Nishmat is honoured to partner with the Montefiore Endowment in bringing Nishmat’s signature Yoatzot Halacha Fellows Programme to the United Kingdom. In the past, women who live in the UK who were interested in and eligible to study in the Yoatzot Halacha Programme have attended programs in Israel or in the United States. In order to sustain and expand the impact of Yoatzot Halacha in the UK, Nishmat partnered with the Montefiore Endowment to launch the UK Yoatzot Halacha Fellows Programme.
The UK Yoetzet Halacha Fellows Programme is dedicated by the Noé Family in loving memory of Mrs. Ruchi Noé, whose unwavering commitment to educating women is an inspiration.
The UK Yoetzet Halacha Fellows Programme is also dedicated by the Dangoor Family.
With support from additional families, students began their studies in the UK Yoatzot Halacha Fellows Programme in September 2024. Launching this programme in the UK allows the fellows enrolled to study in person, with sensitivity to British communal needs and the NHS medical and mental health system. Program faculty include Rabbanit Yoetzet Halacha Rachelle Sprecher Fraenkel and Rabbi Daniel Roselaar.
Like in our other Yoatzot Halacha Fellows Programs, the UK fellows spend over 1,000 hours in a rigorous halachic curriculum, coupled with an extensive practicum which prepares graduates to counsel women on halachic questions in Taharat Hamishpacha and other areas of Jewish law related to women’s health. Fellows also complete a supplementary curriculum in fields such as obstetrics and gynecology, fertility, sexuality, genetics, women’s cancers, postpartum health, lactation, and mental health. Further, fellows participate in a leadership training program preparing them to take on leadership roles in their communities. The curriculum includes modules on conflict resolution, leadership styles, negotiation training, and consensus building. To become a Yoetzet Halacha, fellows must pass written examinations on both halachic and medical material, as well as comprehensive oral examinations by a panel of prominent poskim.