Curriculum
The program has about 300 students divided into nine classes (shiurim) ranging in level from beginner to advanced. As part of the curriculum students are taught bothSchedule
Monday-Thursday 9:00–10:20 Tanakh/Jewish Law 10:30–11:40 Sikha (Inspirational Lecture)/ Morning Seder (study time with a partner independent of the Instructor) 11:45–12:55 Talmud Lecture 1:00–2:30 Lunch, Hebrew/Bible Classes 3:00–8:00 College courses and dinner 8:15–10:00 Night Seder (study time with a partner) in Harry Fischel Beit Midrash (Learning Center) Sunday 10:00–11:40 Talmudic LectureFaculty and staff
The BMP faculty consists of three distinct categories. First of all there is the overall heads of all the undergraduate Torah Studies program’s in Yeshiva University, which includes BMP. Each class (shiur) in BMP has a warm Rabbi/teacher who provides the main instruction for the class while also forming a close relationship with the students. In addition each class (Shiur) has a ''Sho'eil U'meishiv'' (Teachers Assistant) who is available to discuss the topic being studied in order to help the students prepare for class (shiur). These Teacher Assistants also contribute towards the warm BMP environment. Heads of the Undergraduate Torah Studies at Yeshiva University RabbiStudent perspectives: BMP in practice
While BMP has certain theoretical goals, as mentioned above, in practice, BMP means something different to various elements of the student body. To many students BMP is a program filled with warmth, excitement, and a serious commitment to learning Jewish topics. One student commented, “The warmth that the Rebbeim in the program provide is unmatched, and the chevrah (group of friends) that are created through that warmth last a lifetime.” This same student extolled the serious commitment to Jewish studies that BMP students take upon themselves, manifested by the night learning program from Monday through Wednesday night which many choose to join. Students like this one perceive BMP as an equal alternative to the Mazer School of Talmudic Studies in terms of commitment and seriousness to Judaism and the study of Jewish topics. These students simply chose BMP over the Mazer School of Talmudic Studies because they value the warm relationship that BMP offers to its students. They reject the notion that BMP is a less serious program as compared to the Mazer School of Talmudic Studies. However, other students do not see things in the same light. Over the years there has been a controversy regarding the placement of different morning programs in the various learning centers. BMP used to learn in its own Beit Midrash (learning center) in Furst Hall. In recent years they have been relocated into the Glueck and Fischel Batei Midrash (learning centers), joining the students from the Mazer School of Talmudic Studies. While many BMP students laud this relocation to what President Joel has termed the “ art of our Yeshiva,” (the Glueck and Fischel learning centers) many of the students in the Mazer School of Talmudic Studies are unhappy with these new developments. A particularly passionate student remarked that “ e learning of YP students (Mazer School of Talmudic studies students) would be best if they were surrounded by equally motivated and strong Torah learners.” This student’s opinion, contrary to the view mentioned above, is that BMP lacks the level of seriousness and commitment to Torah that the Mazer School of Talmudic Studies has to offer. This perspective on BMP is exacerbated by policy changes in regards to the Jewish studies requirements. Previously BMP students, similar to their Mazer School of Talmudic Studies counterparts, did not have the option to fulfil any of their Jewish studies requirements as part of their morning studies. Rather they were expected to spend the whole morning in the Beit Midrash (learning center). In recent years, BMP students have been given the opportunity to take a Bible course twice a week during part of the morning in order to fulfil an element of their Jewish studies requirements. This new development has left many concerned that the seriousness of the Beit Midrash (learning center) will be diminished as students come and go during the morning studies. Yet, not all students take such a negative view of such changes. One student claimed that “the new morning structure, which allows for seniors to take a Bible class in the morning, allows for students to allocate their morning studies more efficiently, making the most of their time both in the Beis Medresh and in the classroom.”References
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