Dear Berman Community,
Recently, we rolled out a sneak peek into our vision for the future of Berman Hebrew Academy. In line with our vision, we are fully committed to further developing and enhancing our Judaic curricular and co-curricular courses, programs, and activities. We wanted to update you on some of the exciting things we are working on to realize our core values of Torah and Israel.
Torah MiTzion Kollel
The Torah MiTzion Kollel has been a beacon of high level Torah learning in our Upper School. The Kollel and Midrasha classes have been designed to prepare our students for mastery in Gemara in a Hebrew immersive classroom. Furthermore, this program is designed to create an aveera of Eretz Israel at Berman. Beyond the Kollel and Midrasha classes, the Torah MiTzion Kollel is heavily involved in our weekly “Kollel night”, Shabbatonim, Onegs, Israel programming (including Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut), and more.
Although COVID-19 precluded us from hosting the Torah MiTzion Kollel at Berman for this current school year, we are thrilled to welcome back the Torah MiTzion Kollel for the 2021-22 school year. We are excited to announce the hiring of Rabbi Baruch Felberman as our new Rosh Kollel and Midrasha.
Rabbi Felberman has served as an administrator and teacher in numerous post-high school educational positions, including the co-founding and directing of Yeshivat Mevaseret Zion, Rosh Midrasha at Michlelet Mevaseret Yerushalayim, Mashgiach Ruchani at Sha’alvim for Women and Midreshet Torah Chesed, and a teacher at Yeshivat HaKotel. He has also spent numerous summers on the educational staff as Rabbi of Camp Moshava. Additionally, as a licensed tour guide, Rabbi Felberman has guided Yeshivot, Seminary groups, and Birthright trips, and is on staff at the Heritage Foundation Kotel Tunnels. Rabbi Felberman received his BA in Biology and Information Science, MA in Education, and his Rabbinic Ordination from Yeshiva University. He also studied at the Kollel of Yeshivat Shaalvim after making Aliyah. Rabbi Felberman, and his wife Alissa, who will also be joining our Berman family as a Lower School assistant, will be moving to Potomac this summer.
In addition to Rabbi Felberman joining our Berman community, we are also working on recruiting our bachurim for next year. The bachurim are integral to the aveera of Torah learning and Eretz Yisrael in the Upper School specifically, as well as the overall Berman experience. They learn with the students in the Kollel and Midrasha, serve as chavrutot to students looking to spend more time learning in the Beit Midrash, and help design Israeli programming during the year. Please stay tuned for more information.
B’not Sherut
We are thrilled to announce that we have officially hired our new B’not Sherut for the 2021-22 school year, Liora Frogel and Gabriella Prince. Liora and Gabriella both made aliyah with their families and are currently doing Sherut Leumi with Rachshei Lev, a non-profit organization that helps children with cancer. They have also served as counselors at Ezra Youth Movement. They are extremely excited to join our Berman community next year.
We look forward to welcoming Rabbi and Alissa Felberman, Liora Frogel, and Gabriella Prince to our Berman community this coming summer. Please join me in showing them a warm welcome.
