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Dear Shalom & list,
In the ongoing discussion about teaching Gemara I have not noticed any reference to another important aspect of the instruction of this subject in the day schools. I am very interested to find out how schools treat Gemara teaching for their female student population starting from the elementary level. In our school we introduce Mishna in the 5th grade and Gemara in
the 6th grade levels both to the boys and to the girls in a co-ed setting. In the 7th & 8th grades, where the boys & girls are separated for Limudei Kodesh, the girls are still taught Gemara but with a slight difference from the boys. Firstly, the Masechet chosen for them is not necessarily the same as the boys'. Secondly, the boys Gemara Shiur is extended to about an hour daily, while the girls' is kept at a one daily period of 42 minutes. I am currently in Israel visiting various Mamlachti Dati schools and am surprised to see that Gemara is mostly never introduced to girls on the elementary level. Even in the co-ed schools, I notice, the girls are taken out of the class for some enrichment program during Gemara, such as computers, gym, Melechet Yad, etc. I wonder what happens in other day schools both in the US, Israel or elsewhere.
Tamar Friedman
Hillel Torah
Chicago</HTML>