Lecturers

teaches literature in the Masorti High School.  She is a facilitator of creative writing workshops and a poet.  Her book In the New Life that I will Have ("בחיים החדשים שיהיו לי) was published by Even Hoshen in 2014.

teaches Parshat HaShavua at Matan and other Jerusalem venues. She holds a Ph.D. in English Literature from Cambridge University. She is an internationally sought after Bible teacher, and has published five well acclaimed books. She travels widely lecturing in Jewish, academic and psychoanalytic venues.

is the Rector of Matan’s Bellows Eshkolot Educators Institute for Tanakh and Jewish Studies.  She is founder and chair of the Bible and Biblical Exegesis program at Matan and has been teaching Tanakh at Matan for over 25 years.  Dr. Levy is one of the most esteemed Bible teachers in Israel and throughout the world.  She is also a leader in the movement for women’s Torah studies and was the first woman awarded a doctoral degree in Biblical Studies by Yeshiva University.  She has created four Torah websites which serve as creative educational tools for learning and teaching the Tanakh (www.brnyalevy.com).  Dr. Levy also runs “Matan Toratenu”, a unique Beit Midrash program focusing upon Tanakh and the arts.  Her book Waiting for Rain: Reflections at the Turning of the Year has recently been published in Hebrew.

Dr. Tanya White is an international lecturer, writer and educator with a focus on Tanach and Contemporary Jewish Thought. She is Senior lecturer at Matan Institute for Torah Studies and a guest lecturer at other institutes including Pardes and LSJS. Tanya holds a doctorate in Jewish Philosophy from Bar Ilan University and is the recipient of Schupf Fellowship for outstanding students. A collection of her articles, blogs and published material can be viewed on her blog-page: www.contemplatingtorah.wordpress.com

Dr. Tehilla Elitzur is a graduate of Matan's Advanced Talmudic Institute, and a lecturer in Talmud and Rabbinic Literature in Matan's Petichta Program and at Herzog College.

is the head of the Kitvuni Fellowship and a Matan lecturer. Dr. Ziegler teaches Tanakh at Herzog College and has lectured widely on various Tanakh topics in Israel, the United States, Canada, South Africa, Australia, and Europe. Dr. Ziegler is the author of Promises to Keep: The Oath in Biblical Narrative, Lamentations: Faith in a Turbulent World, and Ruth: From Alienation to Monarchy.

holds a B.A. from Stern College for Women, Yeshiva University in Judaic Studies and creative writing; she has a teaching degree in Tanakh from Herzog College and is a graduate of Matan's Tanakh Scholars' Program.  Her Masters and doctoral studies have been completed at Bar-Ilan University's Bible department.  She is also a madrichat kallot trained by Matan and Merkaz Eden.

Graduate of Matan's Hilkhata program. A certified Rabbinical Arbitrator. M.A in Talmud studies from BIU. Graduate of Beit Morasha Talmud program. Rabbanit Bat Sheva serves as a Ramit and coordinator of the Bekiut Halakha program in Migdal Oz and answers Halakhic questions online.

is a graduate of Hilkhata, Matan's Advanced Halakhic Institute and is a certified Meshivat Halakha. In addition she is a Yoetzet Halakha, and a graduate of Matan’s Advanced Talmud Institute.  Rabbanit Krauss teaches Halakha in the Morot L’Halakha program at Matan HaSharon and gives shiurim to the general public, which focus on the interface between Halakha and society, family and welfare.  She is a senior social worker specializing in old age, disability and community.

graduated from Matan’s  Advanced Talmudic Institute.  She has an M.A. in Talmud from Bar Ilan University and is a Certified Halakhic Advisor (Yoetzet Halakha) by Nishmat.  For the last 18 years she has taught Talmud and Midrash in a number of women’s Batei Midrash. She is in the first cohort of Hilkhata Matan’s Advanced Halakha Institute and a lecturer in Matan’s Metivta program.

was in the first cohort of the Matan Kitvuni Fellowship program and her book is in the publication process. She has a B.A. in Bible from Hebrew University and a M.A. and Ph.D. in Talmud from Bar Ilan University. Adina studied in Midreshet Lindenbaum, Migdal Oz, Havruta and the Advanced Talmud Institute in Matan. She currently teaches Bible and Talmud at Matan, and at Efrata and Orot colleges. Adina lives in Adam (Geva Binyamin) with her family.

is a graduate of Hilkhata, Matan's Advanced Halakhic Institute and is a certified Meshivat Halakha. In addition she is a Yoetzet Halakha, and a graduate of Matan’s Advanced Talmud Institute. She has an M.A. in Talmud from Bar-Ilan University. She is a graduate of Nishmat’s Yoetzet Halakha program as well as qualifying as a sex educator through Yahel and the Eden Center. She teaches contemporary Halakha and Talmud at Matan and Pardes, as well as teaching in Torah V'Avodah (TVA), a Bnei Akiva gap year program based in Matan. She is an active member of Beit Hillel and participates in interfaith dialogue through Roots, based in Gush Etzion.

is a graduate of Hilkhata, Matan's Advanced Halakhic Institute and a certified Meshivat Halakha. She is also the Director of Hilkhata Rachelle was in the first graduating class of Matan's Advanced Talmud Institute. She is a Yoetzet Halakha and teaches Talmud and Halakha at Matan and other institutions.

is a distinguished alumna of the Matan Beit Midrash program. She received her M.A. in Tanakh and Talmud from Bar Ilan University and is certified as a Halakhic Advisor. Shani is the Educational Director of Matan’s Bellows Eshkolot Educators Institute for Tanakh and Jewish Studies and of the Morot L’Halakha program in Matan HaSharon and she is the curriculum coordinator for the Bnei Akiva-Matan Program (MTVA). In addition Shani teaches courses at Matan and other advanced women's Torah Institutes in Israel.

is a graduate of Hilkhata, Matan's Advanced Halakhic Institute and is a certified Meshivat Halakha. She is the Director of Shayla. In addition she is a certified To'enet Rabbanit and a graduate of Matan’s Advanced Talmud Institute. Surale has taught Midrash, Talmud and Halakha and Daf Yomi in a wide array of shuls and communities, including the Matan Beit Midrash. Surale is a graduate of Bar Ilan University and holds degrees in English Literature and Talmud. This past year she wrote the weekly Parashat HaShavua column for Chumash Shemot in the leading religious Israeli newspaper Makor Rishon and periodically writes Divrei Torah for weekly Torah publications.

is the Rav of Hilkhata, Matan’s Advanced Halakha Institute.  He is a Dayan and Posek.  Rav Holland teaches Gemara and Halakha and is a senior lecturer at Matan and the Steinsaltz Institute in Jerusalem.  He headed Matan’s Talmudic Institute, has been a RAM in Yeshivat Tekoa and a researcher in Rav Steinsaltz’s institute.  He is involved in training Rabbis and the establishment of a system of conversion throughout Europe.

specializes in Jewish and general philosophy, contemporary Jewish thought and Biblical exegesis.  He teaches in Matan’s community program, and in the Rimonim and Ayanot Batei Midrash.  He also teaches at Midreshet Lindenbaum and at the Institute of Psychology at Tel Aviv University.  Rav Epstein has Semikha from the Rabbanut and is a graduate of the Harry Fischell Institute.  He has an M.A. from the University of Strasbourg, France.  He has written books and articles in Hebrew and French.  He edited and translated the book Chapters in the Philosophical Teachings of Emmanuel Levinas that was published in 1997 in cooperation with Matan.  His book Close and Far, on the thought of Emmanuel Levinas was published by the Ministry of Defense in 2004 and his translation of Levinas’ book Talmudic Readings was published by Schocken.

founder of the Tanakh Study Center www.tanach.org, is an internationally acclaimed Bible scholar and pioneer of Jewish education on the internet. His essays on Parshat Ha’Shavua reflect his vibrant thematic-analytical approach, blending the methods of modern scholarship with traditional approaches.  As a Rebbe at Yeshivat Har Etzion, where he founded the Yeshiva's Virtual Beit Midrash, he is best known for his ability to teach students how to study Tanakh.   Rabbi Leibtag also teaches at Yeshivat Shaalavim, Midreshet Lindenbaum, and Matan and routinely lectures around the globe, primarily as a scholar in residence in communities in North America.

was born in Paris, France where he completed his studies in mechanical engineering with a specialty in artificial intelligence and robotics.  He studied at Merkaz HaRav Yeshiva and participated in the Halakha Berura project.  At the same time he completed an M.A. in Jewish Philosophy and published a translation and revised version of the work Or Neerav (Moses Cordovero) based on the manuscripts.  He is a doctoral student in Jewish philosophy and teaches in various institutions in Israel.

is a graduate of the first class of The Joan and Shael Bellows Bible and Biblical Interpretation Program. Rachel founded and runs Ulpana Emunah for the arts in Jerusalem; she also managed a program to train school principals at the Jerusalem College in partnership with Anvei Rosha. Rachel established and continues to teach at the "Mevaser Shalom" Women's Study Center in Mevasseret Zion. She manages the Beit Midrash as well as the Matan Torateinu program at Matan.

is a Jerusalem-born writer and educator. Having researched connections between faith, emotions, and storytelling in 18th century America for her MA thesis in American history, she continues to explore similar connection in Tanach and other Jewish texts. Rachel teaches at Matan, Maayan- Torah from the Sources, Pardes, and Torah-in-Motion and her writing can be found in The Times of Israel, Tablet, 929 English and other online venues. Currently a Sefaria Word-by-Word fellow, Rachel is working on a book about Judges.

Rivi Frankel is the Administrative Director of Matan's Bellows Eshkolot Fellowship. She has a B.S in Management and an MA in Jewish Educationand is a graducate of the Matan Bellows Eshkolot Fellowship. She is also a licensed tour guide through the Ministry of Tourism. Rivi teaches in Matan and in Midreshet Emunah v'omanut as well as guiding various educational groups throughout Israel.

is a lecturer at Matan. She earned an M.A. in Jewish Studies from Baltimore Hebrew University. Her area of interest is Medieval Commentary. Rivka is a graduate of Matan's Bible and Biblical Exegesis Program.

is the head of the Petichta and Tzerufim Batei Midrash at Matan.  She teaches Tanakh and Jewish Thought in Modern Times: Torat HaRav Kook and the writings of Rebbe Nachman of Breslav.  She is a graduate of Matan’s program in Jewish Thought and has an M.A. in Jewish Thought and History from Touro College.  Rivka has a B.A. in Tanakh, Education and Jewish Thought from Bar Ilan and Tel Aviv universities.

is a graduate of Hilkhata, Matan's Advanced Halakhic Institute and is a certified Meshivat Halakha. She is also a graduate of Matan's Talmud Institute, and has an M.A. in Talmud from Bar-Ilan University. Her responsibilities in Matan include coordinating the Daf Yomi daily shiur as well as the weekly Tzurba Halakha program.

is a licensed tour guide and lectures and leads the tours in Matan’s Learn & Tour programs. She has an M.A. in Jewish History from Columbia University and is a graduate of the Matan Scholars Program.

Simi Peters teaches Tanakh, Midrash, and Parshanut (Biblical Exegesis) at Nishmat and Matan in Jerusalem, as well as lecturing on these topics internationally. The author of Learning to Read Midrash (Urim Publications), Simi has been involved in adult Jewish education, educational consulting, and teacher education since making aliya 40 years ago. She specializes in providing access to a wide variety of classic Jewish texts for students at all levels of Jewish literacy and experience. Simi has a Master’s Degree in Linguistics from the Graduate Center of CUNY, and is an alumna of the prestigious Jerusalem Fellows program.

Tamar Weissman is a lecturer in Tanakh and Land of Israel Studies at Matan, as well as a licensed tour guide. Her book, "Tribal Lands: The Twelve Tribes of Israel in their Ancestral Territories" (2015) explores the personalities of the sons of Jacob and the contours of their nahalot. She is currently writing a book on Megillat Esther.

has her Master’s degree in Judaic Studies from Columbia University. Prior to making Aliyah, Yael taught Tanakh at the Upper School of Ramaz, and then went on to join the Judaic Studies faculty at Yeshiva University’s Stern College for Women where she taught advanced Bible courses. She has taught Continuing Education courses at Drisha Institute for Jewish Education and served as Resident Scholar at the Jewish Center of Manhattan. She is currently teaching at Matan Women’s Institute for Torah Learning and is a frequent lecturer in North America and Europe. Yael has a book forthcoming on Ezra-Nehemiah through Koren Press, in collaboration with the Matan Kitvuni fellowship. For more of Yael’s writing visit: yaelleibowitz.com

is a lecturer at Matan, at the Midrasha in Bar Ilan University and in a number of other educational frameworks.  She is particularly interested in and teaches: Tanakh, Midrash and the world of the Tanaim.  She is involved in establishing the Museum of the Tanaim in Lod.  Yael has an M.A. in History and Jewish Thought from Touro College and a B.A. in Tanakh and Literature from Michlala College for Women in Jerusalem.