Chanukah Special:
Al Hanisim
By: Rabbi Jesse Horn
(current MMY Teacher)
"In order to understand the Al HaNisim of Chanukah better, it pays to contrast it with the Al HaNisim of Purim. Both texts open with a similar phrase, "Bimay . . ." "In the days of" and then lists the central characters in the respective holiday; Mordachi and Ester in the Purim text and Matisyahu Ben Yochanan, the Chashmonayim and his sons in Chanukah's. Then each Al HaNisim continues with the potential threat, the Chanukah text records the Greek kingdom's threat, and the Purim one Haman's. However, the description of the danger Haman imposed is significantly richer with detail than that of the Greek kingdoms. Interestingly, there are more synonyms and descriptions mentioned in the context of Purim. One simple question to ask is, why? Why is the Al HaNisim text of Purim more extensive in detail?"
The Emunah of the Maccabim
By: Shoshana Rozenberg
(current MMY student)
Every holiday that we celebrate as Jews is sourced somewhere in Tanach. Even Purim, one of the two holidays that are derabanan is sourced in Megillas Esther, in the twenty-four books of Tanach. Chanuka, the other derabanan holiday, is the only holiday we see with no source in Tanach. Rather, we learn about the holiday from a book called Sefer Hamacabim. In the Chanuka story, unlike in the Purim story, there are two psukim from the Torah used by two of the key players, Matisyahu ben Yochanan Kohen Gadol and his son Yehuda. ~Read More~
Listen to MMY's Library of Shiurim about Chanuka
|
Sara Munk, MMY 5761, 5763
(Toronto, Canada, Assistant Principal)
"To this day, I think I still may be the only MMY alumnus who had a "Shana Gimmel". I didn't really go Shana Gimmel though. After my first year in MMY (14 years ago!), I went to Stern and started as a Biology major. I took Bio and Chem with labs, and needless to say worked pretty hard. But something felt like it was missing. I thought about switching to Barnard, applied to transfer and got in. For a reason I still don't know, I wrote to Rabbi Katz to ask his opinion. He suggested switching colleges wasn't going to help solve my feeling of emptiness; we discussed the possibility that I come back for a semester in MMY. I thought this was crazy. Six months later, I was on the plane to Israel..."
|
By: Sarita Weltman
(current MMY student)
" Excitement filled the air as 20 girls piled on to the sherut. We were on our way to Esther's wedding! Esther is an assistentit in the Beit Midrash during night seder. We were so happy we were able to join in her celebration. We entered the wedding hall which was flooded with people, all of whom were there for the beautiful bride and her chattan."
~Read More~ |
" Rabbi Apfel joined the MMY family two years ago. Originally from Teaneck, where he was a practicing pediatric cardiologist, he made aliyah with his wife and 7 children to Ramat Beit Shemesh four years ago..."
|
Welcome Rena Ackerman!
We are excited to announce a new member of the MMY team. Rena Ackerman is our new Coordinator of Development and Alumnae Affairs. Rena hails from Highland Park, NJ, just finished her Masters in Non-Profit Management at Hebrew University, and is a graduate of Queens College, Shaalvim for Women and Rae Kushner High School. She will be in contact with our "alumnae" to create exciting new programs and events and help you stay connected to MMY.
|
|
