Beth midrash

A beth midrash (Hebrew: בית מדרש, "House of Learning"; pl.: batei midrash), also beis medrash or beit midrash, is a hall dedicated for Torah study, often translated as a "study hall". It is distinct from a synagogue (beth knesseth), although the two are often coextensive. In Yiddish the beth midrash may be referred to as a zal, i.e. "hall". Beis midrash can also refer to a yeshiva gedolah, the undergraduate-level program in Orthodox, for boys over 12th grade.

The Arabic term "madrasah" is derived from the same Semitic root, and refers to any type of educational institution. The root דרש means "to seek [knowledge]" and is then generalized to mean "expound".