| • Volume 2, Issue 10 | • Tammuz 5770 | • June 2010 |
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OR TORAH, SKOKIE, HOSTS EVENT FOR YESHIVAT NEVE DEKALIM Over 70 people attended a fundraising event for Yeshivat Neve Dekalim hosted by Or Torah Congregation in Skokie, IL. Major General (res.) Yaakov Amidror, who served in the IDF Military Intelligence for 36 years, was the guest speaker.
Rabbi Zvi Engel of Or Torah delivered a passionate Dvar Torah, recalling his visit to the yeshiva in January 2009 during Operation Cast Lead, as a member of a rabbis' delegation sponsored by the JNF. The yeshiva, which had to abandon its beautiful campus in Gush Katif in 2005, had just recently moved to a complex of temporary structures in Ashdod. Operation Cast Lead forced the yeshiva to relocate yet again, this time to the basement of a local synagogue, because the city was under rocket attack from Gaza. The rabbis spent time learning Torah with the yeshiva students, and learned that they had refused to evacuate to a safer location as a show of solidarity with the residents of Ashdod. Rabbi Engel was so touched by the visit that he resolved to help the yeshiva build its new permanent campus in Ashdod. Rabbi Engel contacted Shlomo Vanchotzker, the yeshiva's executive director and former resident of Gush Katif, and worked with Menachem Bar-Shalom, AFYBA Executive Director, to organize the event. Click here to read coverage of Yeshivat Neve Dekalim's move to Ashdod in the Jewish Press
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EDYTHE SOMMER MEMORIAL TORAH U’MAADA SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
AFYBA has announced the winners of the Edythe Sommer Memorial Torah U'Maada Scholarship award for 2010-11. Established through the generosity of the Sommer Family of Chicago, Illinois, the award recognizes post-high school American students for their academic excellence in both Jewish and general studies. In particular, the scholarship emphasizes the areas of science and math, along with excellent midot and involvement in chesed, extra-curricular and communal activities, as well as personal identification with the goals of Yeshivot Bnei Akiva and religious Zionism. The winners are 2010 graduates of three yeshiva high schools. They are:
All three winners will be participating in the gap-year program for Diaspora students at Yeshivat Hakotel starting in September. |
CHATAN TALMUD FROM YBA KIRYAT HERZOG, Over 400 students from eight YBA yeshivot packed the auditorium at the Netanya Community College to cheer on their school's contestants for the title of Chatan Talmud. The annual YBA Chidon Talmud contest challenges the network's brightest students on their mastery of the Gemara studied in all YBA yeshivot. This year's contest covered Masechet Baba Kama, the volume of Talmud dealing with the laws of property and damages. Ephraim Schram (15) from YBA Kiryat Herzog in Bnei Brak took first place from among the 13 finalists.
YBA schools encourage their students to strive for excellence in all fields of study, as well as to develop personal character traits worthy of a Ben- or Bat-Torah. The annual Chidon Talmud contest is one of the highlights of the school year. Click here to view a gallery of photos from the Chidon Talmud contest |
YESHIVAT HAKOTEL MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR HARAV MORDECHAI ELIYAHU, ZT"L Yeshivat Hakotel hosted a memorial service for former Chief Rabbi of Israel and Rishon Letzion, Harav Mordechai Eliyahu, zt"l at the close of the week of Shiva. Harav Eliyahu was widely regarded as a gadol hador, one of the important spiritual leaders of the religious Zionist community in our generation. Over 100,000 people swarmed the streets of Jerusalem to participate in his funeral procession.
Yeshivat Hakotel enjoyed a close relationship with Harav Eliyahu since its founding immediately after the 1967 Six Day War. He was present at the dedication ceremonies of every building, often delivered Torah lectures to the Hesder students and even blessed them on the eve of there induction into IDF combat units. The speakers, including Rosh Yeshiva Baruch Weider and the rabbi's son, Harav Shmuel Eliyahu, noted the rabbi's greatness in Torah scholarship and love of the Eretz Yisrael, and particularly for his exceptionally warm and caring personality, which impressed every individual who had contact with him. Click here view video of Harav Eliyahu's funeral |
YBA GIVAT SHMUEL
Dignitaries, rabbis, parents and friends of Yeshivat Givat Shmuel gathered recently to salute the school on the 10th anniversary as a yeshiva high school. The school existed as a "Mechina" junior high school for 27 years prior to expanding to a full 6-year yeshiva high school. YBA Givat Shmuel, located near Bar Ilan University, serves over 580 students in the central region of Israel and has won numerous prizes for educational excellence. Minister of Education Gideon Saar praised the school for the level of its students' scholastic achievements: "The school's combined emphasis on Torah and Derech Eretz is so important to raising good citizens who love the Land of Israel and contribute to the defense and development of the nation." Click here to learn more about Yeshivat Givat Shmuel or |
PROFILE: TZIPI HOTOVELY, ISRAEL'S YOUNGEST MK Tzipi Hotovely sums up her achievement of a Knesset seat at the tender age of 30 in two words: “hashgacha pratit” — Hebrew for divine providence. “It is one of those unique moments in life when you feel that G-d is putting you in a certain spot to promote shlichut Hashem,” she explained.
Hotovely was recruited by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to join the Likud list on the run-up to the 18th Knesset. She came in at the 18th slot, just behind Likud veteran Dan Meridor. The number itself has numerical significance as the Hebrew word “chai.” Click here to read entire article, "Tzipi Hotovely — Israel’s youngest politician stands up" by Malka Eisenberg, The Jewish Star, March 24, 2010
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The phenomenon of prolonged singledom in the religious Zionist sector is perceived as a threat to the hegemony of Halacha in religious society. So claims anthropologist Rina Rothlinger-Reiner in her new study presented recently at the Orot Israel College in Elkana. The study examined three plays produced by religious theater groups, and the "Srugim" television series, and compared how artists and rabbis deal with the issue of prolonged singledom in the religious sector.
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