This past semester I took Rabbi Kahn’s advanced Talmud class at Stern. The class meets first period every morning, Monday through Thursday. Unlike at Yeshiva College, there is no scheduled time allotted for chavruta study to prepare for this Gemara class. Instead, all students who opt to take Talmud devote a portion of their free time to prepare for the class almost daily. The course is rigorous and challenging. I built textual and analytical skills as I learned to better read Rashi, Tosfot, and various other commentaries.

I was probably pushed harder in my Talmud class than in any of the other classes I took this semester. Some of my friends called me crazy for taking a Judaic class which requires such effort when there are so many easier options. There are many girls in the class whose averages suffer because they choose to study Talmud. However, they like myself, are willing to make certain sacrifices and elect to take the class anyway.

I cannot say that I even loved the class everyday. On some days I found the legal back and forth intellectually stimulating. Other days, the rigorous logic with which halakha developed fascinated me. But there were also days when I found the back and forth frustrating and uninspiring. Yet, I still came to class each day because studying Talmud is an important part of my life.

Talmud is one of the central texts of our Jewish tradition. The Talmud carries generations of Jewish thought and history. The Talmud, which consists of both aggada and halakha, is a work that strives to from a relationship with God in a world devoid of Godly revelation. Gemara presents the process of how chazal developed and understood Jewish law.

Understanding the development of halakha through the study of Talmud, allows me to become a more knowledgeable Jew and adds meaning and pride to my observance of Jewish law. When learning Gemara I encounter a rich multi-faceted tradition that has accompanied the Jewish people throughout exile. I become part of a conversation that spans thousands of years and shapes Jewish existence. I study Talmud to ensure that the text which has shaped Jewish existence, shapes my personal existence as well.

Recently I listened to a Question and Answer session of a YU Rosh Yeshiva which addressed women’s Talmud study. The session caused me to reflect upon different perceptions of women’s Talmud Torah and particularly upon how it is perceived at Yeshiva University. There are many who look down at women who study Talmud. Some say it is halakhically impermissible. I respect varying halakhic interpretations and am not asserting that all females study Talmud. There are others who say it is permissible for women to study Talmud, yet put such learning down for various hashkafic reasons, such as that it is not a part of the Jewish mesorah or will eventually lead to the acceptance of practices that are halakhically forbidden.

I respect such concerns, but I also find the manner in which many individuals express these views as irresponsible. I find it insensitive to hear people say that most women study Talmud purely as a means of promoting feminism. The main reason why both I and my counterparts at Stern study Talmud is not to promote a movement. It is because we want to learn torah. It is a way through which we try to grow and learn as Jews, and serve God. Snickering and laughing at girls who carry heavy gemaras and “want to be like boys,” is distasteful. It insults the way that I try to deepen my understanding as a Jew. It insults an important way through which I connect to my religion, people, and God.

It is especially discouraging to hear members and leaders of my own institution make comments that disrespect a class which is a formative part of my experience at Yeshiva University. Their words imply a lack of understanding regarding the significance Talmud learning holds for many Stern students.

I am proud to attend Yeshiva University, a place where women are afforded the privilege to study Talmud seriously. But I hope for more. I expect to attend a university where the decision to teach females Talmud is encouraged and respected by all, not degraded. It is time that we work together at both the Beren and Wilf Campuses, students and faculty alike, and cultivate an attitude of respect towards women who study Talmud at YU.