Dear Talmidot, Parents and Friends –

1)         This week at Midreshet Moriah

2)         Faculty Dvar Torah – Rabbi Eitan Mayer

3)         Mazal Tov

4)         Mi SheBerach

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This Week at Midreshet

As always, it has definitely been quite the week here at Midreshet! On Monday, the students had the annual Yom Iyun (study day) on Tzniut where we spent the day dealing with many aspects of this complex and sensitive issue. The students learned sources about the relevant halachot in small groups together with the female faculty of Midreshet in a joint Beit Midrash session.  They also read and discussed some thought-provoking articles in small groups with their rakazot. The day ended with a completely fun way of celebrating fashion and modesty, with Sarah Proops and Bracha running a competition that encouraged the girls to create modest attire from their closets. 'The Midreshet Runway' had our student's model casual, professional and fancy clothing.

On Tuesday our friends from Midreshet Darkeinu, (the seminary for young women with developmental disabilities) came for the second time this year to learn with the 20 Midreshet students who are participating in this program. This joint program, which meets a few times throughout the year, was started by our student Kayla Freilich (08-09) is in memory of her brother Max z"l and is continuing for its fourth year. The girls divided into discussion groups and discussed various aspects and emotions about this week's fast day, Asara b'Tevet. A good time, as always, was had by all those involved.

Midreshet is very proud of and derives tremendous nachas from our Shana Bet students for running an amazing event this week! As part of the Shana Bet curriculum, the students participate in a weekly leadership program, run by Shana Bet rakezet Leora Bednarsh and Midreshet CEO Evyatar Katz, in which they visited places and with people throughout the country and learnt about various forms of leadership; social, economic, military, etc. As part of this program, the students take upon them selves to run an event to raise money for whichever cause they feel connected to the most. This year they chose 'JobKatif'. JobKatif provides rehabilitative employment services to the displaced families from Gush Katif and Northern Samaria. After meeting some individuals who were from the former Gush Katif as well as Rav Y.T. Rimon, who established JobKatif and has helped thousands of former residents of the Gush Katif area, the students felt that they wanted to start a scholarship fund to help enable these former residents pursue an education. Named 'ReKindle Katif', they held a 'Chinese Auction' in which they got popular Jerusalem vendors to donate their goods and services for this purpose. One of the main items in the auction was a Kindle, hence the 'ReKindle Katif' name of the evening.  The students and Leora spent endless hours working on this event, and it was an amazing success. Raising well over 5,000 shekel (which triples as the Government of Israel matches all raised funds 1:3), they ran a beautiful and inspiring evening for women, with speakers, auction and a hilarious performance of Ayelet the Kosher Comic. We are truly inspired by and immensely proud of our students.

This week we begin to welcome back 'home' many of our alumnae who are spending their winter break here in Eretz Yisrael. They have participated in both shana aleph as well as alumnae shiurim and been back learning in the Beit Midrash and shmoozing in the office. We love having them back!!!!

There is a full program for them over the next 2 weeks,

contact Michal at midmoalumnae@gmail.com for more details!

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No Place Like Home

Rav Eitan Mayer

This week’s parshah describes three meetings with Ya’akov Avinu.  In the first, Ya’akov asks Yosef to bury him in Eretz Cana’an; in the second, Ya’akov blesses Yosef’s sons, Ephraim and Menashe; in the third, Ya’akov blesses all of his sons together.

We can understand why the second and third meetings cannot be combined and take place together: When Ya’akov blesses Ephraim and Menashe, he is essentially giving Yosef a double blessing, and to do so in the presence of Yosef’s brothers might arouse bad feeling.  But why can’t the first and third meetings take place together – why does there need to be a special, separate meeting in which Ya’akov asks Yosef to bury him in Eretz Cana’an?  Why not simply make this request in the presence of all of his sons, during the third meeting?

The question becomes more difficult when we note that during the third meeting, Ya’akov does ask all of his sons to bury him in Eretz Cana’an – so why was the first meeting necessary at all?

Those of us who grew up in a comfortable galut already know the answer.  The danger we face in a comfortable galut is that we will forget where home really is, that we will find life so pleasant that we will forget where we came from.  At first, we long for home; then we become comfortable and learn the language and culture; then we become prosperous and deeply rooted in what used to feel alien, but now feels to us like home.  Home?  We are home, aren’t we?

The one who most represents this danger – the one voted “most likely to forget where home truly is” among all of Ya’akov’s sons – is Yosef.  Yosef moves with ease through the highest levels of Egyptian society, having mastered the language, wielding unlimited power, basking in inexhaustible wealth, married to the daughter of an Egyptian high priest.  He is Egyptian society.  He is the one who facilitates his family’s transplantation from home to Egypt. 

It is therefore Yosef who is singled out by Ya’akov for the assignment of burying him in Eretz Cana’an.  Ya’akov understands that an immediate return to Eretz Yisrael is not always possible, just as immediate aliyah for each of us nowadays is not always possible.  But what begins as temporary has a funny way of becoming permanent, as so many with neglected aliyah dreams can attest.  Ya’akov summons Yosef in order to deliver the following message: “Not only must you not lead the family into forgetting their real home, but in fact it must be you, who so completely represents becoming ensconced in Egypt, who must take leadership in making sure that the whole family, the whole nation, remembers where home truly is.” 

The dead don’t move; we bury our dead where we intend to all arrive one day, so that when that day comes, we will be near our departed loved ones.  Ya’akov’s burial becomes not just the fulfillment of a vow to an individual, but a pilgrimage home for the entire family – a pilgrimage orchestrated by Yosef.

There is a bit of Yosef in each of us living in galut­ – we are fluent there, we are adept and at home, familiar and comfortable, integrated and connected.  Like Yosef in Egypt, we are the establishment. 

But each of us must also embody Ya’akov’s message to Yosef, building into our lives unmistakable reminders that we are not home; leading our families and communities to remember and internalize that we will one day leave our comfortable but alien land; and making sure that when the day of our opportunity arrives, we be the ones to recognize that our day is at hand and that we can finally come home.

Shabbat Shalom!

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Mazel Tov!               

Engagements:

Dana Horowitz ('06-'07) and Josh Jerusalmi  and to sister Lauren Horowitz (Midreshet 08-09) on the occasion of their engagement
Yhi ratzon shetivnu bayit ne'eman bYisrael

Weddings:

Shana fisher (03-04) and Paul Kalman on the occasion of their wedding
Yhi ratzon shetivnu bayit ne'eman bYisrael

Please help us stay informed - http://midreshetmoriah.org/send-mazaltov.asp

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Mi SheBerach List

We have started a new list. Please email midmoriah@gmail.com if there is a name you would like to add.  

Sorah Leah bat Gittel Chana (5/1) 

Chana bat Sorah (5/1)

Naomi bat Esther (5/1)

Rachel Yehudit bat Minsha Zissel (5/1)

Chaya Shaindel bat Kraindel (5/1)

Leah Golda bat Esther Frimmet (5/1)

Feiga bat Sophie (5/1)

Chane Chaim HaCohen ben Perel (29/12)

Zelda bat Rachel (20/12)

Hayeled Eitan Ze'ev HaCohen ben Leah Binah (29/12)

Batya Emunah bat Bracha Chaya (22/12)

Yosef Dov ben Frieda (22/12)

Chana Fraida bas Faiga Zelda (22/12)

Dorit Chaya Bat Geulah (15/12)

Briget Joan bat Marion Patricia (15/12)

Dorit Chaya bat Geula (15/12)

Dovid Chaim ben Brina (15/12)

Avraham ben Esther (15/12)

Adina bat Rivka (15/12)

Moriel Raizie bat Feige Kaylee (13/12)

Rachel Yehudit bat Mancha Zaisel (8/12)

Aron ben Reizel (1/12)

Yehudah ben Shoshanna (1/12)

Haddasah Leah bat Shoshana (24/11)

Baruch Yehudah ben Leah (17/11)

Charna Leah bat Shaindel (17/11)

Mazal bat Pircha (3/11/11)

Malka bat Tova (10/10/11)

Shimon Dovid Yehoshua bat Rena (6/10/11)

Rifaela Chana Rivka bat Shayna Dena (6/10/11)- diagnosed with Non-Hodgken's Lymphoma

Rachel bat Mindel (6/10/11) - Lymphoma

Tzuriya Kochevet bat Sara - mother of 4 with inoperable stomach cancer (25/9/11)

Chaya bat Zecil (22/9/11)

Perel bat Malka (21/9/11)

Rachaylle bat Turan (21/9/11)

Miriam Leah bat Reizel Dena (21/9/11)

Zechariya Kalman Hakohen ben Yael Margolit (18/9/11)
Refael Matityahu Yaakov ben Gittel Rivka (18/9/11)

Tzipora Sara bat Esther Leah (18/9/11)

David ben Miriam (18/9/11)

David ben Rachel (18/9/11)

Rachel bat Kochava (18/9/11)
Hilda bat Yaffa (18/9/11)

Chana Gitel bat Sarah Chana (18/9/11)
Sarah Sipora bat Shifra (18/9/11)

Moshe Eliezer ben Esther Miriam (18/9/11)
Hilda bat Yaffa (18/9/11)
Moshe Yitzchak ben Shoshana (18/9/11)

Aviva Miriam bat Esther ( 11/9/11)

Osnat bat Clara (11/9/11)

Avraham Yehuda ben Davida Yehudit (11/9/11)

Tziporah Faiga Bat Sima Shaindel (11/9/11)

Chava Deena Etya Bat Chaya Tziporah Sheva (11/9/11)