Rabbi Dov Birnbaum of the SEED Shul in Edgware has just been appointed Director of the Midrasha at Hasmonean Girls’ School. He brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to the role, having previously run the annual SEED trip to Israel, worked with Rabbi Grunfeld and taught in Reb Zvi’s Yeshiva. Teaching in a girls’ school will be a new challenge, as he said ‘the most exciting part is the ability to lead the Midrasha into a new era of growth. The leadership of the school is very ambitious for what the Midrasha can achieve’. The Midrasha is designed to give students a wide knowledge of Jewish texts and the skills to look up sources and think about answers independently. Rabbi Birnbaum very much hopes that girls will come out of Hasmonean’s Midrasha with pride, excitement and confidence in their Judaism.