Dear Talmidot, Parents and Friends –

1)         This week at Midreshet Moriah

2)         Faculty Dvar Torah – Rabbi Aharon Wexler

3)         Mazal Tov

4)         Mi SheBerach

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This Week at Midreshet

It has been another exhilarating week here at Midreshet!!!! So much Torah, so much Chessed, so much fun! Here are some of this past weeks highlights.....The 'Nach Yomi' crew is a group of 15 dedicated students who learn, each on their own time, one perek of Nach a day. This past week they celebrated a siyum upon the completion of, Sefer Yehoshua, Shoftim, Shmuel Aleph and Shmuel Bet. Midreshet took the crew out to Cafe Hillel for their siyum. Michal Porath Zibman spoke about how their commitment mirrors the concept of the Korban Tamid brought during the time of the Beit HaMikdash, and then we went around the table and each student spoke about which Perek most inspired her. It was a beautiful celebration of Torah learning. 

Sunday night is baking night in the dorms. Together with our Bat Sherut, Tal, and Madricha Tehilla, the girls baked chocolate filled Hamantashchen. Yum!

Midreshet girls, headed by Naomi Kahn, packaged over 300 mishloach manot packages for an organization called 'Yad LaYeled HaMeyuchad' which assists families raising children with special needs. The packages will be distributed to these families on Purim. It was an incredible group effort and they loved doing it.

In continuing with the spirit of chessed this month, our students held a fabulous fundraiser for their ongoing fundraising this year on behalf of Hachnasat Kallah, helping new brides, from the former Gush Katif. This particular fundraiser was the first of its kind in Midmo. It was a 'zumbathon'- headed by certified Zumba instructors and Midmo students Nina Klapper and Lauren Fuchs. Over 150(!) girls came from various seminaries to hours of nonstop Zumba music which was incredibly fun, super spirited and the result of incredible teamwork, covering everything from advertising to setting up to running the evening. We are so incredibly proud of their efforts. These students raised over 2,000 shekel for this chessed project!!!

On Erev Taanit Esther, Rav Avraham Willig spoke to the students about the power of Tefillah in honor of Taanit Esther. Yashar Koach to the Rakazot for organizing such an inspirational shiur!!!
And on a totally different (yet still exciting) note, congrats to Midmos basketball team for winning the championship basketball game of their league this week as well!!!!!

So...this has indeed been quite the week. Stay tuned for even more next week when we IY"H tell you about Purim, Midmo style!!! 

See the latest photos on our website: http://midreshetmoriah.com/galleries/

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Setting the Stage

Rabbi Aharon E. Wexler

The God of Israel is the God of History. When God appeared to us at Sinai, He did not introduce himself as “I am the Lord your God who created heaven and earth!” but rather, “I am the Lord your God who took you out of Egypt!”. God makes himself known to man by acting through history to bring about His will.  The Tanach is a record of God’s blatant interactions with man.

The final book added to the biblical cannon is the book of Esther read this past week.

As is already famously noted, the book of Esther differs from the rest of Tanach in its omission of the name of God. Esther tells the story of the Jews in exile, facing for the first time the silence of God. No longer does God appear as he did to Yishayahu or Amos. The book of Esther lacks any of the “Thus says the Lord of Hosts!” that pepper the other books of the Bible.

Esther and Mordechai are faced with the destruction of the Jewish people and have to act in the vacuum of any obvious sign of God pointing the way to bring the salvation for God’s chosen. This man and woman must use the tools learned from the past millennia to interpret history and find a way out of their impending doom. They do so brilliantly as ‘history’ falls into place and light and gladness is brought to the Jews.

The book of Esther is God’s final message to the Am Yisrael. It sets the stage for a people who have matriculated beyond the biblical period and are now ready to take their first steps in to adulthood. This new rabbinic period is one in which we will have to look inward to the Torah and ourselves to find God’s will and not upward towards the heavens to hear His prophetic call.

The book of Esther is our annual reminder that we must act to advance the cause of the Jewish people; that we must do so in God’s silence, but also in the faith that He is behind everything pulling the strings like a master puppeteer using His skill to tell the story He has to share.

Shabbat Shalom and Purim Sameach.

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Mazel Tov!               

Engagements:  

Shoshana Koslowe ('08-'09) and Zachary Ainsberg and to sister Edie Koslowe ('06-07) 

Yhi ratzon shetivnu bayit ne'eman bYisrael 

Dana Horowitz ('06-'07) and Josh Jerusalmi  and to sister Lauren Horowitz('09-'10) 

Yhi ratzon shetivnu bayit ne'eman bYisrael 

Ariella Weiss ('09-'10) and DJ Arfeand to sister Jessica (Weiss) Slomnicki ('04-'05) AND sisterAvichayil Arfe ('06-'07, '07-'08, madricha '11-'12) (and cousin Michal Porath Zibman!)

Yhi ratzon shetivnu bayit ne'eman bYisrael  

Tovah Weinstein ('09-'10) and Mikey Kook and to sister Rebecca (Weinstein) Westreich ('06-'07, '07-'08)

Yhi ratzon shetivnu bayit ne'eman bYisrael    

Births: 

Amanda (Tammam) ('08-'09, '09-'10) and Menashe Benidict on the birth of twin girls!!!  

Yhi ratzon shetizku lgadlan lTorah lChupa ulMa'asim tovim.   

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Condolences

Tali Insel ('11-'12) on the loss of her grandfather    

Estee Werthenteil ('05-'06) on the loss of her father  

May Hashem comfort you along with all of the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

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.  

Yechezkel ben Chanah Sarah (29/2)

Lea bat Masha (22/2)

Tzvi ben Sara (12/2)

Zev Yitzchak ben Chaya Sarah(12/2)

Dov ben Yachad Frida(12/2)

Menachem Mendel ben Maida (9/2)

Miriam Henya bat Rivka (19/1)

Reuven ben Tova Chaya (12/1)

Chana bat Sorah (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)
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)

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)