

"Wow. Difficult to sum up in six lines so I’ll keep it very brief. First of all, the intimate setting lent itself perfectly towards the intimate topics we discussed. Not only would I have been uncomfortable asking certain questions were there boys present, but also were there more girls present. I think that the setting really allowed me to engage in the class emotionally and not hold back at all. Also, in relation to this, the idea that nothing was “taboo” really hit home."
Romy Oltuski, LA '11
"I can’t even begin to express how meaningful this course has been for me. It has really empowered me by making me realize just how individual-focused (versus public ceremony-focused) Judaism is, both in terms of a person's own internal convictions and his/her individual decisions. It is very refreshing that Judaism is not an all or nothing religion and a person can do as much as they are ready for. I particularly enjoyed learning about the Mikvah, which is something that I knew very little about going into the course. Overall, the course has been life-changing and has forever transformed the values that I will aim to instill in my family."
Julia Torgovitskaya, LA '09
"I really liked class two, in which we talked about love. I’m not sure what exactly it was about it, but I keep coming back and thinking about those ideas. The idea that love is really what grows, not what a couple starts out with, is so contrary to what American media portrays, but so interesting and important to think about."
Ahnie Levine, LA '12
"I think this course was very interesting because the topic is extremely
relevant but hardly ever discussed. I thought the most meaningful and inspiring thing was that it provided an entirely new perspective on a lot of Jewish ideas that made them much more meaningful. In class five, when we discussed tzniut, for example, I always thought of it as something restrictive imposed on women, but after class I realize how valuable and liberating it actually is."
Jenny Hahn, LA '12
"I think that talking about the centrality of women in Judaism, balancing work and family were interesting. I liked learning more about Mikvah. I think talking about thinking about how we are perceived by others is important. I definitely appreciated the frank discussion about tzniut and marriage, and trying to understand real reason behind halacha instead of the assumed reason."
Marla Spivack, LA '12
"Coming from a less “Jewish” background, I felt that being exposed to these “secrets” was inspiring in itself because of the intimate setting. Even though I mostly “took it all in” I really enjoyed this class. The most inspiring topic I felt was when we talked about the meaning of “love”. I though that the most beautiful thing that was said was that each person puts in 100% into love, not 50/50. That statement will stick with me. I guess the “love and intimacy” class as a whole was the most inspiring."
Rachael Beekman, LA '12