Drisha Institute for Jewish Education

Drisha was founded in 1979 as the world’s first center for women’s advanced study of classical Jewish texts. Comments made this year by founder Rabbi David Silber demonstrate Drisha’s commitment not just to innovation in Jewish education but also to innovation in the Jewish community as a whole: “The role of an institution is to figure out what a community needs, and pave the way.... It’s not enough to give women equal access to the texts. We want them to have leadership opportunities equal to men, and jobs where they can fully maximize their God-given talents.” 

Drish has a full- and part-time education curricula, and has added summer high school along with Bat Mitzvah programs and classes for families at different life stages. It is experimenting with webcasts and other interactive classes on the Internet. A quick read through the frequently asked questions section of its website also confirms that classes are taught on multiple levels, for those who know Hebrew or not, for people from wide-ranging religious and lifestyle backgrounds, and its classes are even open to men! 

True to founder Silber’s words, Drisha is an institution continuously asking what the Jewish community needs and willingly taking risks to meet those needs with the highest of integrity and quality.