Dear Talmidot, Parents and Friends –

1)         Midreshet News – Michelle Caren and Jessica Myers

2)         Faculty Dvar Torah – Rav Yitzchak Lerner

3)         Mazal Tov

4)         Mi SheBerach

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Midreshet News

Michelle Caren, Israel (Monsey, NY), Shana Alef

Jessica Myers, Lawrence, NY, Shana Alef

Last Thursday night our Beis Midrash looked different - It was transformed (thanks to the Chanuka chagigah committee) into a beautifully decorated room for our chagigah. All week, we were looking forward to this night. We had a great dinner, chicken salad bar with sweet potatoes, which was definitely voted a favorite!

We had an awesome set of dancing with an amazing musician. The achdut and spirit was incredible and   attested to by the one united circle of girls, shana aleph and shana bet, madrichot, and teachers.
The room was filled with smiles, laughter, and joyous singing. We were treated to yummy deserts prepared by our friends and we heard inspiring divrei torah from Rebecca Sharbat and Mrs. Leora Bednarsh. The night "ended" with a heart warming kumzitz which we all enjoyed. Actually, our night was really topped off with a surprise trip to the kotel, where we davened Maariv. Thank you Bracha and all the girls who made the chagigah a huge success!

After an awesome chagigah, the Midreshet family came together to spend Shabbat 'Babayit' (in school) together. We brought in Shabbos by first lighting candles for the seventh night of Chanuka and then Shabbos candles. It was an inspiring weekend where we learned a lot about how the assimilation during the time of Chanuka was rampant and how lucky we are to live in a world where we can freely learn torah and serve Hashem. We learnt the importance of our Jewish identities. We had beautiful tefilot, both Kabbalat Shabbat and Shaachrit, thanks to the minyan men from Shapell's. We had AMAZNG food,
thanks to Fagie!  Before we knew it, Shabbos was over and it was time to light the Chanuka candles for the last night. Thanks to Bracha and Tzivia for coming with their families!

The Chanuka fun didn't end Saturday night - On Sunday morning we were treated to a Chanuka breakfast of pancakes, waffles, and yogurts! It was a great way to start the day (and week).

On Tuesday we had a special Chesed program which began by gathering in the Beis for what would be the start of an incredible day. We were privileged to hear from three different women whose daily lives are filled with and revolve around chesed. All three women, who although they do completely different things, enlightened us and showed us different perspectives of doing chessed. From, helping people make Shabbos plans, to taking in girls who are on the streets and are in need of help, to shipping 5,000 to 10,000 boxes of clothing a year to be taken to gemach's all over Israel, these women showed us that if they can do it, then we can do it too. After a lunch and a mincha break we took a trip down to Crossroads .Crossroads is a confidential center in town which allows mainly teens at risk or anyone who needs to chill out, come and have a safe place. Crossroads has everything from free wifi and computers to social workers to help the troubled teens. We returned to school later to hear from a woman named Susi who told us the heart wrenching story of how she lost her soldier boyfriend in war. Susi, although raised as a Catholic, found her love of Israel and Judaism when she went to visit her boyfriend Tziki, an Israeli soldier. She felt in her heart it was important for her to live a Jewish life and she is now married with 2 children and lives in Katamon.  As she said, her grieving is never over but she still lives life to the fullest and looks towards the future. She was truly an inspiration to us all.  

Shabbat Shalom

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A Revealing Situation

Rav Yitzchak Lerner

When Yosef reveals himself to his brother's he uses the words "I am Yosef - is my father still alive?" The commentaries are bothered by his question - What do you mean is my father still alive? Have you not been listening to what your brothers have told you for the past two parshas - that our father is alive. The whole reason they did not want to leave Binyamin with you is because it would destroy their father. So once again, what is the meaning of Yosef asking: "Is my father still alive?"

The Slonimer Rebbi, known for his famous sefer, Nesivos Shalom also asks this question. He says that what Yosef was actually saying to his brothers in his question about his father is "Do you still see my father alive in me?" Meaning, that Yosef has been away and on his own for so long. He has been immersed in Egyptian culture. Do they still see their father alive in him? 

 
There is a famous story in Parshas Vayeshev with Yosef and Potifar's wife. One of the commentaries holds that Yosef was about to give in to all of her advancements and at the last moment he stopped. What made him stop? Rashi says that he saw the image of his father. That image kept him strong in the face of all sorts of tests. Now that Yosef reveals himself to his brothers - the first question he wants to know is, do you still see my father alive in me?
 

All these years, Yosef has been alone trying to maintain his connection to his past and he wants to make sure that it can still be seen and felt.

I think the message here is the importance of making sure that we are able to stay loyal to our roots and maintain them in every situation we find ourselves in. 

Good Shabbos

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Mazal Tov!               

Mi SheBerach List

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

Names added this week:

 Malka Bat Sarah 

For complete 5772 list, please go to: http://midreshetmoriah.com/alumnae/?id=464