For the women learning Nach Yomi, ancient words illuminate current events

In a large shul with high ceilings and blond wood, hundreds of women sit together, listening intently to a lecturer. Teenagers sit next to octogenarians, besheiteled women next to women in vibrant tichels or hats. What’s the common factor in this diverse crowd? They’re all participants of the Torat Imecha Nach Yomi program, and they’ve come together to celebrate the completion of a cycle.

Family First spoke with Rebbetzin Dr. Adina Shmidman, who initiated the program, and a number of participants and teachers to find out more about this program, which so many women have described as “life-changing”

Around 20 years ago, someone approached Rabbi Jack Abramowitz at the Orthodox Union, and asked if he’d start a Nach Yomi program, in which participants learn a perek a day of Nach. He did, and it became the very first program in OU Torah, the OU’s Torah content website.

When Rebbetzin Shmidman became the founding director of the OU’s Women’s Initiatives Department in 2017, it was shortly before the beginning of another Nach Yomi cycle. At the time, Nach Yomi had only male teachers, and someone suggested that Rebbetzin Shmidman start a stream for women with female teachers.

“It was a great suggestion, but the timing wasn’t right,” says Rebbetzin Shmidman. She shelved the idea, intending to make it happen for the next cycle. “The cycle is almost two years long,” she explains. “It works out beautifully: Six months of Neviim Rishonim, six months of Neviim Acharonim, five months of Tehillim, and then the rest of the Kesuvim,” she says.

In November of 2019, it suddenly hit her that the current Nach Yomi cycle was almost finished, leaving her only ten weeks to launch a women’s version. The new Nach Yomi cycle would be starting at the same time as the new Daf Yomi cycle. “The spirit was in the air, the energy was there, the desire for learning was there. We were thrilled to move forward with that collective momentum,” she says.

Working down to the wire, Torat Imecha Nach Yomi launched on time. The reception exceeded expectations. “I told our team that if we got 300 people to sign up, I’d be very, very pleased,” says Rebbetzin Shmidman. “In my heart, I thought if we could get a thousand, I’d be absolutely over the moon.” Over 6,500 women from all over the world signed up for that first cycle. This past cycle, over 10,000 women participated.

Rebbetzin Marcy Fried from Dallas was one of the women who rode that wave of the Siyum HaShas right into Nach Yomi. Marcy attended the Siyum HaShas in 2020, and came out of the experience very motivated. “Even as a rebbetzin who learns and teaches regularly, this experience made me want to take on some daily learning, something more systematic. I saw the transformation, how doing Daf Yomi inspired people and changed their lives.” The Nach Yomi program was exactly what she was looking for.