Michlala versus Darchei Binah

amother

Mon, Sep 14 2020, 11:21 am

I went to seminary years ago (obviously!) trying to get a handle for my DD regarding seminary. Can people update me on what Michlala and Darchei Binah are like now. Both what they claim they are as well as practically speaking what the girls are actually like. I realize this will involve stereotyping...
(Open to other suggestions as well that are close to these two hashkafa wise.)

amother

Mon, Sep 14 2020, 12:49 pm

amother [ Cerise ] wrote:

Michlala is abit more academic and although they have very similar hashkafos, michlala is more "okay" with the MO world than darchei binah if that makes sense. Also michlala is bigger

I do know that. I went to one of them and have a lot of friends that went to both. I guess I'm more curious about what the girls are like than the hashkafa of the school. I hear conflicted reports about the DB girls. My DD would be coming from an OOT BY (but going to college - Stern most likely). I'm not interested in sending her to a place where it's consistently known that BY girls go to party. Most girls I know that went to DB are not like that, but if that's a common refrain about DB, it would make me pause. In that case I'd just rather she go to a good but open minded BY sem. DB or Michlalah just make more sense in terms of her path afterwards. Is Michlalah known for a more serious girl overall instead of "BY going to party"?

Coming to Stern from a BY seminary is much harder, you won't have friends going in. We're light regular Yeshivish/Yeshivish YU family so don't worry about conflict of my DD going to an officially BY high school and then Stern. Totally works for our family.

amother

Powderblue

Mon, Sep 14 2020, 12:54 pm

It’s been a few years since I’ve been there, but my impression is that DB has had good years and bad years in terms of getting the kinds of students they would like. Also, fewer students go to stern after. I think michlala has an overall more serious vibe.

amother

Green

Mon, Sep 14 2020, 12:57 pm

I think DB typically has two contingents. One is a serious group who wants to grow in their yiddishkeit- these are the girls who will end up taking on kaballos to delete apps off their phones, daven more seriously. the other group is there to party and get into trouble- hang out with boys in Ben Yehuda etc. You have to know which group she's more likely to fall in with
I went to Prospect and most of the girls who went from my grade were from the second contingent, with few exceptions. OTOH I met quite a few DB girls when I was there, and several were really serious and frum while not exactly what you would call "bais yaakov".
I don't really know much about Michlala, other than the fact that I know of 2 girls who went there and got kicked out a couple weeks into the year for being caught w boys and switched to DB.

amother

Cyan

Mon, Sep 14 2020, 1:50 pm

I went to DB and applied to both michlala and DB.
I absolutely LOVED my year.

My year was divided into a few groups- girls coming from BY schools that were looking to rebel, and then girls like me coming from more modern schools who were more serious. I was more intense Wink

but at the time applying to a BY wasnt an option as my family was not frum. I had trouble with the textual aspects of the class because I didnt have exposure to it in HS, I barely could reach Rashi if that gives you an idea. I loved my hashkafa classes, I really grew in my ideologies from my year. All of the teachers were there to speak about whatever was on my mind.

I keep in touch with several teachers, many were at my chasuna, and many of the rebbeim had kibbudim by my chasuna. My rebbe is from my year in DB and he made a point to meet my then chosson when we were engaged and he also got in touch with my parents which really impressed me.

I loved every minute of it!

ETA: most girls from my year either didnt go to college after or went to touro. There were a few that went to stern but they were more modern. I dont know where theyre holding now but when I saw them by a chasuna they werent dressed so tznius, one wears pants now etc. Rabbi Kurland comes to speak at Touro whenever hes in America

amother

Mon, Sep 14 2020, 3:50 pm

Okay, everyone basically confirmed what I've heard about DB. So Michlalah is consistently all the more serious girls from the more MO schools who aren't there to party? I guess I'd love to hear more from recent graduates of Michlalah or their mothers. Tx!

amother

cornflower

Mon, Sep 14 2020, 5:35 pm

Michlalah alumna and mother of alumna here:

Michalalah is not the same as it once was-in my time we had torani and chareidi teachers and Rabbanim, now it skews much more to charedi, at least for the Machal (American) classes.

My daughter told me that she was going to Israel to become Charedi and she did. Despite this she still went to a secular college for a highly academic degree not available at Stern or Touro. Many, many of her classmates went to Stern. Some to Touro. People do not just go to Touro rather than Stern for the "frum" aspect, many go because the academic scholarship opportunities are better.

My daughter attended a high school which is a big feeder school for Michlalah, so many of her classmates went also. I think 3 girls went to Darchei Bina, one of whom (a very serious and frum girl) was not very happy. One reason I know is because she felt the classes were on a high school level.

amother

Smokey

Mon, Nov 02 2020, 2:47 pm

Recent experiecne: Darchei Bina had some disasterous experience

A good kid was harrased by the principal to admit for somethign she didnt do, to compose deep aplogy letters, and spent too much time conversing with threatenign principal. There was no Chinuch. There was something unhealthy on his part and he shouldnt be working with girls who are away from home. (and some other bizarre requests he madde, which I verified with a therapist to be unacceptable and unprofessional). He would pick on a few every year, would send kids back home.

It was unclear to me why a man needs such a crazy control and unhealthy interaction.

Other female teachers were good, they admitted prinicpal was an issue.

I will not be surprised if one day rabbonim will reques that he is removed before school can continue.
Why does a man need such involvment and power among young ladies away from home?