From Yeshivat Har Etzion
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בסד Winter 5774/2014 etzionUPDATE from Yeshivat Har Etzion 212-732-4874 www.thegushdinner.org IN YESHIVA The final event was a lively panel discussion Chanuka at Yeshiva ֿ on “Halachic Unity and the Ingathering On the first night of Chanuka, overseas Har Etzion Institutions 5774 talmidim visited Beit Zion Blumenthal Yeshivat Har Etzion 433 students Children's Home in Jerusalem and created a Migdal Oz 141 students festive atmosphere for the children who live Herzog College 2295 students there. The Yeshiva has maintained a tradition Total: 2869 students for over 15 years of talmidim visiting the Children's Home on both Chanuka and Purim. Revava: Chanuka Yemei Iyun dedicated to the Torah of Rav Ovadia Yosef zt”l Rav Ovadia Yosef attends laying of the The fourth annual Chanuka Yemei Iyun cornerstone of the Yeshiva library in 1977 sponsored by Revava: the Riva Koschitzky z”l Also on Chanuka this year, the annual mesiba (party) honored alumni who have recently Torah Enrichment Program, were devoted of the Exiles” moderated by the rabbi of made aliya. Rosh Yeshiva Rav Mosheh to the legacy of former Sephardic Chief Tenuva, Rav Ze'ev Vitman ‘71H, and with Lichtenstein began his remarks to Yeshiva Rabbi and foremost halachic authority, Rav the participation of Rosh Yeshiva Rav students with an address to the alumni Ovadia Yosef zt”l. The two-day event was Baruch Gigi, Rav Yoel Bin Nun, and the and each of the olim was presented with attended by his son, the current Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Afula, Rav Shmuel David “Chanuka”, the third volume of the Yeshiva's Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rav Yitzchak Yosef, ‘75H. Concluding words were delivered by who spoke about his father's method of Rosh Yeshiva Rav Mosheh Lichtenstein. Be'er Miriam publications on the Jewish halachic decision-making (psikat halacha). holidays. Participants included: Rabbi The event was attended by a large number Motti Guttman, Coordinator of Hesder Benjamin '96 and Yael Resnick, Ari '98 of talmidim, alumni and visitors. Additional Students, commented, “It is no coincidence and Ilana Erdfarb, Yonatan '99 and Shira speakers included former Sephardic Chief that Rav Yitzchak Yosef and Rav Amar felt Shechter, Chaim '00 and Sarah Garfinkel, Rabbi Rav Shlomo Amar, Rosh Kollel comfortable participating in the Yemei Iyun Aaron '03 & Abi Djanogly, Avron Olwyn Rav Shlomo Levi and Rav Dr. Binyamin at Har Etzion and delivering serious halachic '06, and Daniel Winer '07. (Benny) Lau, who spoke movingly about shiurim. There is no replacement for the Rav Ovadia Yosef's deep desire to alleviate world of Torah as a bridge between the the suffering of agunot and mamzerim. religious Zionist and haredi publics. “ Rav Mosheh Lichtenstein greets Aaron Djanogly Yoni Nouriel, Sam Grill, Zachy Rosenthal, and Sam Glauber, bnei chul 2012 who Rav Aharon Lichtenstein and Rav Mosheh Lichtenstein with Rav Yitzchak Yosef returned as Shiur Bet Israelis 2 etzion UPDATE Aliya High School of Yeshiva College Campus Tweet that! in Johannesburg. He spoke about the In the same vein, a recent article on kipa.co.il importance of being proactive in one's Yeshivat Har Etzion has always been a highlighted the role that Hesder yeshivot religious life after leaving Yeshiva, in order trailblazing institution – creating successful play in encouraging aliya and profiled Har to continue on a path of growth and joint leadership, a unique derech limmud, Etzion's own Daniel Thwaites, who came to connection to Hashem. a college for educators, a beit midrash for Yeshiva from Manchester, England in 2009. women – and even in the use of the internet. Daniel made aliya in 2010, while still a Shana Remembering the For many years, the Israel Koschitzky Virtual Aleph student, and joined the Yeshiva's Yom Kippur War Beit Midrash has been bringing Torah to Hesder program. He has since completed This year, the Yeshiva once again had a day tens of thousands of people via email and his army service and is currently serving as of learning for Israeli alumni during Aseret podcasts. Recently, we've expanded into madrich for the Overseas Program. He also Yemei Teshuva. The day was dedicated in social media, including Facebook, Twitter takes care of the Yeshiva's “lone soldiers” memory of Uri Mintzer ‘72H z”l, whose and YouTube. (chayalim bodedim), young olim like himself first yahrtzeit was a few weeks later. The without immediate family in Israel. day began with many shiurim and the happy buzz of learning. People had a chance to catch up with one another over lunch, after which there was a panel discussion devoted to "Et Ratzon" – the book of HaRav Amital's drashot for the Yamim Nora'im, edited by his son Rav Yoel Amital ‘69H. This was followed by a session Daniel Thwaites (in civvies) with Yeshiva in memory of Uri Mintzer z”l on Social lone soldiers Justice, a topic that was close to Uri's heart. The day ended with a Yeshiva-wide memorial ceremony in the Beit Midrash to mark 40 years since the Yom Kippur War and remember the Yeshiva's eight talmidim who fell in the war. The event was attended by the friends and families of the fallen, as well as current talmidim, and the Beit Midrash was packed. Rav Yoel Bin Nun and Rav Danny Rav Yitzchak Levi visits paratroopers from Tropper spoke about the war in retrospect, Har Etzion on duty in southern Israel Rav Yaakov Fisher ‘71H read a moving poem, and Dr. Yehuda Schwartz ‘68H Social media are a convenient way to related his personal tale of a long, difficult connect the Har Etzion family. They present recovery from injuries sustained in the war. the message and values of the Yeshiva Rosh Yeshiva Rav Yaakov Medan spoke and Beit Midrash in an engaging platform, movingly about the connection between the opening up the walls of the beit midrash prayers of Yom Kippur and the battlefield. to anyone who wants to be part of the community and to be inspired by the MTA talmidim with Rabbi Bernstein, seated at far end of table in blue shirt ongoing spiritual work and learning that take place in Yeshiva and at Migdal Oz. As Rabbi Leron Bernstein ‘02MTA recently Rav Moshe Taragin says, "Follow my Twitter gave a shiur to the talmidim of Midreshet feed for 5 minute middot, 10 minute Rashi Torah V'Avoda. MTA, as it's often called, is a program the Yeshiva has tailored to the and weekly parsha mp3s". needs and calendars of South Africans, Find the Yeshiva on Facebook at Yeshivat New Zealanders and Australians, whose Har Etzion summer break is in December and January. The Yeshiva's fallen are memorialized in the Library. Here, their contemporaries look at the portrait of a Rabbi Bernstein is the Menahel of the Boys friend who remains frozen in time. Winter 5774/2014 3 Find Migdal Oz on Facebook at SKA Migdal lectures have stimulated a lot of ideas and Oz, and also at Migdal Oz programming in discussion among my friends. I think Har North America Etzion is really unique in that it's serious about Torah but not scared of the outside Search for us on YouTube under Migdal Oz, world.” ישיבת הר עציון Yeshivat Har Etzion and Check out the alumni Twitter feed at Talmidim visited Zomet Institute, the world's @etzionalums and Rav Taragin's personal leader in combining technology with feed at @Moshe Taragin halacha, and heard from Zomet staffer Rav Simon Wolf Israel Krengel '88 about some of the many The Legacy Project issues involved in merging halachic Judaism The Legacy Project invites Yeshiva alumni with modern life. to speak with current talmidim and expose them to the many career opportunities available to bnei Torah in the modern world. The three speakers this year have been Rabbi Jeremy Stern '01, Simon Wolf '92 and Rav Moshe Stavsky ‘80. Rav Moshe Stavsky Orot Etzion, a network of schools which service over 1,500 students in the Gush Etzion area. Rav Krengel speaks to YHE talmidim Rav Stavsky spoke about how hi s time in In November, Yeshiva talmidim volunteered Yeshiva helped shaped him as an educator. to spend Shabbat in the Nurit Absorption He recalled “a sicha from HaRav Lichtenstein Center in Be'er Sheva, running programs shlit”a which focused on the way in which for the children who live there. Since the Rav Jeremy Stern Yaakov approached his father when ‘stealing' 1980's the Nurit Absorption Center has the brachot – ‘crying and with shaking been helping Ethiopian olim to adapt to life knees.' Sometimes, said the Rosh Yeshiva, it Rav Stern learned in the Yeshiva in 2001 in Israel. is necessary to take certain actions but we and 2002, and he served as a volunteer in need to realize that these actions are not the the Israeli Army (Machal) in 2003. He and tzurah of a Jew. They should be undertaken his family made aliya in the summer and crying and with shaking knees. Each time he is the Executive Director of ORA, The I had to consider expelling a student Organization for the Resolution of Agunot. from school I recalled this sicha of Rav Simon Wolf learned in the Yeshiva in 1992 Lichtenstein and it helped me to assume the and now lives in Beit Shemesh and works decision with a proper perspective. I have in the financial district in Tel Aviv. He spoke no doubt that there are countless sichot with talmidim about life after Yeshiva – both which have similarly impacted the many in terms of Torah learning and in terms of talmidim who have attended the Yeshiva in the challenges of the workplace.