Dr. Susan Weissman, who recently earned her PhD in medieval Jewish history, notes the dramatic growth of Revel in recent years.  When she began her studies at Revel, the PhD program was very small, but today it boasts 30 students, with the guidance of Professor Daniel Rynhold, who has been the PhD program director since fall 2011. Dr. Weissman began her studies at Revel taking courses with Prof. Haym Soloveitchik, a world-renowned expert on medieval Jewish history. She was deeply impressed by the depth of his knowledge, and is grateful that “he introduced me to the literature of rishonim and the proper methodology for studying the history of halakhah, specifically how one discerns historical developments in religious texts, which are presented as ahistorical.” Upon completion of her MA degree in 1992, Susan began teaching Jewish History and Bible at Shevach High school in Queens. While teaching, she began to explore the possibility of entering Revel’s PhD program, inspired by the courses she had taken with Professors Berger and Soloveitchik. The latter’s course on Sefer Hasidim stands out in her mind, and the subject became the focal point of her dissertation, entitled “Ghost Tales in Sefer Hasidim: An examination of the Role of the Dead and Notions of the Afterlife among the German Pietists and the Jews of Medieval Ashkenaz.” It was a long process. Susan was teaching and raising a family during the years between taking her first doctoral course in 1994 and the successful defense of her dissertation in December 2012. (She was officially graduated in May 2013.) Based on her exchanges with current Revel PhD students, Dr. Weissman understands that the program is quite different now, as students are provided with ample funding to focus on their studies and the guidance necessary to complete their dissertations within four years of entering the program. Additionally, Dr. Weissman senses a greater feeling of intellectual vibrancy among Revel’s PhD students than she sensed in years past, when the program was very small. Yet, Dr. Weissman recalls with gratitude the personal attention she received throughout her entire experience at Revel. In order to ensure that she had the proper academic training to write an outstanding dissertation, Revel arranged for her to take courses at other universities, and Professor Soloveitchik himself crafted individualized guided reading courses for her. Currently Dr. Weissman is Associate Professor of Judaic Studies at Touro College. The courses she teaches include “Textual Analysis of Genesis,” “Medieval and Modern Biblical Exegesis,” and “Advanced Topics in Tabernacles and Vessels.” She particularly enjoys teaching “Medieval and Modern Biblical Exegesis,” because it combines her interests in Jewish history and Bible interpretation. Dr. Weissman describes her passion for teaching as a love of “touching people’s minds, seeing their eyes light up.” She finds it gratifying to share knowledge with others—both through teaching and writing, though the former offers the benefit of personal interaction and immediate feedback, which she particularly enjoys. Dr. Weissman advises current Revel students to take full advantage of learning opportunities whenever they come up, including guest lectures, symposia, conferences, summer courses, etc. Revel brings many important scholars to interact with the graduate students and it is worthwhile taking full advantage of those events.  She recommends not focusing solely on one’s area of concentration, but also to take courses outside of one’s immediate discipline, “because other areas of learning enlarge your perspective, giving it a broader scope.” In that vein, Dr. Weissman is grateful to Revel for the broad and deep education she received, and believes that the PhD “has made her a much greater person than I was before I started.” This article was written by Elianna Mitnick (Revel MA student, Bible)