The Graduate Program for Women in Advanced Talmudic Studies at Yeshiva University (GPATS)
Seeking to foster and promote opportunities for advanced Talmudic study for women, Yeshiva University, with the support of the Avi Chai Foundation, created the Graduate Program for Women in Advanced Talmudic Studies (GPATS) in 2000.
The goal of this fellowship is to develop an elite cadre of female scholars of Talmud and Halakha (Jewish law) who will serve as leaders and role models for the Orthodox Jewish community.
The program comprises a sequential two-year curriculum. In the morning, students prepare Talmudic texts with a chavruta (study partner) and attend a lecture on the material they have prepared. In the afternoon, students shift their focus to the study of Halakha, tracing its origins from the biblical texts on through the Talmud, Rishonim, and modern day poskim (rabbinic authorities). In addition, students attend lectures on various topics such as Jewish philosophy and Jewish history.
A majority of our students are also pursuing advanced degrees in Jewish Studies and/or Jewish Education. Students who complete the two-year GPATS program are awarded a certificate in Advanced Talmudic Studies from Yeshiva University.
In May 2003, an outside evaluator determined that the program is achieving its educational goals and offers a superb setting for high-level study of Talmud and Jewish law by women. GPATS graduates have been sought after for positions in Jewish education by such institutions as Stern College for Women, Yeshivah of Flatbush and Ma’ayanot. Last year, several synagogues hosted program fellows as scholars-in-residence as a way of exposing the broader Jewish community to these remarkable young scholars and leaders.
In 2006, GPATS at Yeshiva University expanded to offer an intensive two-year senior fellowship to two program graduates. The senior fellows continue their rigorous study of Talmud and Halakha and play a leading role in expanding GPATS’ educational programs in various communities. They also receive training in public speaking and lecture in Jewish communities in conjunction with Yeshiva University’s Center for the Jewish Future.
The program comprises a sequential two-year curriculum. In the morning, students prepare Talmudic texts with a chavruta (study partner) and attend a lecture on the material they have prepared. In the afternoon, students shift their focus to the study of Halakha, tracing its origins from the biblical texts on through the Talmud, Rishonim, and modern day poskim (rabbinic authorities). In addition, students attend lectures on various topics such as Jewish philosophy and Jewish history.