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MMY Begins New Building Capital Campaign
An Interview with Rabbi David Katz |
As everyone knows, MMY is gearing up for the move to our new location in Baka, as of September of 2011. There have been many concrete steps taken to prepare for this exciting development. Rabbi David Katz, our dedicated director, has taken on the additional role of coordinator of the capital campaign and fundraising dinner.
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Rabbi Katz shows building plans at a recent meeting |
Although he is still teaching his popular Torah Misinai and Baayot Hilchatiot Bachevra HaYisraelit courses, his main focus this year is overseeing the financial and technical realities of the new building.
We managed to grab him over lunch one day in a rare moment of free time to ask him a few questions about the advances in this exciting project.
Read Interview... |
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Maaseh Yehudit
by Adira Lautman (MMY 5766-5767 / Madricha 5770) | |
 When initially approached to write a D'var Torah for MMY, I was immediately drawn to the female heroine of the Chanukah story, Yehudit. I thought it would be appropriate to write something for women, by a woman, about a woman. However, as I pulled sefarim off the shelves, I became dismayed. I had so little to work with. Or so I thought. So I began by looking through Halachic texts.
In Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim, (#970) Rabbi Yosef Karo writes, "Chanukah is for eight days beginning on the 25th of Kislev. These are days when eulogies and fasting are prohibited, but work is permitted - except for women who have the custom to abstain from doing any form of labor while the candles are burning." Further on, he writes that women are obligated in lighting Chanukah candles and may light on behalf of the entire household." Going back in time to Gemara Shabbat 23a, we find that "Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says that women are obligated in the mitzvah of Chanukah lights, for they too were involved in the miracle."
What does this mean that, "they too were involved in the miracle?" Rashi suggests two possible interpretations of the puzzling phrase. His first suggestion, which is also quoted by the Rambam, is that women were also involved in the miracle - they too were subjugated to the Greeks, but in an awful tragic way particular to women only: each Jewish virgin was forced to be with a Greek officer before marrying.
A second possibility is what the Mishnah Berurah quotes: "through a woman the miracle occurred." This comment is echoed and enlarged upon by Rashi's grandson, Rashbam, who adds, that the Chanukah miracle was done through the agency of Yehudit: a Jewess who was sent into the general of the Greek army's tent, Holofernes, and there she seduced him with her beauty and with heavy cheese and wine. When he fell asleep she cut off his head and returned home with it. Because of this story (which is recorded in the Apocrypha), the Rama and others write that some have a minhag to eat dairy products on Chanukah because the miracle of Yehudit came about by using cheese.
Read full article... |
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MMY Summer Program is Back!!
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After a one-year hiatus, the MMY Summer Program is back and better than ever before! This program (for young women of university age and beyond) is an incredible opportunity to come back to MMY and spend a few weeks immersed in the Bet Midrash, once again learning Torah from MMY teachers. The program also includes a tiyul and Shabbaton, and other special programming.
As in the past, it is possible to earn up to 5 Judaic Studies credits accepted by Stern College and any other university that accepts MMY credits.
Part-time options are also avaiable. Preliminary details are already available on our website, and more info will be available in the coming months.
Want to spend some time learning Torah in Israel this summer? Then consider coming back to MMY! (And since the program is open to all, please help us spread the word also among your friends who didn't go to MMY.)
We will also be reviving IBME - our high school summer program, for a select group of high school girls interested in a serious learning program in Israel for the summer.
For more information on either program, contact Ora Weinbach, or write to us directly in the office. |
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Ora's Classes Substituted by her Talmidot |
Mrs. Ora Derovan has been teaching at MMY for years and has developed somewhat of a fan club for her uniquely eclectic, challenging, and inspiring style of teaching Tanach. Many students passing through MMY have taken one of her classes, either Sefer Shmot, T'kufat Shivat Zion, or others.
Recently Ora gave birth to a baby boy named Shachar (Mazal Tov!), and she is currently on maternity leave. We are very proud that the women who have been subbing for her are two of our own talmidot: Miriam (Srulovitz) Epstein (who is also a Rakezet) and Miriam (Herskovitz) Berman (pictured here with Ora). Both Miriams were students of Ora's, who took the very same classes they are now teaching!
Miriam and Miriam have both expressed how lucky and honored they feel to be teaching in MMY, and especially to be teaching the exact classes they themselves found so inspiring when they were learning here. "Not long ago, you could find me sitting in the Bet Midrash, trying to understand difficult texts within the Torah in an effort to grow closer to Hashem," Miriam Berman said, "Now, I am looking at these girls who I am teaching and I am able to say to them, 'I took this class, I confronted the same challenges as you and I appreciate where you are coming from.' It's an amazing thing."
Read more... |
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 25 Rabbi Najara Street
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SAVE THE DATE!
Fifth Annual Alumnae Yom Iyun
Bergenfield, NJ
Sunday,
2 Adar 1 5771
February 6, 2011 | |
Although the current MMY students miss their teachers when a number of them leave for recruiting trips, alumnae overseas definitely benefit from those same teachers' presence!
The annual Yom Iyun takes place in Bergenfield, NJ and consists of a morning of learning open to all alumnae, spouses, family, friends, prospective students and the broader community. This provides a wonderful opportunity for teachers and students to catch up with each other, while hearing some great shiurim as well. Prospective students will have the opportunity to get a "flavor" for MMY's warmth and personality, and of course the broad Torah style which MMY is famous for. Attendees have the chance to hear from Rabbi Katz and/or Rabbi Haber, as well as other teachers and alumnae.
In the past, attendance has been quite strong, with well over 100 people enjoying the morning, bringing together talmidot from many years of MMY who are currently in different stages of life.
(Read summaries, listen to shiurim and see pictures of previous events here, here and here.)
Participants have often commented that coming to the Yom Iyun has fostered the feeling of being part of a larger MMY community and its traditions. In addition, we are sending an important message that the learning of MMY's Bet Midrash in Israel extends into one's later life as well.
This year, the Yom Iyun will take place, b'ezrat Hashem, on MMY at Beth Abraham Congregation, in Bergenfield. The MMY Alumnae Association hopes to see many of you there!
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Rabbi Brofsky Publishes First Book | |
Rabbi David Brofsky, intermittent faculty member at MMY (and husband of Mechanechet Mrs. Mali Brofsky) has just published a new sefer on the laws of Tefillah.
This comprehensive volume presents a complete overview of the halachot of Tefilla, developing each topic from the sources in the Talmud, through the Rishonim and Acharonim, until the modern day halakhic decisors, weaving together halakhic, conceptual and frequently philosophical and historical analysis, and always concluding with the practical halacha. It traces the the laws of tefila as they apply throughout the entire day, beginning with the netilat yadayim of the morning, through the details of the tefilot of sharacharit mincha and maariv, and concludes with keriat shema al ha-mita. This sefer is ideal for the student, the teacher, and rabbi, and should find a home in both private and shul libraries.
Click here to buy the book online.
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