Seminary Savvy is a guidebook for young women who are about to graduate from Yeshiva high school and head to Israel for their year of study. The book contains many helpful tips and scenarios that will make a high school senior feel more prepared before leaving her family for an entire year. Some topics discussed are finding trusted adults to confide in, dealing with homesickness, navigating around Israel, learning about nutrition while away from home, and many more. The book tackles some serious topics that are unfortunately necessary for the woman of today, including what to do when an adult you trust begin to makes you feel uncomfortable, how to handle inappropriate male attention, and handling physical and mental afflictions while away from home.
The illustrated cover and various cartoons throughout the book may put off some high school seniors who feel this book might be too childish for them, but the information is mostly useful. Some of the advice in the book might seem obvious and unnecessary to state, but it tries to cover all bases, and will definitely help many girls in the Orthodox community.
Finally, the book was written with the express permission of several respected Orthodox rabbis, including Rabbi Sholom Kamenetsky and Rabbi Abraham Twerski, so even the most religious families in the Jewish community should feel comfortable giving it to their daughters to read.
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Evie Saphire-Bernstein is the program director of Jewish Book Council. She graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a B.A. in English and a minor in Jewish Studies. Before joining the Jewish Book Council team in 2015, she spent a year and a half working within the Conservative Movement as the Network Liaison for the Schechter Day School Network. She is a recent transplant to New York City, after living in Chicago for most of her life. In her spare time, Evie is a writer and blogger.
