For more than 25 years, young Jewish men and women from around the globe have traveled thousands of miles to the Mayanot Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem for their first experience of intense, high-level Torah study. Some have stayed for a month or two, many for a year, a few for even longer. They return home with a newfound appreciation of the depth and beauty of Judaism, as well as a new sense of Jewish identity.
The things they miss the most, they say, are their teachers and each other. Thatâs why hundreds of Mayanot alumni jumped at the chance to spend quality time once again with their teachers and friends this summer at reunions taking place around the world.
While thereâs some type of Mayanot reunion every year, theyâve never done anything on this scale, said Rabbi Shlomo Gestetner, the schoolâs dean. This is a Hakhel year, he noted, when in ancient times, men, women and children gathered in the Holy Temple for a septennial catalyst for spiritual growth and coming closer to Gâd. In recent times, the RebbeâRabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memoryâurged Jews around the world to once again have special gatherings throughout every Hakhel year.
And so they flew to New York, Florida, California, Australia and beyond for gatherings, whether hosted in large halls or in private homes.
âThe underlying theme is to be inspired and to inspire,â says Gestetner. âWe envisioned these gatherings as a sort of an energetic point of recalibrating our spiritual energy, our connection to Torah and to Judaism, and use that to step forward and make a difference in the world.â
Deeply Meaningful Reunions
Alumna Chana Colin attended Mayanot 11 years ago and helped set up an event for women in Baltimore, featuring Mayanot's educational director, Rabbi Meir Levinger. As a baâalat teshuvahâsomeone who has moved towards a more observant lifestyleâColin says she welcomed the chance to be among like-minded peers with a seasoned and caring rabbi.
âItâs a very powerful experience to get together with other women who have made sacrifices to better devote their lives to Torah and mitzvahs,â says Colin. âRabbi Levinger always creates a very open space for us to talk about the struggles we share and to bond with each other.â
In Teaneck, N.J., some 130 alumni and supporters convened over a Shabbat featuring Rabbi Yisroel Noach Wichnin, rosh yeshiva of the Mayanot program for men. âWe had a mix of alumni, as well as people who are part of the Mayanot ecosystem from Mayanot-Birthright Israel,â said Yosef Levine, who helped organize the weekend of talks and celebration.
Mayanot-Birthright Israel has become one of the largest trip providers in recent years, thanks in great part to the success of Chabad-Lubavitch centers on college campuses and communities across the world. In 2023, Mayanot is projected to bring nearly 2,500 young adults to Israel. Over the years, many participants have returned to Israel to study at Mayanot Institute programs.
Levineâs son took part in a recent high school program at Mayanot in Jerusalem and was excited to learn with his rabbi again. âWhen I told my son the guest speaker was Rabbi Wichnin, my sonâs response was, âheâs a legend,â and was thrilled to be able to learn with him again.â
Colinâs husband, Alex, attended Mayanot from 2013 to 2016. He says welcoming Rabbi Wichnin and Rabbi Levinger was important for Mayanot alumni: âIt was very meaningful for us to see the rabbis.â
âAs you are coming closer to Judaism, these rabbis become parent-like figures. But as we move on with our lives far from Jerusalem, weâre not always able to talk, connect and communicate, and send them pictures of our families, for example. So when weâre able to get together, itâs like reconnecting with family,â he explains.
It was a unique opportunity for Colin and his friends to reconnect spiritually, he says. âWe all live busy lives; weâre not young bochrim anymore. The fact that we could spend an evening together with that same feeling of being back in Mayanot was very powerful and very inspiring.â
Faculty âDelightedâ to Reconnect With Students
âIn general, the idea of Hakhel is not just to unite, but even more so to reunite all Jews and to relive the moment we all stood together receiving the Torah on Har Sinai,â says Rabbi Kasriel Shemtov, executive director at Mayanot, adding that for many students, the program was where their introduction or their own âreceivingâ of the Torah took place. âI feel this is what Hakhel is ultimately supposed to beâto relive the moment of Am Yisrael joining together and living, reliving the giving of the Torah, and most importantly, bringing back the impact to local communities.â
Rivka Marga Gestetner, director of the Mayanot womenâs campus in Jerusalem, flew in from Jerusalem to spend just 30 hours in New York before returning home. Students from the 15 years the womenâs program has been running came out for the event, their Mayanot energy in full force, she says.
After the program ended, women moved to an area home, where they stayed until 2 a.m., singing and sharing. âIt was just super-special,â says Gestetner, adding that the trip was worth the flight. Participants came in from Washington, D.C.; Canada; New Jersey; and beyond. âPeople really made an effort to be there, and I wanted to be with all these people who feel close enough to Mayanot to come.â
Back in Jerusalem, where they hosted an event for alumnae and women currently in the program, Gestetner notes that women can take part in year-long programs, semester-long programs or a shorter program during the month of Elul, preparing for the High Holidays.
âWe have real serious learning going on,â she says. âWe want to empower Jewish women. That means giving them the tools to continue learning, which become theirs to access whenever they want and wherever they are. It might get more complicated to continue learning as their lives get busy, but that connection to the Torah stays forever.â
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