Midreshet B’erot Bat Ayin monthly Electronic Gush from the Wellspring
כ"ט–שבט–תשס"ג Rosh Chodesh Adar alef
Dear Friends and Supporters,
My visit this time to USA and Canada has returned me home with much energy and enthusiasm to work even harder and improve the direction of Midreshet B’erot Bat Ayin. You have helped me sharpen my vision and the steps necessary to achieve it. I enjoyed connecting with all of you, my teachings were well received and I am now processing your kind and proficient advice.
Some of the decisions you have helped me make, which I hope to
implement this year:
·We are building an active Board of Directors for Midreshet B’erot Bat Ayin. The purpose is to get more people involved in the direction of B'erot to enable us to grow beyond what one person can do alone. So far we have the following board members:
Leah Gelber -Chairwoman
Shoshanna Shamberg -Co-chairwoman and creative program-planner
Aaron Shamberg -Site designer and planning consultant
Brucha Kazman - Strategic consultant
Judy Joseph - Alumni Coordinator.
We are open to nominate additional members please let us know your suggestions even if it is yourself.
Communication for the board of directors will B”H be via an email list where important decision making questions would be discussed and the advice of each board member will be posted and considered for the final decision making. In addition possible conference calls can be conducted perhaps twice a year. I don't want to over burden the board of directors but I would like to provide everyone with ways to get involved on a serious level. All board members will be expected to donate or raise a certain amount to Midreshet B’erot Bat Ayin. Please send me your suggestions of reasonable amount.
· We plan to devote more concentrated effort into negotiating with the council of Bat Ayin to ensure a permanent plot for B’erot under the best condition. For that aim I will attempt to get the help of a lawyer as has been suggested. Once permanent land is secured we need to develop permanent building plans.
· We plan to put effort into getting my book (From my weekly emails) “Women in the Parsha” published, either through a publisher or through self-publishing. I need to continue the editing one parsha at a time. Anyone willing to help with this project please let me know.
· I am in the process of delegating much of the work for B’erot to hence my very proficient administrator Elana Benarroch, her assistant Hila Ruth, and members of the board of directors. This will free me to work on the tasks where I am most needed.
·Upon popular demand, we are
planning a special summer program for “Women of Wisdom” - geared to women with longer life-experience who prefer more
comfortable accommodations.
Sunday August 3- Shabbat August 16
The first week (August 3-9), including Tishab’Av at the Kotel, will take place in the old city of Jerusalem. The second week (August 10-16) including our annual TuB'Av Seminar will take place in the peaceful, rural setting of Bat Ayin, nestled in the Judean hills, with panoramic vistas and rugged mountain ridges.
The 2-week program offers you the opportunity to pursue your spiritual path and reclaim your connection to Zion. At the world’s holiest place, you will experience the mourning for the destruction of our sanctuary in order to merit witnessing its rebuilding. In-depth textual study with dynamic teachers as well as study partners about the holy sites will make their visit so much more meaningful. Sessions in Kabbalah and Meditation will inspire us to reflection on how to rebuild our own inner Temple.
The program includes our annual Full Moon Desert Hike lead by renowned
Yisrael Chevroni, as well as creative singing, drumming and dance. At Bat Ayin
your inner self will be nourished as you rebuild your relationship with Hashem.
For more information about
the program and registration contact Shoshana Shamberg 410 3587269 shoshamberg@yahoo.com
in Baltimore and Chana Bracha Siegelbaum 2 993-2642 berot@netvision.net.il in Israel.
Impressions from my visit of women in USA/Canada
I was very impressed with the
devotion of the women I met on my USA/Canada tour. You all make great efforts
staying connected with the Land of Israel and praying on her behalf. I experienced
so much chesed and care, so much zeal for deep Torah learning. I was happily
surprised to experience that even outside of the Land of Israel women have
so much thirst for the Torah’s inner dimension. I hope you will be able to pursue this thirst
during our special “Women of Wisdom” summer program suited to your interests
and needs.
Rebbetzin Feldman and
A brief update on what’s happening on Campus at Midreshet B’erot
Bat Ayin
Our TubShvat seminar without me was a great success. 25 women attended both the Seder and even more joined for the Motzei Shabbat concert with Ziona Silberstein from Zefat.
The new semester started January 26 and we have 5 new students 2 of whom are conversion candidates, one from California and one from St. Thomas where she was turned on to Judaism via articles from the internet. She decided that since she would have to relocate in order to convert orthodox she may as well move to the homeland of the Jewish people. One of our students is a newly married physiotherapist from Colorado. She and her husband rent a studio apartment in Bat Ayin. Another student is from an observant family from Lakewood, she enjoys the natural flavor of the learning here. We have a full schedule of classes emphasizing textual skills and Emuna. In the afternoons the students enjoy Torah based workshops in art, music and herbology. Our Beit Midrash evenings are well attended thanks to our exciting Torah books both in Hebrew and in English. Last Shabbat the students spontaneously decided to share cooking and celebrate Friday night dinner together. The spirit of comradeship and happy togetherness is permeating the Midreshet B’erot Bat Ayin campus.
Special heartfelt Thanks to All the Organizers of the Events on my USA/Canada Tour and Warmest thanks to all the Donors and Supporters who make the Waters in the Wellspring Flow
Leah Gelber Hollywood Florida
Shoshanna Shamberg, Marlene Reshnick, Yocheved Leah & Shmuel Soifer, Pamela Rosen, Lisa Shifren, Elka Minnha Dannenbaum, Rachel Rotenberg, Miriam Flemming, Frank and Danielle Sarah Storch, Hannah Storch, Sarah Chana Wingott, Ellen Swartz, Rebbetzen Rivka Adler, Ayelet Hashachar band, Gail Rosen, Naama Schabb, Joyce Wolpert, The Natural and Steve and Ellen Schwartz and Sabra Grill - Baltimore
Brucha Kazman Keren Isaacson & Yael Batya, Sue Seifman, Sara Shona Goldberg - Toronto
Jill Kaplan, Chaya Clung, Judy Joseph, Brenda Walker, Judy Josephs- Manhattan
Sherri Daniels, Rav Moshe Rosenberg, Malka Kohen, Rachel Hopt, Chana Wasserman –Queens, N.Y.
Rivka Cymbalist, Carolynn Ariel Shaffer, Kreina Staal -Montreal
Noreen Siegelbaum, Malkie Katz, Joan Kaye - Monsey
Tirtza Singer for donating her musical performance on our joint journey!!!
Others Please forgive me for the names I didn’t mention. I want to also thank all of you who made effort in frost and snow to come out and attend the various events. Thank you everyone, your encouragement and support means a lot to me!!!
Chodesh Tov!!! May we soon experience mourning
turned into joy,
With Blessings of the Torah and the Land,
Chana Bracha Siegelbaum