Bnos Avigail Seminary

amother

Sun, May 21 2023, 11:36 am

Considering Bnos Avigail for my daughter (she'll be applying next year IYH)

How academic is it?

And what type of girls go there?

amother

Papayawhip

Sun, May 21 2023, 11:43 am

From what I saw (although it was at least 8 years ago when we used to have seminary girls ) is that it’s somewhat out of towny and not super academic.

amother

Orchid

Sun, May 21 2023, 1:16 pm

From what I've heard, the girls who go are often academic, but the seminary itself isn't academic. I think they look for academic type girls, but once there, the studies aren't intense.

amother

Sun, May 21 2023, 2:06 pm

My daughter has academic challenges but she loves to learn Hashkafah.

She needs a seminary that doesn't require strong Hebrew textual skills but offers great hashkafah classes.
She can't read or translate a Ramban but she is solid, and great at intellectual classes that don't involve complex mefarshim.

She wants to be with girls who are solid in their Yiddishkeit (girls with flip phones)

Will she do well there?

groisamomma

Sun, May 21 2023, 2:08 pm

The best person to answer that is her seminary advisor. Assuming she knows your daughter well, she can most likely guide your daughter where to apply next year.

amother

Arcticblue

Sun, May 21 2023, 2:39 pm

I went there. You definitely need textual skills, although there are (or at least in my times) tutors during personal prep time. A lot of the classes are based on text. Including the hashkafa ones.
Yes, they want academic girls but once there they don’t give busy work. They just want the willingness to work and the ability to do so and sit through a high level class.

amother

Slateblue

Sun, May 21 2023, 3:10 pm

My daughter is there now. Half the day they learn inside on their own. You really need to know how to read and translate mipharshim thou they do have tutors available during that time. On another note, if I dare say.... Solid in yidishkeit and flip phone don't necessarily so hand in hand.

amother

Orchid

Sun, May 21 2023, 3:44 pm

amother OP wrote:

I'm not sure. Could BYA be a good fit? I know someone who went there who wanted to be around good girls and learn a lot, but wasn't academic. It's a little more yeshivish than Bnos Avigail, I think.

How would you describe your daughter hashkafa?

amother

Sun, May 21 2023, 7:52 pm

amother Orchid wrote:

I would describe her as Yeshivish. Doesn’t listen to non-Jewish music and doesn’t watch movies.
And has pretty good standards in her Yiddishkeit.

Unfortunately, maybe of the seminaries that that aren’t academic tend to take a crowd that my daughter isn’t comfortable with.
Many of the seminaries that don’t care about grades are full of girls who aren’t necessarily the most solid in their Yiddishkeit

So now we’re trying to find out which places will be okay with my daughters academic challenge but also have good, solid girls.

amother

Molasses

Sun, May 21 2023, 8:31 pm

Look into Kitov. Wonderful girls, very hashkafah based. Bnos Avigayil uses texts but doesn't really believe in homework. Because of that, they definitely get girls who want to learn but don't want the work. Girls like your dd do often apply, but I know a few who also applied to Kitov and did really well there. And it matches how you describe dd's hashkafah.

amother

Orchid

Mon, May 22 2023, 7:37 pm

amother OP wrote:

Based on this I would say check out BYA. Could be a good fit. I wonder if Kesser Chaya would also be something to look into.

amother

Tiffanyblue

Mon, May 22 2023, 8:02 pm

amother OP wrote:

This seminary is not know for lots of hashgafa classes although that could change. When rabbi kass was asked if there are academic supports during the open house, he answered that m If a girl is not literate they should not apply. It does not sound like the right fit for your daughter.