Summer vacation took on a higher meaning, when a group of young women from Emet’s Fellowship and Step It Up programs were inspired to expand on their Torah learning in Eretz Yisrael. After an intense semester at college, the students chose to explore their heritage and devote more time to Torah study. Ms. Shira Fendel, Emet’s Women’s Director, traveled to Israel to guide and unite the Emet students, some of whom were learning at Neve in Jerusalem and others who were there on vacation. She spent over a week creating memorable programming to make their experience as impactful as possible.
The first Shabbat set the spiritual tone for the rest of the week. The group was fortunate to stay together in the Old City, in an apartment that was overlooking the Kotel. On Erev Shabbat, they took a walking tour of the area with well-known tour guide Bashie Zilberman, so the students could fully appreciate their surroundings. They then had a musical pre-Shabbat oneg with renowned singer Chaim Dovid and spent Kabbalat Shabbat at the Kotel. The ambience at dinner on Leil Shabbat was magical, since the meal was enjoyed with the awe-inspiring Kotel in background. At the meal, the girls connected and shared how they came to be learning in Israel. After dinner, there was a shiur with Rabbi Eli Deutsch, with a thought-provoking Q&A session.
The girls were shown warmth and hospitality by families in the area who hosted them for Shabbat lunch. In the afternoon, they were escorted by two chayalim to visit the Zilberman family, who live in the Muslim quarter. The group then returned to their apartment where Mrs. Sara Yoheved Rigler discussed the topic of “Knowing Oneself.” She brought a surprise speaker with her -- the acclaimed singer, Julia Blum, from California. Julia shared her incredible journey “from Broadway to Torah.” She also joined with extraordinarily talented Emet student, Daniella Bababekov, to sing a few songs. Seuda Shlishit was hosted by Mrs. Pamela Clayman on her rooftop overlooking Har Habayit, where she also led a musical Havdalah. The day culminated with a kumzitz on the apartment’s porch and each girl shared what Shabbat meant to her.
“Over Shabbat, we kept discussing the concept that in New York all of the girls have worked hard to bring Kedusha into their lives. But, on this Shabbat, Hashem gifted us with the ability to just look outside the window, and receive and embrace the holiness in Yerushalayim,” said Ms. Fendel. “It was honestly an unforgettable experience and it put everyone in a Torah-oriented frame of mind.”
There were many other highlights of the itinerary. On Monday the girls enjoyed a barbecue and a shiur with Mrs. Batya Burd, as she shared her life story. They then headed to the Kotel for the inspirational tunnel tour, which added to their historical understanding. They ended the tour by singing, dancing and davening.
Wednesday brought a group of 18 students on a tour to Chevron and Me’arat Hamachpeila. Mrs. Basya Korin enthralled the girls with her personal journey to Judaism. On the final Sunday, there was a fascinating 3-D movie at the Kotel, and the group experienced what it was like in the time of the Beit Hamikdash. There was also a kumzitz and a special goodbye for the girls who were departing.
“I worked with our team at Emet to set up multi-faceted programming for our students on this trip. We wanted to ensure that the experience was not only educational, but also included a lot of genuine Torah-true lessons and stories from amazing people,” said Ms. Fendel. “This was a trip that I will personally never forget, and I hope it helped strengthen our students’ connection with Judaism even further.”
Emet Outreach Inspires Their Students In Israel
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