tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80228373192448651642024-02-18T17:32:54.453-08:00Leadership Yeshiva AcademyLeadership Yeshiva Academyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16531763220819836150noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022837319244865164.post-29034051908025502592012-03-02T01:29:00.000-08:002012-03-02T01:29:01.436-08:00Update from R' Asher on Survival Week<span id="internal-source-marker_0.4040882957633585"></span><br />
<div dir="rtl" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">.As you probably know, last Shabbat, Parashat Titzave, was held in the holy city of Chevron</span></div></div><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Needless to say, spending Shabbat where so many of our ancestors lived, and are buried, was truly an uplifting experience, as many students shared, for all of us.</span></div><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We had the privilege to daven Mincha of Erev Shabbat, Kabbalat Shabbat, and Arvit in Mi'arat HaMachpela (the cave of the patriarchs) with many other people. There was lots of singing and dancing, and also a few quite moments as students took personal time for themselves, to reflect on where they were standing and who exactly is buried beneath them.</span></div><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We had our three Shabbat meals with a captivating and a one of a kind elderly couple who live on the hilltops of Chevron, and have a unique and enthralling opinion and perspective about Am Yisrael, and the state of Israel.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The students were all captivated and taken aback by our hosts and would love to spend time with them again.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">During Shabbat, we toured the many sites of Chevron understanding how so much of our Jewish roots began there.</span></div><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We visited the old, yet renewed Avraham-Avinu community, the homes of the renewed Jewish neighborhood spread throughout the city, and also with a group of soldiers toured many of the ancient parts of Cheveron where Jews, prior to 1929, once lived and flourished.</span></div><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the special moments was when we had a personal meeting with one of the top officers of the Golani brigade who's in charge of Chveron security, and actually "happened" to be a previous student of R' Erez in high school, for Tanach classes. </span></div><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He not only spoke about army life and what his responsibilities are in Chevron, but also about the importance and the privilege he has to be able to guard, and take care of the resting place of Avraham and Sara, and our other ancestors. It was very powerful for the students to hear about the keduash of the Eretz Yisrael and Am Yisrael, not from a famous rabbi, but from a top army officer, who wasn't only talking the talk, but also walking the walk.</span></div><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We also heard fascinating stories about daily life and the importance of living there, from the great granddaughter of Rav Kook and other residents, we dipped in an ancient Mikva, saw the archeological remains, believe it or not, of the actual gate through which Avraham Avinu and King David passed (!!!), and enjoyed many other exciting sites.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was truly incredible!!!</span></div><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On Motzei Shabbat we joined a Yeshiva University sponsored barbecue Meleva Malka for all American one year students in Israel which was held in Jerusalem. We had a bite to eat, danced, heard some Divrei Torah, and after enjoying the evening set off to the north to begin survival week.</span></div><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I'm sure you have probably heard by now of the survival week, so I'll just give you a general picture of it.</span></div><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the weeks leading up to it, the students did a great job in preparing for Survival. They studied maps of the terrain of the southern and northern Golan so they‘d be able to navigate the trails with ease, brushed up on a few first aid courses, learned about basic herbs that's edible, and prepared their bags with bare essentials-clothes, sleeping bag, tents, water, and Teffilin, and most importantly looked forward to it with great anticipation.</span></div><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We left early in the morning, and after Shacharit Vatikin all students were divided in to three teams and given their daily food portion which basically consisted of some dried fruit, nuts, and flour,. After the initial shock regarding 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 streams, mud, mountains, freezing water, and valleys.</span></div><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Throughout the four 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.</span></div><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We walked about 60 kilometers through cold harsh weather, sometimes even through stormy winds, sleet, hail, and snow, while all the time each student carried his pack made up of their clothes, sleeping bags, cooking dishes, tent, towel, toiletries, etc… </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Among the challenging things they had to do, the students had to jump in to freezing water to try to catch fish for them to gut and clean and cook for their dinner, had to sleep in a tent full of water while sharing one sleeping bag per three guys, and carry a stretcher with an "injured" guy through a fierce storm of wind and sleet while trudging through water and about a foot of mud.</span></div><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I can personally tell you that it was no stroll in the park.</span></div><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The student pushed themselves even when it was very rough, and as they would later share during our meeting, pushed themselves beyond what they thought were their limits and realized that (almost) nothing is impossible if you really set your heart and mind to it.</span></div><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Needless to say, after a few days of just surviving on some dried fruit, canned corn, and each other’s company, they gained a new appreciation for food and friend.</span></div><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I'm attaching a link to more pictures from Survival.</span></div><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="about:blank" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://www.lya.org.il/survival2012.aspx</span></a></div><a href="about:blank" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That's about it for now, the students have an out Shabbat and will g-d willing return with new strength for a week of studying about, and celebrating Purim altogether.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Shabbat Shalom!</span></div><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">R' Asher</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="goog_2070760047"></span><span id="goog_2070760048"></span></span></div><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span>Leadership Yeshiva Academyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16531763220819836150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022837319244865164.post-72117517600642286232012-02-29T06:03:00.000-08:002012-02-29T06:03:14.540-08:00We Survived Survival Week!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinCG9MNjZ43OsSF2kffAm2gt3lgivMh8Bvg5cQDUs0yKWShYjSOV83gnwCQ37OK_ijsi4UiEIAWnealOSuGmUntUldGMCjGX7x0c7cBwLFa-6mmNCUUsrXrVU1o0O5IWuNJAe6_S0vZ61q/s1600/photo+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinCG9MNjZ43OsSF2kffAm2gt3lgivMh8Bvg5cQDUs0yKWShYjSOV83gnwCQ37OK_ijsi4UiEIAWnealOSuGmUntUldGMCjGX7x0c7cBwLFa-6mmNCUUsrXrVU1o0O5IWuNJAe6_S0vZ61q/s640/photo+(1).JPG" width="478" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1oOp7ykGP-ABIHSYA0UYKhmjmBfKtWCl_xRURD5nEX8Qqj3Va2K0lzmK1KAeTzjvi5vZZXN8TbuMIx2OEBvoMkA8M_-ochl48smfc_uNjWxC-3AK8N9QALe4USfKRRxtyumSwkW8Mmr1a/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1oOp7ykGP-ABIHSYA0UYKhmjmBfKtWCl_xRURD5nEX8Qqj3Va2K0lzmK1KAeTzjvi5vZZXN8TbuMIx2OEBvoMkA8M_-ochl48smfc_uNjWxC-3AK8N9QALe4USfKRRxtyumSwkW8Mmr1a/s640/photo.JPG" width="478" /></a></div><br />
Time to get ready for Purim :-)Leadership Yeshiva Academyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16531763220819836150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022837319244865164.post-50748929805507815542012-02-29T05:44:00.000-08:002012-02-29T05:44:39.297-08:00Survival Week: Trooping Through the Mud<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7sVhbViS6V3Ewe7GXYrnuXOHOjnhTS-yxdHa8OuUcLhQ61ULvAs2dVeg0s-fWXZCL4DxnQMYBlg6oeru0AuZSowbiRlg39uYEREiQPtBMXta4qspZTuZqgL-gvlV2dbapjvLwbM1z0Oa/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7sVhbViS6V3Ewe7GXYrnuXOHOjnhTS-yxdHa8OuUcLhQ61ULvAs2dVeg0s-fWXZCL4DxnQMYBlg6oeru0AuZSowbiRlg39uYEREiQPtBMXta4qspZTuZqgL-gvlV2dbapjvLwbM1z0Oa/s640/photo.JPG" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A walk in the park</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG07A6Bg_jrCLKbXFqG7E8Exa2duOoBCGAfQGzQuLCPPtAoDt01lnuJ70DX5ODTu9hqhq02Kvs8MW_E_6sts_wSwk_qSgI1hV1X3hrf2miTTCzkdFB7Ng_Ad3oGWHpJqv7khyphenhyphenY5l76npmY/s1600/photo1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG07A6Bg_jrCLKbXFqG7E8Exa2duOoBCGAfQGzQuLCPPtAoDt01lnuJ70DX5ODTu9hqhq02Kvs8MW_E_6sts_wSwk_qSgI1hV1X3hrf2miTTCzkdFB7Ng_Ad3oGWHpJqv7khyphenhyphenY5l76npmY/s640/photo1.JPG" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Testing the students' strength</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2xcLtLcHwBeYCOs2RAcM8-bzGrUxiqIZo4-rOXqmlPnYQps4hyphenhyphenU_Y5ny4ud1jJVPK6Ty02U_Ke7b5iXv0nEeIon_qyxHS7gS-TZp6waOG2f4MQpxFOBHWn2MMn0F8ntHQllCdAijROqPw/s1600/photo+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2xcLtLcHwBeYCOs2RAcM8-bzGrUxiqIZo4-rOXqmlPnYQps4hyphenhyphenU_Y5ny4ud1jJVPK6Ty02U_Ke7b5iXv0nEeIon_qyxHS7gS-TZp6waOG2f4MQpxFOBHWn2MMn0F8ntHQllCdAijROqPw/s640/photo+(1).JPG" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost at the end.</td></tr>
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</div>Leadership Yeshiva Academyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16531763220819836150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022837319244865164.post-89268384143803390792012-02-29T02:28:00.000-08:002012-02-29T02:28:15.983-08:00Survival Week: Going with the Flow<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Due to the pouring rain and snow we are not authorized to continue as there are mud slides and slippery trails. We are forced to stay put and survive the bitter cold and hunger in the wilderness</span> <br />
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</span>Leadership Yeshiva Academyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16531763220819836150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022837319244865164.post-31553631454298134602012-02-28T23:42:00.000-08:002012-02-28T23:42:32.123-08:00Survival Week: Day 4<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It rained a lot. With temperatures near freezing, some of our equipment turned icy. Without the warmth of fire, we had to turn to alternative methods to stay warm. We are currently grounded at base camp, waiting to get the green light to move ahead. Let's see how today treats us. </span> <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Avoiding the cold.</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio9rDtkAC4G52e37Y5IVeWyyWQ4pNjZTuO315QXx37pZXGmCVOAjurdSkpWRVLoqy1C1MuFRlH4j8DVVP5j29syYyuyg-d6S5f72yXXnMuSJSYLd7SYJWTnuZXiPAkHiA0PuyH2NVtyRWT/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio9rDtkAC4G52e37Y5IVeWyyWQ4pNjZTuO315QXx37pZXGmCVOAjurdSkpWRVLoqy1C1MuFRlH4j8DVVP5j29syYyuyg-d6S5f72yXXnMuSJSYLd7SYJWTnuZXiPAkHiA0PuyH2NVtyRWT/s400/photo.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span>Leadership Yeshiva Academyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16531763220819836150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022837319244865164.post-19531065446059776752012-02-28T12:46:00.000-08:002012-02-28T12:46:57.294-08:00Continuation of Day 3: Survival Week<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi3S-A_oOFlIz7qmqKDvuLlbfc9cEApG_0TAUnzgNVWpfJJylZt0j8uzSUq6Mz6L8fvVgKwx4-Ce_iiMeuVFJPgBn3zP2dNzVz2TCkvCfX1kx2Clfc9kKUUjTRKMXfaVMKuStSArNawFYp/s1600/photo+(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi3S-A_oOFlIz7qmqKDvuLlbfc9cEApG_0TAUnzgNVWpfJJylZt0j8uzSUq6Mz6L8fvVgKwx4-Ce_iiMeuVFJPgBn3zP2dNzVz2TCkvCfX1kx2Clfc9kKUUjTRKMXfaVMKuStSArNawFYp/s320/photo+(4).JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner at the end of a rainy day.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYvAwCjTLpdoLA_-QORSykvuB1gwcnnLbzJItvNcI18U6U_8eeK43dPIKuYlnenuYU_kCPyfvNdrs_yh_ZjHMBu6S-hmltUmFu2_5YcsIWwFmhwwbieOqgzA_U0Qo8yAW7Pq5fx_98L6vE/s1600/photo+(5).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYvAwCjTLpdoLA_-QORSykvuB1gwcnnLbzJItvNcI18U6U_8eeK43dPIKuYlnenuYU_kCPyfvNdrs_yh_ZjHMBu6S-hmltUmFu2_5YcsIWwFmhwwbieOqgzA_U0Qo8yAW7Pq5fx_98L6vE/s320/photo+(5).JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPl6E4m1xWX254uXETUszUaMaqYIGp64yWm2HbMdp_-sseHSKfmrmezY-7fICm8LHUdg2z8omBFy75uGj_K168XJ629zHPttAMr4eiUmwE4oIt96JXIq68IzZDF1HmRMogVZWo6pe81i39/s1600/photo+(6).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPl6E4m1xWX254uXETUszUaMaqYIGp64yWm2HbMdp_-sseHSKfmrmezY-7fICm8LHUdg2z8omBFy75uGj_K168XJ629zHPttAMr4eiUmwE4oIt96JXIq68IzZDF1HmRMogVZWo6pe81i39/s320/photo+(6).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pre-Mikvah</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Kr6WHE9IbeGv_rSMVoORExaGShrm7LDMQ5_utwNR6e3WwLN4FaHz0koPXJRc41tu8GuLNgsiZpa_F4lCrF_Nuk0CIWuaQr49kz1IR9v14XEnvvhldwxJ-SzOzO83tX-SJTzpeH2_dDBW/s1600/photo+(7).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Kr6WHE9IbeGv_rSMVoORExaGShrm7LDMQ5_utwNR6e3WwLN4FaHz0koPXJRc41tu8GuLNgsiZpa_F4lCrF_Nuk0CIWuaQr49kz1IR9v14XEnvvhldwxJ-SzOzO83tX-SJTzpeH2_dDBW/s320/photo+(7).JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mission to get more food.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7D7emcsB7IYu-zQm1enGxRrwqqDdu0OUGkn0WqQmURPRRDjRCILgnQq6lssd2y6VoVQ4oEBazTcVZ_ZZ-shXv938eYm1kZe6TQkRKYeEq660CwppNbuedHR_H3_v5JekY8hRXv0ijQk5f/s1600/photo+(10).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7D7emcsB7IYu-zQm1enGxRrwqqDdu0OUGkn0WqQmURPRRDjRCILgnQq6lssd2y6VoVQ4oEBazTcVZ_ZZ-shXv938eYm1kZe6TQkRKYeEq660CwppNbuedHR_H3_v5JekY8hRXv0ijQk5f/s320/photo+(10).JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Group 1 in action</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMNuit8Dutta-2Dig_PRpCSw38YZvVtGTuvirijaaVscdeaHeJMHqPZD4vbnmgCam4BdOR95NC6R_u9A7Wgc7Fh7veBht3fJvqU33ko8vzf5siswMA4e6HewT97al9TsZO7KfgpmyZ_lU/s1600/photo+(8).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMNuit8Dutta-2Dig_PRpCSw38YZvVtGTuvirijaaVscdeaHeJMHqPZD4vbnmgCam4BdOR95NC6R_u9A7Wgc7Fh7veBht3fJvqU33ko8vzf5siswMA4e6HewT97al9TsZO7KfgpmyZ_lU/s320/photo+(8).JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strong and beautiful.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2i-lhUK5MuYVHd6QEt6AdTDKIS7kS9mS0KNP8pLekA61jqLK1FthOU-xcGD2GlkfFs7HkZN0Op50G2WwcSbyTv3oQHtWRoeM2AiI1POyqQC1b_iyHGs5YsDmJlVVaSZcL0js1SfwKE3dx/s1600/photo+(9).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2i-lhUK5MuYVHd6QEt6AdTDKIS7kS9mS0KNP8pLekA61jqLK1FthOU-xcGD2GlkfFs7HkZN0Op50G2WwcSbyTv3oQHtWRoeM2AiI1POyqQC1b_iyHGs5YsDmJlVVaSZcL0js1SfwKE3dx/s320/photo+(9).JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LYA navigators</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Leadership Yeshiva Academyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16531763220819836150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022837319244865164.post-91172455734186978532012-02-28T10:02:00.000-08:002012-02-28T10:02:57.342-08:00Survival Week: Day 3<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day Three: all teams are doing well. We started with fifteen guys and now we're down to eleven. Last night we overcame the challenge of sleeping without our tent. Let's see what today has in store. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNsfYV-BEz25iy9_gnc4x7UCNLuQLfYkuls8Lujg6GCs98_fxAI_zqwlrj1lk6xriAlmA2KcHj-DP5CAMvUGSxL6boJrrWC7mPgq-wDPUXdGq7uO_CffDz0s7uDIQpNorZrwjTAJZgQxLT/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNsfYV-BEz25iy9_gnc4x7UCNLuQLfYkuls8Lujg6GCs98_fxAI_zqwlrj1lk6xriAlmA2KcHj-DP5CAMvUGSxL6boJrrWC7mPgq-wDPUXdGq7uO_CffDz0s7uDIQpNorZrwjTAJZgQxLT/s640/photo.JPG" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's left of team 2<br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpVOUpUM_QKSCOoSFHXsN_0D-cAiv11Cq_TCNR5lyw_RvfAEN5E-3z_ZHrK4Juw6Yb8S-efMtO4O-7xpjsG06yTEIbe0TlByfhN1IUCKQ6UIzhgUt02hzd9m4NOme4QINoi55fh9u_HK2W/s1600/photo+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpVOUpUM_QKSCOoSFHXsN_0D-cAiv11Cq_TCNR5lyw_RvfAEN5E-3z_ZHrK4Juw6Yb8S-efMtO4O-7xpjsG06yTEIbe0TlByfhN1IUCKQ6UIzhgUt02hzd9m4NOme4QINoi55fh9u_HK2W/s640/photo+(1).JPG" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">The mountains that the students from LYA had to climb during survival week</span> </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiorKD4P95w8Fc95PbvNtarpZCwWJ2YnKZwQ6WRvG30mF5ngfzqLMxLp8Xy8OdahqoO-2eyFnovfHg651wdmipKU_scKdjjof1412JsOFN5SxU737WLGgQRCcROlKDKaQ-iuDcH4jkNihvu/s1600/photo+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiorKD4P95w8Fc95PbvNtarpZCwWJ2YnKZwQ6WRvG30mF5ngfzqLMxLp8Xy8OdahqoO-2eyFnovfHg651wdmipKU_scKdjjof1412JsOFN5SxU737WLGgQRCcROlKDKaQ-iuDcH4jkNihvu/s640/photo+(2).JPG" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: left;">The end is in sight. We see mount Chermon. </span> </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUWMduz41iHt7X-doz8zJYnu8P105k0Kykz4iHpGo41Qsd6N059Vf42QadEbxEKn4WlCxzGWhOiyyZg35iuGM8t51FTjYsdbumEalcW10vjDXwTnkjuFnMprDpE2zP2PV15-tMoPDlDjiR/s1600/photo+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUWMduz41iHt7X-doz8zJYnu8P105k0Kykz4iHpGo41Qsd6N059Vf42QadEbxEKn4WlCxzGWhOiyyZg35iuGM8t51FTjYsdbumEalcW10vjDXwTnkjuFnMprDpE2zP2PV15-tMoPDlDjiR/s400/photo+(3).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-align: left;">Only two days and 25 kilometers to go.</span> </td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span>Leadership Yeshiva Academyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16531763220819836150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022837319244865164.post-47570356591349826402012-02-26T11:24:00.000-08:002012-02-26T11:24:42.425-08:00Survival Week has Begun!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitUkuL8nrlsfTz8E7HUSymvo-jP9vr4RCT7WweO4SC7p4tMu25VHrfID9n3ecmMuqiLceslgR_rF9HQWhkalJ76ZmFYicLdV0azEKnBT7vcBiwOGxf5chKlDGON5NrxHltE2H1oN0zp1df/s1600/photo+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitUkuL8nrlsfTz8E7HUSymvo-jP9vr4RCT7WweO4SC7p4tMu25VHrfID9n3ecmMuqiLceslgR_rF9HQWhkalJ76ZmFYicLdV0azEKnBT7vcBiwOGxf5chKlDGON5NrxHltE2H1oN0zp1df/s640/photo+(2).JPG" width="476" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Group One: <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; text-align: left;">Aviv Spialter, </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; text-align: left;">Zack Lowy, </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; text-align: left;">Gabe Kohn, </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; text-align: left;">Ac Silverstein, </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; text-align: left;">Ariel Weiss </span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTIbdmvL6Plp3NNfv98qN-pv3FichbDvyQcsk8j_cWXTctkM2peWX_XrPqRgdXkm7Eu0mD66abLipQPNcI7mLar5VtFyc3XLuMuXKo-dlBu1DLJvietIHEnsZolFYhOCT9Ex0AFTcQfwsM/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTIbdmvL6Plp3NNfv98qN-pv3FichbDvyQcsk8j_cWXTctkM2peWX_XrPqRgdXkm7Eu0mD66abLipQPNcI7mLar5VtFyc3XLuMuXKo-dlBu1DLJvietIHEnsZolFYhOCT9Ex0AFTcQfwsM/s640/photo.JPG" width="476" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Group 2: <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; text-align: left;">Yaacov Steinberg, </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; text-align: left;">Ari Wolf, J</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; text-align: left;">ake Koenigson, </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; text-align: left;">Josh Rubin, </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; text-align: left;">Daniel Zargary</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1cHQf4RNZDzFnFfkbJzAGr82JmRCXopm7NuwYubTIjLhyinuYDoyHqmDzhvrcr23M6UD95goqZiZUjQjRQYTpztdqvXA7JXM8rp6vqzoGlaqlCS7O2L6IsyJNDzG7xKMxXP-X2u_T5Kf/s1600/photo+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1cHQf4RNZDzFnFfkbJzAGr82JmRCXopm7NuwYubTIjLhyinuYDoyHqmDzhvrcr23M6UD95goqZiZUjQjRQYTpztdqvXA7JXM8rp6vqzoGlaqlCS7O2L6IsyJNDzG7xKMxXP-X2u_T5Kf/s640/photo+(1).JPG" width="476" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Group 3:<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; text-align: left;">Evyater Steinhert, </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; text-align: left;">Tzuri Tshuba, </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; text-align: left;">Ari Shachar, </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; text-align: left;">Yosef Groner, </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; text-align: left;">Ezra Freidman</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpIQwpx3dpjGDvgib1BkdhkX4WPxKB3yMxNxyuTyrrAcv1R7-Kt_vR6bSy3aDzTbO8SyOGFNhhI9GfArpi9gpULw09VBxEFK2HhpF0Tsi4EG0Eyn0i2-FAt-QYnIVVeO_bBet_9uZfUTm2/s1600/photo+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpIQwpx3dpjGDvgib1BkdhkX4WPxKB3yMxNxyuTyrrAcv1R7-Kt_vR6bSy3aDzTbO8SyOGFNhhI9GfArpi9gpULw09VBxEFK2HhpF0Tsi4EG0Eyn0i2-FAt-QYnIVVeO_bBet_9uZfUTm2/s640/photo+(3).JPG" width="476" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTIbdmvL6Plp3NNfv98qN-pv3FichbDvyQcsk8j_cWXTctkM2peWX_XrPqRgdXkm7Eu0mD66abLipQPNcI7mLar5VtFyc3XLuMuXKo-dlBu1DLJvietIHEnsZolFYhOCT9Ex0AFTcQfwsM/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe_OHyx4PfxPKvyl_Q3OvL4rvTykHdiC6lI1x9CNdX9ESVzlMuDOH3ewPhMTQjvNHU6SIF_t0uomYiUmHhxt1DWmT32Xc2l9kq2aZAyleuB_puxEMeQiPo3Ih-xBG_U1g572ZWVo6t1dk3/s1600/photo+(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe_OHyx4PfxPKvyl_Q3OvL4rvTykHdiC6lI1x9CNdX9ESVzlMuDOH3ewPhMTQjvNHU6SIF_t0uomYiUmHhxt1DWmT32Xc2l9kq2aZAyleuB_puxEMeQiPo3Ih-xBG_U1g572ZWVo6t1dk3/s640/photo+(4).JPG" width="476" /></a></div>Leadership Yeshiva Academyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16531763220819836150noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022837319244865164.post-53867012940339001142012-02-16T10:51:00.001-08:002012-02-16T10:51:59.531-08:00A Refua Shleima for the Clouds<span id="internal-source-marker_0.7481251172721386"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.7481251172721386"></b></div><div dir="ltr" style="display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.7481251172721386"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Parashat Mishpatim – R' Asher Smith</span></b></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"And Moshe came within the cloud, and he went up to the mountain, and Moshe was on the mountain forty days and forty nights." (Shmot 24:18) </span><br />
<div dir="rtl" style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"וַיָּבֹא מֹשֶׁה בְּתוֹךְ הֶעָנָן וַיַּעַל אֶל הָהָר וַיְהִי מֹשֶׁה בָּהָר אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם וְאַרְבָּעִים לָיְלָה."</span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To paraphrase the above, Moshe received, "digested" and studied the Torah from Hashem for forty days and forty nights, on the top of Har Sinai, in a cloud.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A few questions jump out.</span><ol style="font-weight: bold;"><li style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: lower-alpha; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What's the deal with 40? Why not 39, or 45, why did this Chavruta with Hashem take exactly 40 days? And why did Moshe need so much time in order to process and study the Torah, it's not as if the Torah is a packaged and labeled product which requires a 40 day period of training, and after that, you're done, you get </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Smicha</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. It's infinite! Takes our whole life to start to even slightly understand what's goin' on, so what is Moshe exactly accomplishing in these 40 days and nights, and not a day more or a night less? </span></div></li>
<li style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: lower-alpha; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Why does the Torah emphasize forty days AND forty nights?</span></div></li>
<li style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: lower-alpha; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-right: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What's the deal with the cloud?</span></div></li>
</ol><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Important note: the Abarbanel, as he classically does, asks similar questions, and of course develops them with much depth and many twists, and answers them in his unique way, if you have a moment, it's worth a peak.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We can use the golden rule, that whenever a concept, a passuk, or a statement, appear which are not so clear, it's always a smart move to try and find if and where and in what context, did that exact term come up for the first time in the Torah, which will then often shed light on the difficulty at hand. (Try it, it works).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So we don't have to be the Gaon of Vilna to know that the first time, this exact phrase of "forty days and forty nights" comes up is in describing how long it rained in the beginning of the Mabul-the flood. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"וַיְהִי הַגֶּשֶׁם עַל הָאָרֶץ אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם וְאַרְבָּעִים לָיְלָה"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"And the rain was upon the earth </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">forty days and forty nights</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">" (Bereishit 7:12).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">All we have to do is to cut and paste this description, with its "hyperlinks," to our passuk, of Moshe receiving and studying the Torah.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The world was destroyed as Hashem wanted, and the way in which his will played out, was through water, with an emphasis on rain water, (as well as deep spring water etc…).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bottom line, the rain whose sole purpose was and is to bring life in to the world, H2O for the earth, animals, and people, was now being used for the exact opposite purpose, as a bearer of destruction and death. True, this was Hashem's plan and will, yet nonetheless the rains had to do a very "dirty" and cruel job. Now where do the rains come and fall from? The clouds. Meaning that, the physical origin of the destruction of the earth at the time, were the clouds. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So here comes Moshe, who we already know is a super sensitive guy, compassionate and caring about his fellow Jews (saving the beaten Jew in Egypt), mankind (saving Yitro's daughters at well), animals (saving runaway lamb in desert), and the inanimate (not wanting to hit the Nile or the sand which "assisted" him), goes and takes this care, concern, and sense of responsibility for all of creation, to a whole new, and incredible level.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Moshe in his concern for all of creation takes time to heal and clean up the "blemished" clouds.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You know the feeling, when you really want to take a shower, like right after you get off a long flight, and you still have to wait a few good hours till you get your luggage, catch your ride, and get home for the shower? Every single second feels like eternity.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now that's nothing, nothing, compared to how long these clouds have been waiting for to "take a shower" and be cleaned off all the death and pain they brought the world…</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">792 years!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Comes Moshe Rabbeinu, and delves in to the Torah, starts "pounding" Torah into the clouds, the "Torat Chayim-living Torah," and for 40 days and 40 nights gives the clouds back their life, restores them back to their former and proper health. A Torah day for a flood day, and a Torah night for a flood night, forty days and forty nights… </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A complete and soothing Refua Shleima…</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He aint called "איש האלוקים-the man of G-D" (Dvarim 33:1), for nothing…</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This message is so so important, especially in this Parasha which deals so much with the laws of people, that at the end of the Parasha, one might be so caught up in caring and worrying about the little (and extremely important) details of how to treat another human being, a slave, a thief, the poor, witches, etc… that they'll totally forget about the rest of the world. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Comes Moshe at the very last passuk, mamesh the last verse in the Parasha, and tell us "</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Whoa!</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Slow down! Knowing how much to pay your friend if your ox gored him is very essential, but don't forget for one second the rest of creation… don't ever forget."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How many lifetimes would it take for us to reach such a level of sensitivity and concern for not only the physical wellbeing of all of the world around us, but also of its spiritual welfare???</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At least we now have what to aim for, 'cause if we don't know where we're goin', there's no chance we're ever gonna get there…</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I bless us all to make it at least part of the way, and to give each other a hand. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It's a long, and not so simple journey…</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Good Shabbos!</span>Leadership Yeshiva Academyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16531763220819836150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022837319244865164.post-42969853251585580602012-02-09T20:25:00.000-08:002012-02-09T20:25:08.025-08:00Update from Tu B'Shvat 5772Rosh Hashannah for the trees was celebrated in many beautiful ways in the Mechina.<br />
<br />
We learned and studied about the importance of Tu B'Shvat from a halachik<br />
standpoint and its many practical and spiritual ramifications on our daily lives in and<br />
out of Israel. We also strengthened our connection to the land through a good trip<br />
in the Golan, of waterfalls, valleys, and mountains. It was truly beautiful to see the<br />
results of the recent heavy rains, as the mountains were truly alive, green and lush,<br />
and the waterfalls were gushing with water. Also, as the famous Tu B'Shvat song<br />
goes, many almond trees could be seen blossoming along the trails.<br />
A few of the more daring students jumped in to the freezing water for a swim, after<br />
which they warmed up with a small bonfire we made.<br />
<br />
On Tu B'Shvat eve we had a beautiful Seder. We spoke about the Shivat haMinim-the<br />
seven special species of Eretz Yisrael, and of course partook of them, in addition to<br />
many other fruits and nuts, had four cups of wine, and sang throughout the Seder.<br />
Many of the students also prepared Divrei Torah on various fruits and nuts which they<br />
shared throughout the evening.<br />
For some of our Talmidim, it was their first Tu B'Shvat Seder ever, and was a special<br />
and extraordinary experience for them.<br />
<br />
On Tu B'Shvat day we joined the Moshav for the "traditional" Israeli custom of<br />
planting new trees. G-D willing when the students come back for a visit in a few<br />
years, they'll be able to appreciate their sapling as a growing tree in our Moshav.<br />
<br />
In the past few weeks we have been focusing on a few more new things in the<br />
Mechina.<br />
<br />
In the Beit Midrash the students have been engrossed in studying and researching<br />
for their Purim articles which will G-D willing be published and mailed to you<br />
just in time for Purim. We hope you enjoy their articles with their informative and<br />
inspirational ideas for the Chag.<br />
On that note, if there is somebody specific, a relative or a close friend perhaps, whom<br />
you think would like to receive the Purim Dvar Torah booklet, please send us their<br />
address and be'ezrat Hashem we'll mail them a copy as well.<br />
<br />
We have also begun our First Aid courses given by a local paramedic of Magen-<br />
David -Adom of the Golan. These are important courses since the Mechina is very<br />
active outdoors, and is especially vital in preparation for our Survival Week, to be<br />
held in a few weeks.<br />
<br />
Another interesting guest we had a few weeks ago was a lady who lives on the<br />
Moshav who has an amazing and inspiring tale of how she grew up as a non Jewish<br />
Christian teenager in Croatia during the war, and ended up converting, marrying an<br />
Israeli, and lives on our Moshav.<br />
<br />
The students have also been volunteering lately through different venues such as,<br />
offering their general help to anybody on the Moshav through a letter they sent out,<br />
helping a family move homes, and planting flowers throughout the Moshav a few<br />
weeks ago.<br />
<br />
That's about it for now, we look forward to our Survival Week, and the Chevron<br />
Shabbaton to be held in a few weeks and hope to share our experiences with you in<br />
the near future.<br />
<br />
Shabbat Shalom!Leadership Yeshiva Academyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16531763220819836150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022837319244865164.post-6010074976884884282012-02-09T05:06:00.000-08:002012-02-09T20:25:41.048-08:00Tu B'Shvat 5772<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; direction: ltr; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><strong>On Tu B'Shvat we had a beautiful Seder. We spoke about the Shivat haMinim-the seven special species of Eretz Yisrael, partook of them, in addition of course to many other fruits and nuts, had four cups of wine, and sang throughout the Seder.</strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; direction: ltr; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><strong>Many of the students also prepared Divrei Torah on various fruits and nuts which they shared throughout the evening.</strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; direction: ltr; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: left;"><strong><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">For some of our Talmidim, it was their first Tu B'Shvat Seder ever, and was a special and extraordinary experience for them.</span></strong> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLcz5gRkFu-gGTUnxb_bYi4-0bI0xA-obBmxngjaAPVBQdIpObhwyAEfpySopGV7kqkBGyRGZap8TkdaiTkO-CLY_Mhbw2OJOS1OzikOHxI6-SymZyjjwViuXnXclt9ey0I_tH2-4eChkJ/s1600/1+tu+bshvat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLcz5gRkFu-gGTUnxb_bYi4-0bI0xA-obBmxngjaAPVBQdIpObhwyAEfpySopGV7kqkBGyRGZap8TkdaiTkO-CLY_Mhbw2OJOS1OzikOHxI6-SymZyjjwViuXnXclt9ey0I_tH2-4eChkJ/s400/1+tu+bshvat.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: center; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">By bringing a student to LYA, you will not only provide him with an amazing opportunity to experience a real Israel yeshiva, you will also help him achieve the lifelong tools to learn and live as a strong Jewish man. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: center; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
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</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: center; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">This Special Forces Diving watch, made famous as the watch preferred by elite IDF<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: center; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Units, has become an icon of courage in Israel.</span></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div>Leadership Yeshiva Academyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16531763220819836150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022837319244865164.post-1569125404084849142012-01-24T21:59:00.000-08:002012-01-24T21:59:27.866-08:00LYA does Mac vs. PC AGAIN!!!<iframe width="459" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DsDrgFiaA9Y?fs=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>Leadership Yeshiva Academyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16531763220819836150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022837319244865164.post-34697271935970394252012-01-24T00:39:00.000-08:002012-01-24T00:39:51.134-08:00Mazal Tov to Eliyahu Margulis for Making a Siyum on Massechet Brachot!<div class="MsoNormal" dir="RTL"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqCrvzHhCH_bOIEGSOgC2jhmD2d2SyIpAXuGQTyWebN-e_dmS_TNEVrvWsz_-t4dwgsB7s4D94pNU1CgM2ouZBE-m_czv5cAvyzZiDJkZeBbzaVhOGCpxidWwrmWkWIWYcKVAREu5M8oN/s1600/IMG_0577.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqCrvzHhCH_bOIEGSOgC2jhmD2d2SyIpAXuGQTyWebN-e_dmS_TNEVrvWsz_-t4dwgsB7s4D94pNU1CgM2ouZBE-m_czv5cAvyzZiDJkZeBbzaVhOGCpxidWwrmWkWIWYcKVAREu5M8oN/s200/IMG_0577.JPG" width="149" /></a><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">סימן טוב ומזל טוב יהא לנו ולכל ישראל אמן!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">This past Thursday evening, the 24<sup>th</sup> of Tevet, Eliyahu (Jonathan) Margulis, came all the way back from the States, from school in Washington D.C to do some good learning in the Mechina, and to finish the fifth chapter of Massechet Berachot.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">He started the chapter about a year ago when he first joined the Mechina, and continued to seriously study it after his year was over.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">What a Zechut for him and for us!!!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">We had a nice Siyum in the dining room where Eliyahu shared words of wisdom on the Gemara, over some Lechayim's and Nosh, and we all sang and gave him Berachot.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">May he continue to study Torah and grow closer to Hashem wherever he is, and may he shine that same light to others around him!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="text-align: left;">Mazal Tov!!!!</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd5K0-utsndwIeHi_RcXEuAydRLa6w7V-rOhPF-DAksFnE7Bl-YK85N18talPOG8I0n8qJQ-tYlscfj5hZ0cUh5L2EPQKgja5q_6BUpvuCnZG4Sc_oQT6pd1uba2s4sYeKhyphenhyphenkgF9qFzGSL/s1600/IMG_0573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd5K0-utsndwIeHi_RcXEuAydRLa6w7V-rOhPF-DAksFnE7Bl-YK85N18talPOG8I0n8qJQ-tYlscfj5hZ0cUh5L2EPQKgja5q_6BUpvuCnZG4Sc_oQT6pd1uba2s4sYeKhyphenhyphenkgF9qFzGSL/s640/IMG_0573.JPG" width="475" /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Leadership Yeshiva Academyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16531763220819836150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022837319244865164.post-86118916182858653362012-01-17T12:29:00.000-08:002012-01-17T12:29:29.080-08:00Why Are You Protesting Against Israel<iframe width="480" height="270" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DmerYYdJDv0?fs=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>Leadership Yeshiva Academyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16531763220819836150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022837319244865164.post-57883563292524238392012-01-12T22:37:00.001-08:002012-01-12T22:37:51.976-08:00Rav Erez on Parashat Shemot<div><b id="internal-source-marker_0.8271863588597625"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Parashat Shemot</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> – Rav Erez</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the beginning of Parashat Shemot, we read about the heroic acts of the Jewish midwives.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What was the secret of their strength that gave them the power to stand up against such evil? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Passuk says "ויהי כי יראו המילדות את האלוקים..." the midwives feared and were in awe of God. It was their </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yirat Shamayim</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> which guided them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pharaoh commands them to kill, but their </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yirah</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> brought life. The word </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yirah</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in hebrew ,יראה has the same letters as the Hebrew word for the Egyptian Nile, the Yeor היאר does. This is because the Nile was feared and worshiped by the Egyptians. The midwives showed the world that there is a true God who should be feared. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yirat</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Shamayim</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is the basis of </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Emunah</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and even precedes </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ahava</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, Love.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just as the sense of sight, ראיה, is clear and without doubts to the beholder, so too our </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Emunah</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yirah</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> must be.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Avraham the first believer was also the first "fearer" of God, upon whom after </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Akeidat Yitzchak</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> it is written: עתה ידעתי כי ירא אלוקים אתה" now I know that you have </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yirat Shamayim.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Concerning the Eshet Chayil it says: אשה יראת ה' היא תתהלל" a woman who is God fearing should be praised."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Such were the Jewish women in Egypt, and it was in their merit that we were redeemed.</span></b></div>Leadership Yeshiva Academyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16531763220819836150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022837319244865164.post-50290857388278332062012-01-11T10:43:00.000-08:002012-01-11T10:43:42.690-08:00Kosher Cake- Shlock Rock Official Video<iframe width="480" height="270" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fAnjOZ24QjY?fs=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>Leadership Yeshiva Academyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16531763220819836150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022837319244865164.post-89215865682375674012012-01-04T06:02:00.000-08:002012-01-04T06:06:00.758-08:00R' Asher's Post Chanukah Update<div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Two major events have just passed us in the Mechina, and it's time for another update.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Yam-Leyam </span></strong>(coast to coast) trip<strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">, and of course Channuka.</span></strong><strong><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Yam-Leyam trip is a very special one as it is the first long trip in the Mechina involving camping out for a few days and walking many miles.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">About a week before Channukah our hike began a few kilometers inland from the Mediterranean coast, and went all the way to a kibbutz located on the Kinneret shores. Roughly, about sixty kilometers of fields, mountains, valleys, and streams, over three warm days, and freezing nights. <o:p></o:p></span></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">After numerous preparations we were bused from the Moshav on the early morning of December 13<sup>th</sup> at 4:00 am. Nice and early. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">We were dropped off at the beginning of our route at the Chziv river which is about 6 kilometers inland from the Mediterranean, and from that point on it was all by foot.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">We got there just in time for Vatikin Shacharit, had a great Tefilah and then had a simple and quick breakfast, with some fresh pots of coffee.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">Several of the responsibilities for the trip were taken care of by the students. They were responsible for the meals, what kind of food, when, how much, cooking and barbecuing it, and so on. They were the navigators for the trails (and thank G-D nobody got lost for that long), and decided how long we'd stop at different sites and what would be done with our time there.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">On the first day we hiked through beautiful cool to warm weather, along the banks and through the Chziv River. We got to climb and explore the ruins of an old crusader castle, had lunch and dipped our feet in the river, made a few bonfires along the way, discovered one of the most poisonous snakes in Israel, the <i>Nachash Tzefa</i>, hanging out on one of the trails, and promptly, as halacha permits, escorted him to the next world.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">One of the guys also put together a makeshift fishing rod which after many failed attempts he was successful in catching a small fish. It was cleaned, salted, and thrown over the fire, and after we spoke about the importance, from a Torah perspective, of eating fish and also in the right spiritual frame of mind, it was enjoyed by all those that partook. Hard to come by fresher fish than that!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">About twenty kilometers later we reached the camping grounds where we set up tents, a bonfire, and prepared some good beef stew in iron cast pots, for dinner.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">We had a group activity around the bonfire followed by Arvit, and after dinner we all hit the sack.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">Early next morning we woke up the sun, davened Shacharit, folded up the tents and gear, had a good breakfast of scrambled eggs, cheeses, vegetables, and bread, washed down with some freshly brewed coffee, and hit the road.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">We stopped during the day a few times. Those that could stand the cold and the freezing waters dipped in an ancient natural spring Mikvah, while the rest of us enjoyed the views of a beautiful green valley. Later on we had lunch and davened Mincha at the foot of Mt. Meron, and then we climbed Mount Nerya (Mt. Meron can’t be climbed because there’s an army base at its peak).<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">On the top, 1050 meters high above, we had a beautiful view of the upper Gallil and Lebanon.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">We climbed down the other side, got a barbecue dinner cooking, and then went to Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai’s gravesite to daven.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">After dinner we went to sleep, exhausted but happy and content. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">This time, we woke up way before the sun, and in the hour before sunrise studied for about an hour in the Bet-Midrash located in Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai’s gravesite and then davened Vatikin. We had some cake and coffee, then we all had some breakfast, packed the gear and got on the move once again for another twenty kilometer hike mostly in the Amud river nature reserve.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">We walked at a brisk pace, brisker abd faster than any of the other Years have in the Mechina. During the hike, we had lunch, got a fire going, davened Mincha, and kept on walking till we reached Kibbutz Chokuk, near the Kinneret. There we had a breathtaking view of the Kinneret, and to make a long, and happy story very short, were picked by bus and driven home for a hot shower and a good warm meal.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">Many of the students were amazed by the many sites of Israel’s nature we got to see and explore, and all in all it was a bonding, fun, and educational experience.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">Shortly, we’ll post more pictures of the trip on Facebook and the website, and I’m sure you can get more fun details from your son about the trip.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">Channuka was great! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX1mOB1-Cxft8WJs4vYKKAGe4m46MbF3cGIVRLJoOjk5RvikkRNMO5CF0GgbeHldafOeKIayAlQwG8nkpLnkoxI_0g8p4bzCv-KVxAEr7YRXGku5TBBwxEFfIlAS0OELe6jqIlwm2DNFN6/s1600/____.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX1mOB1-Cxft8WJs4vYKKAGe4m46MbF3cGIVRLJoOjk5RvikkRNMO5CF0GgbeHldafOeKIayAlQwG8nkpLnkoxI_0g8p4bzCv-KVxAEr7YRXGku5TBBwxEFfIlAS0OELe6jqIlwm2DNFN6/s320/____.JPG" width="320" /></a>On the eve of the first day we had our special Gamla “Flag Run.”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">A little background might be fitting.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">About 18 kilometers away from us, is a pace called Gamla. During the revolt against the Romans, Gamla was a stronghold for many Jewish fighters. In his book, <i>The Jewish War</i>, Yosef Ben Matityahu a.k.a Josephus Flavius, tells in great detail the dramatic story of how the Jews of Gamla fought the Romans tooth and nail. A few thousand Jews held off the massive roman army until eventually the Romans broke through their wall and drove many of the Jews off the precipice.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">Getting back to our story, our tradition in LYA is that on Channuka eve we have a very meaningful run to Gamla.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">The students ran in pairs holding the Israeli flag up high for a few kilometers each from Avnei Eitan till Gamla. The last few kilometers were done while carrying a stretcher with an "injured" student on top. Everybody joined together, staff as well, for this last shove and it was a very powerful experience. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">Once we reached Gamla we had a little ceremony where we declared our commitment to Am Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael, which ends with some good dancing to Am Yisrael Chai and Channuka songs.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">The reason we do this during Channuka is obvious, Jewish pride, fighting for Torah values, and standing up when needed, to protect that which is dear and important to us.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">A few visiting parents joined the ceremony as well, and them as well as the students said how it was a very significant and powerful experience for them.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">We then headed back home for a good lunch followed by some fresh butterscotch Sufganiyot (Israeli channuka donuts).<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">That night we had our Mesibat Channuka in the Yeshiva, which was full of Divrei torah, stories, noshing, music, and singing like mad to Channuka songs.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">The students had vacation for the rest of Channukah, and came back for a wonderful Shabbat.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">That's about it for now.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">I hope to send you soon some pictures from the trip and from Channukah.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">Kol tuv!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;">R' Asher<span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" dir="LTR" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div>Leadership Yeshiva Academyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16531763220819836150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022837319244865164.post-80837126698174524512011-12-28T23:34:00.000-08:002011-12-28T23:34:16.142-08:00Rav Erez on Parashat Vayigash<div><span id="internal-source-marker_0.7461835842113942"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Parashat Vayigash marks the beginning of the Galut, the exile, Ya'akov and all of his family descend to Egypt. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Egyptian exile is the prototype of all exiles, therefore, understanding and analyzing it, will teach us about the exile we are in nowadays, on the eve of the final redemption.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the things which sticks out is that the Egyptian exile began with dreams, the dreams of Yosef, Pharaoh's ministers dreams, and those of Pharaoh himself. Also concerning the final exile it is written"בשוב ה' את שיבת ציון - היינו כחולמים" when Hashem returns the returnees of Zion, we were like dreamers.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is the common denominator between exiles and dreams?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The answer is, that in both the impossible and the unrealistic IS possible and realistic. In a dream one can see anything, even as the Gemara says, an elephant passing through the eye of a needle, so too is the Galut, the exile. Even though it is impossible for Am Yisrael not to be in their land, in the exile it does happen.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Also Man, ever since he was banished from Gan-Eden is in a constant state of spiritual exile, he is distant from his creator. Often it feels as if we are close to him, but it is an illusion of the moment. There is no true opportunity to cling to the creator as long as we are in a state of Galut.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">However, just like in a dream, in one moment a person awakens and the dream fizzles away, so too, we are waiting for the day of which it's written "היינו כחולמים" we were like dreamers, and immediately the Galut will fizzle away and the gates of redemption will in our days, speedily open, Amen! </span></span></div>Leadership Yeshiva Academyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16531763220819836150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022837319244865164.post-17267555850623483462011-12-25T01:42:00.000-08:002011-12-25T01:42:57.174-08:00Light Up the Night - Fountainheads Hanukkah<iframe width="480" height="270" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Jzh-TKzXN2k?fs=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>Leadership Yeshiva Academyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16531763220819836150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022837319244865164.post-69616957962281240452011-12-19T00:15:00.000-08:002011-12-19T00:15:32.930-08:00BoxerBros-LYA Survival week 2010<iframe width="459" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lfHX_xz6IBQ?fs=1" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen=""></iframe>Leadership Yeshiva Academyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16531763220819836150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022837319244865164.post-63731276368529425442011-12-15T04:33:00.001-08:002011-12-15T04:33:17.685-08:00Take a Look at Our Yeshiva!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/IYHv6fYA3O8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Leadership Yeshiva Academyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16531763220819836150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022837319244865164.post-18070115068738099292011-12-13T23:19:00.001-08:002011-12-13T23:19:57.249-08:00Mechinat Avnei Eitan, LYA - Gibush video<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/8WwZdnHhack?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Leadership Yeshiva Academyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16531763220819836150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8022837319244865164.post-35270512098296526902011-12-12T03:16:00.000-08:002011-12-12T03:16:24.151-08:00Get Ready for Chanukah with the Maccabeats!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/oHwyTxxQHmQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Leadership Yeshiva Academyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16531763220819836150noreply@blogger.com0