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"LOOK, DOZENS OF WOMEN STUDYING gemara," says Adina Luber, surveying the buzzing Beit Midrash at Midreshet Lindenbaum. "It seems so natural, we sometimes forget how revolutionary it really is."

Adina is a Maria Finkle Fellow in Midreshet Lindenbaum's Bruria Scholars program, a prestigious framework which offers outstanding postgraduates the opportunity to engage in advanced Torah study. Born in Teaneck, NJ, Adina made aliya with her family at the age of eight. When she was seventeen, she came first in the International Bible Quiz for Youth, competing against hundreds of other contestants. Then, after completing two years of national service, she enrolled at Bar-Ilan University where she studied law. "At Bar-Ilan," she recalls, "I was in the inaugural class of the Metivta program, which involved twenty hours a week of Beit Midrash study on top of our regular course-load."

After graduating, Adina clerked for a year at the Justice Ministry in the Office of the State Attorney - one of the most prestigious placements for aspiring young lawyers. "I passed the Bar exam," she says, "but my heart was set on returning to full-time Torah learning."

She studied for three years at an institute for advanced Jewish studies in Jerusalem, where she greatly sharpened her study skills. "My dream, however, was to continue learning while imparting my knowledge to others."

To achieve her goal, Adina transferred to the Bruria Scholars program, where she studies for no less than eight hours a day and also teaches at Midreshet Lindenbaum in both the overseas track and the Israeli track.

"Bruria Scholars is a remarkable program that combines advanced study of both Talmud and Halacha," says Gila Rosen, Rosh Beit Midrash at Midreshet Lindenbaum. "What's also unique is that every Bruria Scholar learns with a younger student. The presence of the scholars greatly enriches the Beit Midrash." Adds Adina: "This is what I like about the program - that it doesn't exist in a vacuum. To a large extent, we are role models for the younger students. They see that Torah learning is a vibrant, exciting, evolving process that exists on every level."

Ten women are currently enrolled in the Bruria Scholars program, which, since its inception thirteen years ago, has produced scores of highly-trained graduates. By virtue of their accomplishments, they have inspired hundreds of others to choose a similar path. Says Gila: "The program has produced a whole generation of learned women, who comprise powerful examples for others - youth and adults, men and women - in their communities."

Adina herself is committed to a career in Jewish education; for her, the program offers a valuable springboard. Not surprisingly, Adina's particular interest is Jewish law. "I feel that my legal training gives me additional insights into the halachic process as a whole," she says.

Adina does not take for granted the unprecedented opportunities for Torah learning which are available to women. "My great-grandmother," she recalls, "who lived in London, was considered a great talmidat chacham, but only because she was the only woman in her community who was able to read the siddur. Today, we have a whole Beit Midrash filled with women who really are talmidot chachamim. Only a generation ago, people never dreamt of such a thing."

"I love Gemara,"

While at university in Prague, she began reading voraciously about Judaism. Finally, in 1995, she converted; soon after, she moved to Israel. In Israel, Nechama studied at a number of institutions, reaching a remarkable level of erudition in a relatively short time.

"I came to Bruria because I wanted to devote myself to full-time study," she says. "This is the most challenging program I could find."
Nechama is married to Mordechai Rackover, a Canadian immigrant who is a graduate of OTS's Yeshivat Hamivtar - Orot Lev. Together, the couple intends to spend several years abroad, where they plan to devote themselves to inspiring others through Jewish education. "Having come so far myself," she says, "I have a tremendous desire to encourage others."

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