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October 31, 2006
9 Cheshvan 5767
Dear Parents,
This past Thursday, the students of Machon Maayan journeyed to the
Upper Galilee for a 3 day Tiyul. The day began with a visit to
Karmiel where the students ate lunch in a park and mingled with the
local population. Some students were interested to find out what
life was like this past summer for the residents who reside on the
Northern border with Lebanon.
The bus continued to Peki'in where the students where introduced to a
village in Israel that has had uninterrupted Jewish living since the
conquest of Joshua. Peki'in also is the site of the cave, carob
tree, and spring that are mentioned in the Gemara Shabbat 33 that
depicts the story of the miraculous survival of Rav Shimon Bar Yochai
during the 13 years he hid from the Romans.
Today, the village is home to 4,000 residents who are mainly of the
Druze and Christian persuasion. Margalit Zinati, a Jewish woman in
her seventies who maintains the Jewish holy sites in the village, is
the only Jew living there. She alone bears the incredible
responsibility of preserving Jewish life in Peki'in. The students
met with Margalit in the ancient synagogue and were very much
inspired by her story of self-sacrifice.
Next, the students moved on to the Kever of Rav Shimon Bar Yochai in
Meiron where they were introduced to the site through a personal
story told by one of the faculty members, Mrs. Dina Etigson.
Finally, the Machon Maayaners arrived in Tzfat, and after supper in
the hotel, the students visited Avraham Rosenthal's Art Gallery. The
artist described how he incorporates Kabbalistic thought in his
artwork. The students finished the evening with a concert and a
Kabbalah storytelling session with the talented Baruch Etdstein.
The next day the students toured the City of Tzfat and learned about
the holy Mystic, Rabbi Isaac Luria (Ari-z"l), and stood in the
very place where he instituted the Kabbalat Shabbat service that
began some 500 years ago. Some students went on to visit the famed
Tzfat cemetery where many of the greatest personalities in Jewish
history are buried.
Friday night was an opportunity for the students to discover the many
different synagogues in Tzfat. After supper, the students
participated in an amazing Tisch led by Rabbi Uri Etigson.
Afterwards, Dina Etigson led a session on Jewish Meditation.
Shabbat day was a relaxing one in which a shiur was given by Rabbi
Asher Friedman (Rackezet Miriam's husband) and a second tour was
offered to those students who wanted to learn more about the history
of Tzfat. On Saturday night, the students went to a concert in a
Bedouin tent that featured the singing duo, Tziona and Chava Rachel
Saban!
Thank you to Orly Gasner, Debbie Katz, Rebecca Astrachan, Jenny
Mendelsohn, Amy Leifer, and Racheli Rubin for delivering beautiful
Divrei Torah during the course of Shabbat!
After an extremely spiritual and uplifting experience in Tzfat, the
students have returned to their learning and internships. The young
women are looking forward to the Rav K. Bar-B-Q, which will take
place this Wednesday night in his home. This Thursday's seminar will
be on the topic of Tefilah and the Machon Maayaners will hear from
both Rabbi David Aaron and Rabbi Binny Friedman of Israelight in the
Old City of Jerusalem.
Wishing you all a wonderful week and a Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Ira Kosowsky
Rabbi Ben Tzion Goldfischer
Meryl-Lee Avraham
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