Chagim

What could be more special at times of Jewish celebration than the blend of the atmosphere of the Midrasha on the backdrop of the Old City, and the place of the Beit HaMikdash?  Midreshet HaRova takes advantage of our unique location to deepen and strengthen students' sense of each chag, while encouraging students to visit other communities throughout Israel to experience how Am Yisrael, in Eretz Yisrael celebrate together.

Yamim Noraim

While the first chag, Rosh Hashana, is spent by students in groups enjoying home hospitality in communities throughout Israel, Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year, is spent as an intense group experience at the Midrasha.  Midrasha staff conduct our own minyan with twenty or so men, and an ezrat nashim packed to the brim with roughly two hundred women.  Each year, we are joined by alumnae (and their husbands and children!) for a tefilah that is sure to reach straight to shamayim!  After the evening tefilah, Rav Milston gives a series of shiurim, explaining the most crucial parts of Yom Kippur.  During the day, singing and davening go from early in the morning until the end of the fast, all followed by a festive learning session and tisch in the evening after sharing the post fast meal.

Sukkot is break time used by most students to travel and visit with family and friends in Israel. Dormitories remain open for those wishing to stay in the Midrasha over the vacation. We rejoin as a group for a Midrasha night of learning on Hoshana Rabba followed by a sunrise shacharit at the Kotel.

Chanukah

The week of Chanukah is full of activities including special seminars exploring the meeting place of tradition and modernity, visits to hospitals and the elderly to celebrate with them, and a performance by one of the leading names in Jewish music - Chaim Dovid Sarachik.  Each night, students gather to light candles together and share the pleasure of eating (perhaps one too many!) sufganiot (jelly doughnuts).

Tu B'Shvat

Tu’ B'shvat is marked by a “Seder Tu’ Bshvat”, where students share the varieties of fruits of Eretz Yisrael, and in most years (shmitta being the exception) go on tiyul to plant new trees in Eretz Yisrael.

Mishenichnas Adar Marbim B'Simcha

The joy of Purim can not be contained in just one day, with festivities beginning from Rosh Chodesh, moving through a shared Shabbat before Purim and culminating in a Midrasha megilla reading and almost-all-night dancing session with the best of Israel’s female bands!  The Purim seuda turns into an inspirational “tisch”, demonstrating how one can respectfully celebrate Purim in the true spirit of "ad d'lo yada"!

Pesach

Pesach is vacation time and once again dorms are open for those students who would prefer stay in the Midrasha than visit family and friends. All students are placed with families for the seder and any other part of the vacation as per their request.

Yom HaZikaron/ Yom Ha'Atmaut

As visitors to Israel will know, Yom Hazikaron, Israel's Memorial Day for the Fallen, and Yom Haatzmaut, Independence Day, are held back-to-back, with the sorrow of those lost followed immediately by the great joy of what we gained as a nation.  Midreshet Harova marks these moments in the history of Israel in ways not likely experienced before by our students.  On Yom HaZikaron, we host guest speakers who tell us of loved ones lost in Israel’s wars, and we visit Har Herzl, the national cemetery for fallen soldiers and national historical figures, joining bereaving families who visit the resting place of loved ones.  The transition to Yom HaAtzmaut is marked with city-wide fireworks, leading us to our evening festive meal with keynote addresses of the heads of the Midrasha (broadcast live on the internet for alumnae around the world).  On Yom HaAzmaut day we visit historic sights in and around Jerusalem and end with the Israeli tradition of firing up a delicious barbecue!

Shavuot

There is no more natural a day for a Midrasha than Shavuot, when the beit midrash is filled throughout the night with intense learning and back-to-back classes.  In the wee hours of the morning, as is the tradition throughout Yerushalayim, we join the multitude from all corners of the city to greet the new day with early morning tefilah at the Kotel.