Imagine studying hevruta-style with a classmate—talking about, pointing at, underlining words of text—while the instructor roams about, checking in for questions. Except you're in New York, your classmate's in Singapore and your instructor's in Israel.

Hebrew College Online (HCO) recreates the hevruta experience this fall through a Virtual Bet Midrash, part of the 4-credit Gateway courses needed to complete the online MAJS program.

"The Virtual Bet Midrash is meant to enrich our online students' learning environment, to make their experience more varied and more classroom-like," says Dr. Alan Zaitchik, director of Hebrew College Online and visiting associate professor of Jewish thought. "It's a major step in the world of HCO and online learning."

The software program HCO uses for the Virtual Bet Midrash is analogous to a classroom. Each week, at the scheduled time, students log in to find themselves in a lobby, where they select a prescheduled conference room to meet their hevruta, or study partner. Equipped with headsets and microphones, they can discuss the text on their screens. Using whiteboard software, students can show what they do not understand by circling or underlining words or phrases. And when a problem arises, they can send a message to their instructor for help.

Rabbi Peretz Rodman BHL'76, visiting lecturer in Hebrew language and literature, is pioneering the Virtual Bet Midrash as its first instructor for the 2005–2006 academic year. A resident of Israel, he also teaches at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Rothberg International School and has extensive training in Hebrew language and applied linguistics. During the hevruta study sessions, Rodman is available for questions and visits the virtual conference rooms to see if students need his help. He can also scan and fax students Judaic reference materials from his office to enhance their learning and replicate the physical bet midrash experience of studying in a library.

"Hebrew College's online program is already highly sophisticated, and with this new development, we are pushing beyond the forefront of what it means to be an online student," says Rodman. "I'm thrilled to be a part of it."

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