Beis Midrash

HTC’s Beis Midrash & College Program offers you the opportunity to continue your Torah learning in an intensive, yet wholesome Yeshiva environment with customized programs to earn a BA at a pace best suited for your needs. You’ll form lifelong relationships with rebbeim and faculty, creating a warm and comfortable environment in which to grow.

Our Beis Midrash talmidim enjoy three daily learning sedarim, tracked at advanced and beginner levels, while learning from our outstanding and experienced rabbinic faculty.

Our Yeshiva Honors Program is intended for gifted, self-motivated students who seek a robust and unique method of Talmud learning. The program’s curriculum stresses mastery of large sections of Talmud while also affording students ample time to concentrate on areas of traditional learning.

Semicha

Led by Rabbi Chaim Twerski, the Yoreh Yoreh Semicha Program covers Jewish laws dealing with the following subjects:

  • Kashrus
  • Aveilus, Burial and Bereavement
  • Taharas Mishpacha
  • Shabbos

You’ll focus on academic areas that address the needs of your chosen specialized field of rabbinic activity, such as education, public speaking, homiletics and psychology. If you are pursuing pulpit positions you will be assigned to internships with a practicing rabbi.

Course Methodology

The delivery of semicha program instruction is based on a three-year cycle of actual coursework. This enables you to join the program at any point of transition between one subject and the other, (often coinciding with the semester breaks) and remain in the program until you complete the full cycle of prescribed coursework. During the full coursework cycle, you may be involved with chavrusas, study partners, who are just starting the cycle or are in the final stages of their coursework cycle. As such, you will have the opportunity to gain from the experience of more advanced students as well as sharpen your own skills in assisting students just beginning the program.

You are directed to prepare on your own the appropriate sections of the Gemara and the Tur and Beis Yosef for each chapter in the Shulchan Aruch during the two days prior to beginning each new topic. Every day the student is responsible to prepare the Mechaber and Ramah, along with the Shach and Taz that will be discussed on the following day. In each class session the textual material will be reviewed and discussion will focus on assuring complete mastery of the daily topic. Other commentators, such as Rabbi Akiva Eger, Pischei Teshuva, Chavas Da’as and Pri Megadim will be introduced and their divergent and complementary opinions will be analyzed in-depth. The analysis of each topic/chapter will be highlighted with the practical halachic procedures and outcomes after consideration of modern Jewish legal scholarship and authorities.

After completing your coursework, you will usually spend an additional period of time reviewing the material in preparation for the comprehensive subject area examinations. The oral exams, along with class participation constitute the grade for the course. While sitting for examinations in some areas may take place concurrent with ongoing coursework in other areas, many opt to take the examinations after a period of intensive review.

Course Requirements for Ordination and Sample 3 Year Schedule

Semester Course, Subject Source, Material Method of Instruction

  • Fall Year 1: 
    333 Basar BeChalav I Yoreh De'ah, sections 92-97 Lecture
  • Winter Year 1:
    335 Ta'aruvos I Yoreh De'ah, sections 98-103 Lecture 
    334 Basar BeChalav II Yoreh De'ah, sections 87-91 Lecture
  • Spring Year 1: 
    336 Ta'aruvos II Yoreh De'ah, sections 104-109 Lecture
  • Summer Year 1: 
    351 Aveilus Yoreh De'ah, sections 340-401 Optional Lecture
  • Fall Year 2: 
    341 Niddah I Yoreh De'ah, sections 183-190 Lecture
  • Winter Year 2: 
    342 Niddah II Yoreh De'ah, sections 191-194, 320 - 322 Lecture
  • Spring Year 2: 
    343 Niddah III Yoreh De'ah, sections 195-199 Lecture
  • Summer Year 2: 
    371 Safrus Orach Chaim, sections 32-36 Yoreh De'ah, sections 270-291 Optional Lecture
  • Fall Year 3: 
    321 Shabbos I Orach Chaim, sections 253-259, 307-311, 325 Lecture 
    327 Pesach Orach Chaim, sections 429, 432, 438 Lecture
  • Winter Year 3: 
    322 Shabbos II Orach Chaim, sections 289, 314-317, 320-322 Lecture
  • Spring Year 3: 
    323 Shabbos III Orach Chaim, sections 325, 328-331, 340 Lecture
  • Summer Year 3: 
    337 Ma'achalei Akum Yoreh De'ah, sections 112-121 Optional Lecture

Kollel

The members of the Hebrew Theological College’s Samuel and Nina Bellows Kollel are involved in a myriad of activities in and around the Yeshiva. Kollel members are learning the Yeshiva's Masechta in-depth and contributing to the kol Torah which can be heard in the Yeshiva's Beis Midrash.

Most of the Kollel members live on or next to the Yeshiva campus. This allows you to be involved in several ways with the dormitory students. During the week, the Kollel is involved as "Older Brothers" helping younger students, and on Shabbos the Kollel members deliver shiurim. Kollel families regularly host students for meals on Shabbos, providing a family-style Shabbos meal environment.

We are proud of our Bellows Kollel members, young talmidei chachamim who are destined to be effective leaders of Klal Yisrael.

Rebbeim

Rabbi Avraham Friedman

In 2008, Rabbi Avraham Friedman (FYHS ‘65) was appointed Rosh HaYeshiva of Hebrew Theological College, where he has served and taught for more than thirty years. As a student in HTC, Rabbi Freidman studied under a number of excellent scholars, most notably Rabbis Yaakov Perlow and Ahron Soloveichik. Rabbi Friedman received rabbinic ordination from Rabbis Zalman Nechemia Goldberg and Bezalel Zolty in Israel. He also studied at Mosad Ha-Rav Kook and in the Mirrer Yeshiva under the guidance of Rabbis Chaim Shmuelevitz and Nochum Partzovitch. Before returning to HTC as a teacher and leader, Rabbi Friedman served as a faculty member of the Massachusetts Torah Institute in Boston, YULA in Los Angeles and Yeshivat Kerem B’Yavneh in Israel.

Rabbi Friedman is the author of many works on the Talmud and its commentaries. He now serves as the Rosh HaYeshiva Emeritus of HTC.

Rabbi Yaakov Sussman

Rabbi Yaakov Sussman has served as a teacher and then as a Rosh Yeshiva at Hebrew Theological College since 1996. He studied in Yeshivas Chaim Berlin, Mirrer Yeshiva. Before then, Rabbi Sussman earned a BA from SUNY Albany. Prior to teaching and learning at HTC, Rabbi Sussman was a member of the Chicago Community Kollel and taught at Arie Crown Hebrew Day School. At HTC, Rabbi Sussman teaches an advanced Talmud shiur and serves as an instructor of Jewish philosophy in the Max Bressler School of Advanced Hebrew Studies. He is also a gifted lecturer who speaks throughout the Chicagoland area, most notably at the intensive Amud Yomi shiur at the Center for Torah & Chesed.

Rabbi Zvi Zimmerman

Rabbi Zimmerman (FYHS ’97) is Mashgiach Ruchani of Hebrew Theological College. He studied in Yeshivas Bais Yisroel and in the Mirrer Yeshiva in Jerusalem. He earned rabbinic ordination from Bais Yisrael and from Rabbi Zalman Nechemia Goldberg. Rabbi Zimmerman teaches the first-year Talmud shiur in the Beit Midrash and is directs the learning division of Yeshivas Hakayitz’s Teen Kollel. He serves as associate rabbi of Bais Chaim Dovid in Lincolnwood, IL. Rabbi Zimmerman is also the founding Rosh Chabura of the Yeshiva Program at Congregation Adas Yeshurun in Chicago and is a frequent lecturer for NCSY programs. Rabbi Zimmerman is the author of Me’orer Yeshanim, a collection of essays based on his popular Torah shiurim. His website, rabbizvizimmerman.com, contains an archive of almost 1,000 shiurim on Chumash, Navi, and Mussar.

Rabbi Chaim Twerski

Rabbi Chaim Twerski is a Rosh Yeshiva and head of the semichah program at Hebrew Theological College. He is a scion of the Chernoble Chassidic family. Before arriving at HTC, Rabbi Twerski studied under Rabbis Elya Svei and Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetzky in the Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia. Later, he studied in Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood and served as a founding member of the Kollel Los Angeles, where he gained a reputation for his mastery of Halakhah and Jewish Philosophy. Rabbi Twerski moved with his family to Chicago in 1983 and has held numerous and prestigious positions at HTC and within the Chicago rabbinical community. He is a noted scholar and writer on a number of topics that relate to Jewish law. Rabbi Twerski also serves as senior rabbi of Bais Chaim Dovid in Lincolnwood, IL.

Rabbi Shmuel L. Schuman

Rabbi Shmuel Leib Schuman (FYHS ‘85) is Chief Executive Officer of Hebrew Theological College. He has held a number of important positions at HTC. He is a longtime faculty member in the Fasman Yeshiva High School and previously served as Registrar and Director of Financial Aid at HTC. Previously, Rabbi Schuman studied at Yeshivat Kerem B’Yavneh in Israel. He continued his studies at Ner Israel Rabbinical College in Baltimore, where he studied under Rabbi Yaakov Weinberg. In Ner Israel, Rabbi Schuman received a Master’s in Talmudic Law and rabbinic ordination Rabbi Schuman studied accounting at the University of Maryland and obtained his CPA license in 1991. After working at Walpert, Smullian and Blumenthal in Baltimore Rabbi Schuman chose to devote his life to Jewish education. He also volunteers as an EMT for Chicago Hatzalah. Rabbi Schuman is also a sought-after lecturer in Chicago, particularly in the areas of relationship and marriage.

Rabbi Moshe Revah

Originally from Toronto, Ontario, Rabbi Moshe Revah first studied in Passaic under Rabbi Meir Stern, then in Brisk Yerushalayim under Rabbi Avraham Yehoshua Solovetchik, before learning under Rabbi Hillel in Eretz Yisrael. Rabbi Revah came to Chicago as a Chicago community Kollel member, and got semicha from Rabbi Dovid Zucker. Rav of a popular shul in WRP Ohel Tefilla, Rabbi Revah has authored three sefarim on the Laws of Interest, Shabbos and Meat and Dairy. Her regularly contributes to Halacha Encounters and speaks around the city.