Virtual Beis Midrash, 'real deal' says Shliach

On a revolutionary path, the world's first comprehensive "virtual" Beis Midrash program, is pleased to announce a new track for "bochurim" in Rabbinical ordination brought to you by Online Smicha in partnership with the Shluchim Office and the Shluchim Online School.

The structured, yet highly flexible internet-based classroom runs on the same technology as the Shluchim Online School. Since its inception in 2005, the Online School has received acclaim for providing hundreds of children of shluchim worldwide, high quality Jewish education, via its live audio/video internet classrooms.

Online Smicha, and its dynamic founder Rabbi Nachman Wilhelm, has proven the platform is just as flexible to be used as a "virtual" beis midrash, attracting a diversity of talmidim from around the world. In its two years of operation, Online Smicha has enrolled Shluchim looking to refresh their smicha, military chaplains, doctors, lawyers, and other professionals. The program offers tracks ranging from 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 years, and now through the newly established partnership will offer a specialized 1-year advanced track for bachurim on shlichus.

"Designed for yeshiva bochurim in their last formal year in yeshiva, the new track provides the bochorim with the ability to study the laws for smicha in a flexible online community, with both live and pre-recorded shiurim, online chavrusas, and a range of additional perks including video playbacks, audio mp3 files, and a discussion board in topics related to smicha," a PR statement read.

"Bochurim can now study the laws for smicha in a structured online program while at the same time helping established shluchim in remote areas for a period of a year," commented the Shluchim Office. "We have numerous shluchim from around the world searching for bochrim for the upcoming year."

As a current student of the program speaking from experience, Rabbi Yisrael Ort, Shaliach from Chabad of Auraria Campus in Denver, CO, says "Online Smicha is the 'real deal' when it comes to learning for smicha."

"Rabbi Wilhelm is an excellent speaker and maggid shiur who presents truly geshmoke aspects of halacha in a really amazing and animated way. The charts and handouts are truly outstanding. Rabbi Wilhelm fields a lot of tricky questions in the shiurim, by phone and through the discussion board. All the standard material is covered and then some, with some very profound questions often posed by the Rabbi which he expects the class to research and attempt to answer," continues Rabbi Ort.

"I literally look forward to the classes like nothing else all week. The truly ingenious arguments of the meforshim (commentary) are presented in a clear and lucid manner that illuminates even the most challenging of concepts and makes them comprehensible, yet not 'dumbed-down'. Many other commentaries in addition to the Taz and Shach are covered such as Rabbi Akiva Eiger, the Mateh Yehonasan, and many, many more."

"Of course, one cannot truly appreciate how enjoyable the classes are without mentioning the funny yiddishe expressions and mushulim (analogies) used in class that really stick with you. And lastly, the wonderful chassidic lessons that are peppered throughout make such a program truly unique," concluded Rabbi Ort who remains an active student in the program.

For more information, to apply, or to inquire about the fall semester please visit: www.onlinesmicha.com. Bochurim interested in pairing up with Shluchim around the world should send an email to admin@onlinesmicha.com.

Administration
Online Smicha
a Program of Lubavitch Yeshiva of Minnesota
admin@onlinesmicha.com
www.onlinesmicha.com