Pesach: Looking at Life Anew
by Mrs. Sarah Dena Katz |
The author of the Haggadah asks "Yachol meRosh Chodesh" in regard to when the story of "Yetziat Mitzrayim" should be told.
This is somewhat strange. We don't find a statement suggesting that any other mitzvah should be discussed or prepared for on the Rosh Chodesh before its actual date. This question seems to be so significant that the Rambam even includes it in his description of the Mitzvah (#157 in Sefer Hamitzvot) despite the fact that it has no halachic application. The question begs to be asked; why would fulfilling Sippur Yetziat Mitzrayim from Rosh Chodesh be integral to this Mitzvah?
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| Alumnae Profiles/Testimonials
Aviva (Krombach) Gonsher - MMY 5759 |
"Yum-meh-ne-nai-nai, yum-meh-ne-nai-nai, um-meh-ne-nai-nai NAI NAI NAI!" A Chassidic Niggun shakes the walls of our home, filling our house with energy and excitement for the Torah that the group of college students has just learned with my husband. I listen in from the kitchen, where I sway to the melody, hurriedly preparing carrot kugel for the 17 or so guests who will join us tomorrow evening for Shabbat. I am careful not to get too carried away with the beauty of the moment - many of our guests tomorrow night will be tasting Shabbat for the first time and I want to make sure it is memorable for them and for my family (and that I don't miss an ingredient). Nonetheless, I let myself slip away, and momentarily reflect back to earlier in the day, when I sat opposite a recently engaged young woman. She and I study together weekly, learning how she can apply the Torah she learns into her own life and into the bayit ne'eman she will, please G-d, be creating in a few short months.
"Torah is alive in the middle of America, in the greater Kansas City area", I think as I gently place the kugel into the oven, "and I am truly lucky to be part of this." I study tefillah with many of the ladies here late Wednesday nights and I see first-hand how it touches all of our lives. I think of Ahuvim, the Adults with Special Needs group my husband and I have started, pulling on my skills as an Occupational Therapist and my love for every neshama, and think about what an honor it is to be doing what we do. And as I begin thumbing through "Michlelet Mevashelet," (the cook book from my machzor in MMY) for treats to make for tomorrow night's oneg, I think back to how I was fortunate enough to get to this place in my life - how Hashem has granted me the ability to watch, on a daily basis, Jewish neshamot connecting to their Creator and growing.
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Laughter and Geula
by Miriam Borenstein - MMY 5766 |
 Growing up I used to watch the famous T.V show called "America's funniest home videos." People would send in their funniest moments caught on tape and share them with the rest of America. I would say a good 80% of all the videos involved some sort of clumsiness, someone performing a dance and falling off stage, a child bumping into a pole, a slip on a banana peel etc.
I always wondered why that was funny. Even if you never watched the show, we can all think of a time that one of our friends or family members tripped over something and as we are helping them up and making sure that they are okay, we cannot help but smile or laugh about the situation after. Why? What makes a situation laughable? Coming out of Purim and still enjoying the days of Adar, laughter is all around us. What is the secret to making people laugh?
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Purim Schtick 5770
Kamp Katz vs. House of Haber
by Lior Zwanziger |
 Some events are planned meticulously, and it is for that reason that they run smoothly. Rarely does one encounter a successful occasion in which spontaneity and impulsivity direct its course. This year's "Purim Shtick" peculiarly belonged to the latter.
Astonishingly, the entire morning was planned eight hours before sunrise. The girls brainstormed over chocolate and coffee, racking their brains, assessing the best possible plan. The final plot with its many possible flaws worked perfectly.
When Rabbi Katz, Rabbi Haber, Rabbi Lerner, and Rabbi Twersky arrived to school on a sunny Sunday, they were greeted by a oversized banana (Elianna Wolf in real life), and delightful bumblebee (Ilana Wimmer). The four were split into two cabs, Rabbi Lerner along with Rabbi Katz, and Rabbi Haber joined Rabbi Twersky. The banana rode with the RDK crew, and handed them a riddle that was cleverly penned by Rachel Margolin, while the bumblebee did the same with the Haber team. Both teams perused the puzzling conundrum, and they slowly mouthed, "B-e-n Y-e-h-u-d-a. Oh."
The taxi dropped the slightly dazed rabbis at the top of the hill with the banana and bumblebee leading them down one of the most famed streets in Jerusalem. At the base of the hill perched two tents. Talia Lautman and Jenny Mays began to argue over which rabbinical style they prefer. Lautman supported Rabbi Katz while Mays stuck staunchly by Rabbi Haber. As their quarrel continued, tens of girls began to pop out of the tents, and it became apparent that there were two teams. The orange team supported Rabbi Katz, the purple team rallied Rabbi Haber. As they both screamed and argued, a peculiar African lady (namely me) exited the makolet and began to approach the arguing masses.
Click here for rest of article>> |
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25 Rabbi Najara Street
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| Rabbi Twersky Launches New Website |
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Rabbi Twersky has recently launched a new version of his personal website, realtorah.com.
The site contains a huge selection of audio shiurim on a wide range of topics, educational material and curricula, articles and much more.
Shiurim are available in the areas of Tanach, Iyyun B'Gemarah, Halachah, Machshavah, Aggadatah, Inyanei Deyoma, Tefillah, Avot and Chinuch.
It also includes the list of things that you can be sure a person with a good Yeshivah education will get wrong.
Some of the improvements in the new version of the site include pdfs of the mekorot sheets for the audio shiurim, search capabilities and much more. A huge number of shiurim have been, and are being, added-including entire new categories.
We wish Rabbi Twersky well in this new endeavor!
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| MMY Summer Program! |
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Are you still in university or shortly after? Do you have finalized plans yet for this summer? If the answer to the first question is "yes" and to the second is "no", how about thinking about learning in MMY, either full- or part-time? For more information, see our website, or contact Rabbi Haber or Alexa Rosenberg (who is helping with organization). And even if you think you might be interested in coming, please let us know so we can begin to know what size group we are planning for. | |
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