Women in Ariel have new opportunities to connect to their Jewish roots this year, thanks to a brand-new program from the Netzer Ariel community.
Netzer Ariel began in 2005, when Israel ordered the evacuation of almost 10,000 Israeli Jews from the Gush Katif area in Gaza in a move known as the Disengagement. Roughly six hundred of those expellees were from the community of Netzarim.
The City of Ariel welcomed the evacuees with open arms and gave them temporary housing at what was then the College of Judea and Samaria (now Ariel University) and in caravans in the city. Many of the original Netzarim community stayed to form the Netzer Ariel community and neighborhood in the city. 
In just over a decade, the Netzer Ariel community has formed a vital part of Ariel’s religious life. The community has become a wellspring of Torah life – through active involvement in the city, attracting young families to the community through its commitment to a Torah lifestyle, and through providing Torah study to any Israeli interested in Jewish heritage.
Now, women from Ariel and throughout Samaria can benefit from this focus on Jewish life – through a women’s learning initiative which promises high-quality education for the intellectually-minded and Torah-minded modern Jewish woman. The program provides the option of a structured learning environment with a quality comparable to similar Torah learning centers for women in the Jerusalem area.
“We aim to reach a wide-ranging audience and allow as many local women as possible to broaden their perspectives, contribute to the strength of their families and communities, and deepen their Jewish knowledge and familiarity with Jewish texts,” Netzer Ariel representatives stated last month.
Women meet once per week to study three subjects: Foundations in Jewish Thought, Personal Development, and Parenting Strategies.
The program is in its second year and this year’s program has already begun – but it cannot continue without support from Ariel’s dedicated friends and supporters. Donate below to allow women to continue to thrive in the wide world of Torah learning.