Shana Alef Shabbat in Ra'anana: A Study in Community

Following a muddy Friday tiyul in Nachal Katlav, students of the Overseas Program were hosted by the Ohel Ari Shul in Ra'anana for Shabbat Parshat Shemot, January 9th 2010. The shul is named in memory of IDF Sgt. Ari Weiss hy"d, the son of Rabbi Stewart and Susie Weiss, who fell in battle in 2002 against Hamas terrorists. We thank the Ohel Ari community for its gracious hospitality.

Talmidim joined Rabbi Seth Farber '86, Rabbi of Kehillat Netivot, for a Friday night tish.  Rabbi Farber is Founder and Director of ITIM: The Jewish Life Information Center, which helps secular Jews navigate the Israeli religious establishment during critical moments of Jewish life.

Rabbi Daniel Beller '82, Rabbi of Kehillat Shivtei Yisrael, is the founder and director of “Bakehilla”, a community-based educational project that seeks to make Judaism more accessible, relevant and personalized to the secular Israeli public. Rabbi Beller urged talmidim to take full advantage of their year of study in Yeshivat Har Etzion which he referred to as a "Palace of Torah" and then challenged them to use this knowledge for the betterment of Jewish communal life worldwide.

Thank you to 2009 Shana Alef madrichim Ariel Brounstein, Ariel Cohen, and Eitan Martin (all from Ra'anana) for organizing the Shabbaton and welcoming talmidim into their homes.