Growing up in London, England, Claudine (Altman) Baker had no real religious upbringing. Although her family was traditional – they lit candles and had challah and wine on Friday night – Claudine had no Jewish education.

After completing a degree in French and Spanish at Nottingham University, Claudine attended the Broadcast Journalism program at City University. Post-graduation, Claudine became a radio journalist for Bloomberg and then for Talk Sports, a national radio station in England. While working, Claudine and her (now) husband started asking questions about Judaism. As they delved deeper into Judaism they became more and more religious.

After 10 months of waking up at 4 a.m. to make it to work at Talk Sports, Claudine decided it was time to come to Israel. She and her husband decided to leave their jobs for six months to learn full-time in Israel. When choosing where to learn, Claudine wanted a school that is intimate, had an older student body, and, most importantly, had a strong focus on textual skills. Claudine found this balance at She’arim.

Claudine admits that leaving your job and coming to Israel to learn is a hard step when you have no one to support you financially but she says, “If you’re thinking about it, take the plunge because it’s an investment in your spiritual future.”

Danielle Jacobs

Growing up in Manchester, England, Danielle Jacobs’ perception of the “frum” community was somewhat vague. The traditional practices she was accustomed to seemed far from those of more observant communities. Shabbat seemed different, praying seemed different. The connection to Hashem that was evident seemed so special, yet inaccessible. She became aware that the same actions evoked different experiences.

It was at age 11, while attending a non-Jewish girls school, that Danielle became increasingly aware of her Jewish identity. The obvious differences in religious beliefs and practices motivated her to discover more about being Jewish and the needs and responsibilities that it entailed. Consequently, she began introducing more Halacha (Jewish Law) into her life and continued to learn, struggle and grow throughout high school.

After a special one-year post-high school program in Israel, Danielle returned to England to complete an honors degree in Math and Management at Leeds University. There she enjoyed an active role in the Jewish student community, particularly welcoming students into her home for Shabbat meals. Her summers were spent with friends, traveling and learning at seminary at every opportunity. During Danielle’s study year abroad, she was very involved in the Chabad House at Penn State University in the US, which further increased her learning and love for Judaism.

Since her graduation from university, Danielle has come to She’arim to continue her growth. Living and learning in Israel, where the events in the Torah actually occurred, has provided an insight and understanding unlike any she could have gained elsewhere. That, combined with the guidance and love she receives from the teachers and students at She’arim, has allowed Danielle to live a more fulfilling life. “That once ’inaccessible’ connection is no longer inaccessible.”

Rishona Frank

Judaism was never much of a priority in Rishona Frank’s home growing up; her family kept up some of the traditions, but not much more. “My mom wanted me to marry someone Jewish, but I don’t think my Dad really cared so much,” she says. They attended a Conservative synagogue sometimes, celebrated High Holidays in traditional ways, and sent her to Sunday school until the age of 14, where she learned some minimal Hebrew language skills. Still, she never really felt a personal connection to Judaism until she got to college.

At the University of Miami, where she would eventually earn her BS in biomedical engineering, Rishona hooked up with a kiruv organization called Collegiate Learning Exchange. She was inspired by the Torah lifestyle, and slowly became more observant. By the time she graduated, she was Shomeret Shabbat and Kashrut, as well as dressing modestly. But she knew there was so much more to learn; she was thirsting for growth.

A friend encouraged her to check out She’arim for a few weeks over the summer of 2006, which she did. The emphasis on building text skills, the small classes and intimate atmosphere, and the maturity of the post-graduate women learning here all attracted Rishona immensely. Upon graduating, she returned in August 2007, planning to stay for 5 months. After extending her stay to 11 months, she took a short break and then came back for 4 more. “The time was going by so fast, and I knew there was a lot more I could get out of being here. I knew this was the best time of my life to be able to come and do this. And I knew I could gain a lot more if I stayed.” Over the months, she improved tremendously in her text skills, her knowledge of halacha, and her understanding of advanced hashkafa concepts. But while her main goal had been to learn Torah, she also ended up strengthening her sense of self, clarifying her goals in life, and opening up more in social situations. She considers the confidence she gained over the months to be priceless: “At She’arim, you learn Torah, as well as how to be a normally integrated member of society. I think that’s a really important combination,” she says.

Rishona is now off to complete her degree in prosthetics at Chicago’s NorthWestern University. She has always been interested in helping people, and was attracted to the prosthetics field because of the hands-on involvement with patients. Little did she know that her time at She’arim would even enhance her professional life: “She’arim has helped me relate to patients better.  I see each of them as Tzelem Elokim (the image of G-d) now.” As she looks toward her future, she knows that her learning here will always remain an integral part of her development as a Jewish woman, and as a human being.

“Anytime you can come and learn is a good thing,” she says. “Even if just for a couple of weeks or a month. Everything has an impact.”