learn a profession with the kodesh. It is sort of like an English speaking Ofakim, but smaller and very warm and personal. Since you are in Israel you should call and go see the place. The number of the school is 02-992-5502. Good luck!!!

You should so look into Bnos Chana / Halichos. It is such an awsome place. It is for totally committed girls but it doesn’t stuff stuff down your throat. There is such a sense of kedusah among the girls and there is a real move towards growth and closeness to HaShem that comes from the girls, not just the staff. Alot of the girls come to work on things like not listening to secular music, and dressing more tzniusdik etc. It is better when you know you can talk about what you are feeling and going through with other girls that are going through the same thing.

The learning is fantastic. Because it is a small place every girl gets tons of attention and help if they want it. There are tutors to help girls who want to work on skills. The classes are super relevant and the teachers help apply everything we learn to our lives. There is alot of learning inside so its not just someones opinion but it is Toras emes! They really encourage you to ask questions and to not rest until you get an answer that makes sense to you. Even though the girls are all frum and come from frum schools, everyone has questions they were affraid to ask in high school, but really want to know the answers to.

There are two parts to the sem. Bnos Chana is all day learning until about 6PM and then the night classes are fun stuff like yearbook, nutrition, make up etc. Then there is Halichos. Halichos is pretty intense and it is for girls who really want to come out of their year in seminary with a way to make parnassa. It is alot of homework and you work with real clients but there is so much help and support that the girls just love it. The afternoons is limudei kodesh with the most wonderful teachers and rabbis. It is very inspiring to know that you really used every minute of your day when you fall into bed at night.

The school is so friendly and warm and Rabbi and Mrs. Cohn make every girl feel special. It is such a great place you really should check it out.

You should look into Bnos Chana Seminary. They have two programs. The first, is Bnos Chana. It is for Bais Yaakov girls who are serious, frum solid girls who want to spend the day focusing on limudei kodesh in a more relaxed environment. The learning is textural but not about translating. Strong emphasis on inspiration and mussar lehaskil.

The second program is called Halichos. It for serious hard working girls who really don’t have the money, time or inclination to go to college. They have a good idea of what they want to do in life and have one year to dedicate to training before they go out and do it! They want a strong seminary experience, professional level training and a frum, serious, yet very warm and nurturing environment. Halichos is the answer. Next year they are offering Graphic Design, Interior Design, Cosmetology, and Personal Physical Trainer (in conjuntion with the Wingate Institute). At the end of the year you come out with either a degree, portfolio, or certification depending on what you want to study. It is a great program and you can see more about it including examples of students work in graphics

Which ever program you are interested in Bnos Chana / Halichos is a good place to start looking.

Good luck and gmar chasima tova!!!!

Bnos Chana is a fantastic seminary. It is small, super warm and caring. The girls are all very sweet and there is a great feeling of caring about each other. It is for girls who want a real Beis Yaakov experience. While every girl deals with her personal stuff, these are all pretty good girls, “boys” is not really an issue, the girls are all frum so tznius is accepted (a mix of girls some in the “hadar” mode and some in the “bnos chava” mode.

The learning is fantastic. The Rebbeim and teachers are very dynamic and shiurim are always interesting, and speak to our lives. They also understand that the girls are not in Israel only to study so THERE IS NO HOMEWORK!!!! They have a lot of tests but most of them are open books and notes so if you pay attention in class you can do well. We all feel like we are learning for our own lives and to be close to HaShem, not just to take tests!

In the afternoons, there is an hour and a half of practical learning, stuff like Graphic Arts and Interior Design and Yofi / Sheitels and Culinary Arts. There is a strong Shana Bet where girls can get a Teudah in their area and be able to start working after graduation if that is what they want to do.

There are tons of great trips and shabbatonim, chessed and chugim. All in all it is a super great place. It is in Ramat Beit Shemesh so we don’t have to deal with all the craziness of Yerushalayim but there is a whole group of girls that go to the Kotel every Friday morning, so we are pretty close.

Rabbi and Rebbetzin Cohn are fantastic and they really go out of their way to help every girl feel comfortable. They listen to us and we feel we have a say in things that happen in the seminary.

You should check it out and see if it is for you. You can see a lot at http://www.bnoschana.org

I don’t understand how the half year sem works. It usually takes a girl until Chanukah to feel totally at home, get into her studies, and start thinking about how to apply that which she is learning to her life. It is only after four months that the really great, meaningful conversations take place in the dorms. It takes time to adjust and I am not sure how to rush that process along without sacrificing one of the most important parts of the sem experience.

In terms of saving money. The half year sems seem more expensive. I found a sem, Bnos Chana, that is $15,500 full price. After getting a $4000 MASA scholarship, and a $1500 scholarship from my local federation, it is possible to go to seminary in Israel for under $10,000. That includes dorm and food for the whole year. That is cheaper than most BY high schools!