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Tu BeShvat |
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Here in the Mechina we studied about the basic elements and fundamentals of Tu beShvat,
learned as well some of the deeper and hidden messages which it contains and of
course held a beautiful Seder full of a variety of fruits and nuts, the seven species
that Israel is blessed with, and lots of Torah sharing and singing.
A great opportunity to connect to Eretz Yisrael!!!
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Learning navigation |
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On a different note, about two week ago the students had their first hands on experience
with navigation. Their skills were tested after they were dropped of in the middle
of "nowhere" in the Galill, about an hour away and had to navigate back to the pickup
point (there were of course staff members supervising everything behind the scenes).
Using compasses, their knowledge, and maps, they all succeeded in eventually making
it back. It was a very satisfying and rewarding experience using what they learned
in actuality and truly having it work.
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Academics! |
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This past Thursday the students had to hand in a project about a specific country
in the Middle East on which they’ll be graded, for the past semester in their Bar-Ilan
College courses. We hope they all did a good job and pass with a high grade!
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Survival Week |
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The students did a great job in preparing for Survival. They studied maps of the
terrain (of the “small” Ramon crater) so they ‘d be able to navigate the trails
with ease, prepared their bags with the bare essentials - clothes, sleeping bag,
water, and Teffilin, and most importantly looked forward to it with great anticipation.
We started survival week in our backyard on Sunday evening a week ago, after having
a stretcher hike in mud up to our knees to the nearby Moshav of Eliad. We then left
for the Negev, arriving just in time to set up camp for the night, which happened
to be about a thousand degrees below zero; it was quite cold, thus adding another
interesting element to the term ‘survival week.’ The students had guard duty and
had to keep the stretcher up in the air throughout the night, which they amazingly
did.
The next morning after Shacharit Vatikin, all students were divided in to their
groups and given their daily food portion, which basically consisted of some dried
fruit, nuts, flour, oil, and a vegetable or two. After the initial shock concerning
their food rations set in and after making sure no students brought any extra nosh
with them we set out on our way, hiking through the dessert and climbing extremely
challenging mountains, it was no stroll in the park.
The student pushed themselves even when it was very rough, beyond what they thought
were their limits and realized that be’ezrat hashem (almost) nothing is impossible
if you really set your heart and mind to it. Their was a natural Mikva opportunity
during the hike for those interested and throughout the trip Rav Erez explained
the various flora which grows in the Negev and in the small crater, its characteristics
and healing and nutritional value, as well as its connection to the Tanach and our
history.
On the second night after the students had a chance to seclude themselves in nature
for a while, they used their basic ingredients, and imagination, to make some dinner.
Some were very successful and managed to make some very tasty pitot and soup with
just the few simple ingredients.
On the third day we hiked through a sand storm, which left us all covered head to
toe in sand. It was quite an experience.
That night one sleeping bag was given to every four students and they had to decide
what was the best way to use it, taking each other in to consideration. One of the
groups got "lost" for a few minutes, but thanks to their navigational skills, Teffilat
HaDerech, and fast thinking they got back on the trail and all was good.
Throughout the three days of survival students got to really know themselves, their
weaknesses, their strengths, and those of their friends. We saw many situations
in which students ignored their own discomfort in order to help someone else who
had it harder, cases in which students kept their word even when they thought they
were alone and no staff was around.
I must point out that this is the first year where all who started the survival
week, ended it as well. In previous years, due to the extreme physical conditions
there were always one or two students who would drop out and could not continue,
but this year everybody started and everybody finished! From the very beginning
till the very end! Kol HaKavod!!!
One more thing I’d like to point out is that how every so often during the difficult
hiking, the students of their own volition would ask the rabbis for a dvar-torah
to keep them going strong and in high spirits.
At the end of survival week we surprised the students by taking them to a fancy
restaurant where they were able to order anything on the menu such as steak, liver,
chicken, shishlik and more, all with unlimited French fries, salads, freshly baked
Lafot (a very large flat kind of pita) and drinks. For dessert we had ice cream
and coffee.
Needless to say, after a few days of just surviving on some dried fruit and some
canned corn they were extremely hungry, excited, and grateful. No food went to waste.
Make sure to check us out on facebook for more details and pictures of survival
Week.
That’s about it for now, we’re back in the Beit Midrash now, warming the winter
with some good Torah studying, especially focusing on preparing our minds and hearts
for Purim and Pesach.
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