Machon Sara vs Machon Raaya.

amother

Thu, Dec 14 2023, 9:11 pm

What would you say is different between these two?
How are both these seminaries handling the war?
What the difference in girls applying?
Machon Raaya is a solid established school. How is Machon Sara handling their first year especially with war?
Any feedback would be so appreciated.
Thank you.

amother

Burlywood

Thu, Dec 14 2023, 9:27 pm

Also curious

amother

Sat, Dec 16 2023, 8:20 pm

Bumping this up. Any responses?

amother

Wed, Dec 20 2023, 11:46 am

Bumping up one more time.

amother

Papaya

Wed, Dec 20 2023, 11:52 am

I have a daughter in sem now and not sure what is meant when I keep seeing this question, how is sem handling the war? The girls are not joining the army, they are in school doing their work and not traveling the whole coontry

amother

Camellia

Wed, Dec 20 2023, 12:17 pm

amother Papaya wrote:

Agree. People keep asking me this.
For the first 2 weeks or so there was what to "handle", which basically meant what rules they had in place, how much info they gave to the girls, and if they had a bomb shelter prepared. Otherwise there's not much to answer.

amother

Buttercup

Wed, Dec 20 2023, 12:22 pm

amother Papaya wrote:

Yeah, same. The seminaries are handling the war by being in touch with Homeland security, with not going on trips that are near the fighting, and advising girls on general safety in terms of travel (no going alone at night; discouraging going for shabbos to communities that may be closer to fighting, when its advisable to take buses; which areas to avoid; how to recognize and respond to sirens; etc.) Its my understanding that they all do this.

amother

Feverfew

Wed, Dec 20 2023, 2:55 pm

Can they visit the Kosel or go up North?

amother

Wed, Dec 20 2023, 7:11 pm

Handling the war means adjusting the curriculum so girls are not just locked up in dorm with no where to go.
Do they have extra staff on hand?
Extra in house curriculum because can’t go out as much
Girls feeling safe and taken care of?

If your daughters are there now, can you tell me your thoughts about their sem?

amother

Yolk

Wed, Dec 20 2023, 7:51 pm

amother Papaya wrote:

I have a daughter in seminary now as well (neither of the mentioned here) and this question makes sense.
Girls should never be hefker when in seminary, but when there were rockets flying and sems were on full or partial lockdowns in the beginning, especially, meaning there should be a system where they sign out when leaving the building or tell someone.
If on a full or partial lockdown, come up with activities on premises, so they aren't bored of their minds.
Chessed connected to war efforts - helping displaced families by babysitting, making sandwiches for soldiers/families, baking for them, making begadim for tzitzis, etc.
Be very smart and careful about trip places.

amother

Wed, Dec 20 2023, 8:00 pm

Thank you. I didn’t think I was asking a weird question.

amother

Tealblue

Wed, Dec 20 2023, 10:47 pm

I actually have a very different reaction to this question than the above posters. I currently have a daughter in Bnos Sarah and, if my daughter was applying to seminary now, questions about handling the war would be my number one priority. I am beyond thrilled with Bnos Sarah's response. Within the first week of the war breaking out, the seminary had specific plans in place... because the girls couldn't go out at night, night activities including dance, crafts, paint night, baking, etc were added. There were speakers who came into the seminary and the first Shabbos in was a Shabbaton where the girls were involved in creating songs, games, divrei Torah, cooking and baking, and preparing the tablescapes. The second Shabbos was still an "in-Shabbos", but the seminary consulted with daas Torah and decided to have a Shabbaton in a hotel in Bnei Brak where the majority of the programming was inspirational speakers and meetings with Gedolim for brachos. The third Shabbos was out, but they restricted the girls to Yerushalayim. I should add that just before that, the girls had been somewhat restricted to Har Nof, so the seminary arranged for chessed opportunities in Har Nof (instead of the girls traveling around Yerushalayim to their chessed families). The next Shabbos must have had some security concerns, because it was, once again, an in-Shabbos, but rather than confining the girls to the Neve campus, Bnos Sarah traded dorms with Machon Raaya for Shabbos, which gave their girls a Meah Shearim Shabbos and the Machon Raaya girls had a Har Nof Shabbos. Some time during this time period the seminary also had a Seminarion, which, as far as I understand, was kind of like a grand Color War (without competition) with amazing speakers in a beautiful resort outside Yerushalayim. The girls also had their usual reports and tests, managed to fit in model lessons in a local school, and made a trip to Ein Gedi and Yam HaMelech. This week they will be having another in-Shabbos - in the Old City. So, while there is a real war going on and the girls have been given a lot of chizuk lessons about the war and some opportunities to bake challahs and cookies for displaced families (or it might have been for families of soldiers), the girls are having a very complete seminary experience and I feel that every decision has been so balanced (considering safety, what steps need to be taken, and how to successfully interchange activities with other options). Again, I cannot overstate how impressed I am with the administration, their decisions, and the experience that they are giving the girls.

amother

Buttercup

Wed, Dec 20 2023, 11:54 pm

My daughter is in a different seminary than any of the 3 mentioned and did all of these things too. Its great that youre happy with bnos Sara but it is my understanding that the majority are doing all the activities you listed. It's the norm not the exception.

amother

Yolk

Thu, Dec 21 2023, 12:02 am

amother Buttercup wrote:

Maybe majority but definitely not all. That's why asking this question is important.

amother

Thu, Dec 21 2023, 12:07 am

So is machon Sara and machon Raaya doing these things?

amother

Yolk

Thu, Dec 21 2023, 12:09 am

Your best bet would be to get some names of girls who're there now and ask them. Your school can give you their graduates who're there now. Or you can contact seminaries and ask for names.

amother

Trillium

Fri, Dec 22 2023, 4:06 am

I know people who are in Machon Raaya now and I know they are extremely happy and satisfied with the response of the school. They have been very proactive since the war broke out. They had speakers come in to give the girls chizuk. They brought in activities to help with the war effort - crocheting blankets for displaced kids, helping out on an orchard, babysitting and helping out displaced families, creating Shabbos packages for families whose husbands are on the front among other chassodim.
They never went into full lockdown, but are following the government recommendation regarding where the girls can and cannot go. It is also easier for the girls to get out and around because they are in the center of Geula, but tucked away in a corner in a a location which has had almost no sirens, it's a safer area, and they have a lot of places - food, shopping... they can go to within a 5 minute walk. Their classes and dorm are all in the same building and there are multiple locked gates, and they have a shelter on every floor of the building.
The principal has also been extremely communicative. In the beginning of the war, she had a zoom with all the parents to address their concerns. She was also sending parents emails every few days with updates about the going-ons in seminary and the safety updates. After things settled a bit, she sent emails almost weekly letting them know what is happening in seminary and about all the speakers and activities, and I believe still does.
They also always send an email to parents letting them know that all girls are safe (IY"H it should continue) right after a siren, so that they don't need to worry.
They still have activities, have seen the sights of Yerushalayim, gone on trips which have been approved by the government agencies and are deemed safe, gone on Shabbatons. They are back at the Kosel, but only by bus or taxi.
The school has been extremely attentive, and are taking the requests and concerns of parents into consideration, but at the same time are giving the girls a fantastic year and experience. They have shown the girls much care, and have also welcomed the girls who had left back with open arms - and they all came back. Everyone I spoke to is extremely appreciative and impressed by the amount of time and effort that has gone into making this year work for the girls, and they feel secure leaving their girls there, as they see that they are thriving and gaining from their year in seminary. They really feel the girls are being taken care of in Ruchniyus and Gashmiyus.

amother

Fri, Dec 22 2023, 11:12 am

Thank you for your reply. That sounds really nice.

amother

Yolk

Mon, Dec 25 2023, 7:58 pm

What kind of a seminary is Machon Raaya? Very academic? Bais Yaakov? Mostly textual learning or hashkafah? In town or out? Wealthy girls? Jappy? Into brands?

amother

Yolk

Tue, Dec 26 2023, 6:09 pm

Bump