בס"ד

Midreshet B’erot Bat Ayin’s Pearls from the Wellspring

Elul 5763

Dear Friends and Supporters,

A New Year is whirling its way around the corner and I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a very good and sweet year. Every year is inherently)good as nothing negative could emanate from Above. Sometimes the good is hidden; at this time it is so obscured that we cannot always taste its sweetness. This is the reason for the traditional New Year greeting - "Shana Tova U'metuka"- "A good and sweet year." We bless you that the year will not only be good but that you also will have the opportunity to taste and experience its sweetness. We also pray that you will help share this sweetness with the students of Midreshet B'erot Bat Ayin. Due to the difficult economic situation in the Land of Israel the Ministry of Religion has cut off its monthly support, forcing many Yeshivot to close down. We at Midreshet B'erot Bat Ayin are determined to survive and flourish. In these times, your financial support is needed more than ever. To accommodate the needs of our students, it is critical that we upgrade our program to offer two levels of learning, while continuing to offer scholarships to those who cannot afford full tuition-- the majority of our students. Our ability to expand our program in this way depends on your generous contribution. Please see below for investment opportunities and donation instructions.

With blessings of sweetness,

Shana Tova U'Metukah!!!

Chana Bracha Siegelbaum

In this month’s issue:

· “The King is in the Field” Poem by B'erot Director

Rebbetzin Chana Bracha Siegelbaum

· "The Month of Elul: A Time to Reflect" by B'erot Student Esther Gershon

· “Kale for Sale” The B'erot Bat Ayin Garden yields crop,

by future B'erot Student Danya Marshman

· “Let My Essence Praise You” Keren Adam from Zichron Ya'akov recounts her experience as both a student and teacher in our Torah & Creativity Seminar

· “A waiting” Poem by B'erot Student Tzofia Toledano

· Announcements: B'erot student Yocheved Zehava marries Avraham Shachar Venismach; B'erot welcomes new dorm-mother Yael ben Yehudah

· B'erot Annual Investments Opportunities. Our continued existence and growth is dependent on your generous contribution.

The King is in the Field

By Rebbetzin Chana Bracha Siegelbaum

The King is in the Field

In the sweetness of the fig fresh from the tree

In the shade of the apple tree where I long to be

In the green plant-leaves of many shapes

In the juicy purple of the hidden grapes

The King is in the Field

In the black rich smelling organic soil

In the effort of the hoe during daily toil

In the dry thorns so easily hacked away

In the golden light draping the end of day

The King is in the Field

In the faint Shofar calling from afar

In the terrible news of impending war

In the gentle tug urging my heart to give

Reach out and pray that we all may live

"The Month of Elul: A Time to Reflect"

by B'erot Student Esther Gershon

Midreshet B’erot Bat Ayin is quite serious in reference to soul searching and understanding what it really is to be a Jew. Rebbetzin Chana Bracha teaches us to use this time in Elul to truly focus on the internal work, individually and collectively, to have the Mikdash Miat (miniature sanctuary) lit up in all areas of our lives.

Our Torah, unique to the Jewish people, entails specific halachot with 613 mitzvot for us to observe. Through the Torah, we have many doors opened to us to become close to Hashem. Let us work on building community; for blessings rely not only upon the individual, but on the Kehillah as a whole. L’Shana Tova, Metuka, ketiva u'chatima tova.

“Kale for Sale”

By future B'erot Student Danya Marshman

From the abundance of the land, much hishtadlut (hard work), and the direction of our agriculture teacher Bat Tzion Benjaminson, B’erot Bat Ayin joyfully welcomed our autumn harvest of zucchini, tomatoes, swiss chart, and other bounties of the garden. In addition, this fall we celebrated our inaugural kale harvest. Through the agricultural exploits of the students of B'erot Bat Ayin’s finest green thumbs, we collected 77 lovely leaves of fresh, organically farmed kale that was sold at a meeting of organic health food consumers. In just two minutes, every last limb of our nutrient-rich flora had disappeared into appreciative arms. “It was incredibly delicious. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I know there will be more, but this was heaven!” exclaimed one of our customers, making her expert opinion evident by bravely admitting a penchant for snacks of raw kale in supermarket produce aisles. Proceeds from our garden vegetable sale will benefit the midrasha and future harvests, from which we hope to perpetuate these gifts of the terra firma.

“Let My Essence Praise You” By Keren Adam, a frequent participant of our seminars

      What an opportunity! For the second time, I gave myself the gift of learning in Midreshet B'erot Bat Ayin, and was again honored to be able to share some in-sights-and-sounds on connecting with Hashem through our inner song/resonant power/expressed joy.
      The B'erot residents and visiting students hailed from 8 countries, and some of the adult and children of Bat Ayin joined us. Teaching children is the ultimate litmus test of what's what: They vote with their smiles, their concentration, and also with their feet.
      Rebbetzin Chana Bracha's own rich creative efforts provided a well-anchored scaffold from which to dive through the lush waves of the Song of Songs. Her deep, carefully thought-out study sheets posed active questions and anchored to the original texts, with commentaries of both Rashi and Malbim. In drawing parallels from the first Book of Kings, she showed how each of the 5 songs reflects the apparent (P'shat) story of passionate earthly love through/to the Divine-the 5 prophecies conveyed to/through HaMelech Shlomo.
      In the interplay of word, sound, image and metaphor, we had a chance to appreciate our rich history and the very math and geometry of Torah, and to discover that "The deepest place within all reality and ourselves constantly praises Hashem."
      It was not only in the classroom, but also in the kitchen and the garden that we had a chance to reflect the Divine Presence through each other. I am already hankering to return to the hills where King David tended his sheep, to taste the goat's milk, and to sample the herbs growing on the hills, fragrant with lavender and thyme, and basking in G-d's Presence.
      May we know love where others may hate, and be able to release all those in need into the care of Hashem. A gift from the beloved Rebbetzin Bracha Din, whose daily meditation during the seminar gave us a space to feel the quiet (even in the "city"). She taught us to hold with the Grace, reaching deep into our souls and ever in the Holy presence to love and to give/live.

“A waiting”

By B'erot Student Tzofia Toledano

Can you hear the voice of silence?

Can you feel the voice of light?

I'm still stuck in the forest,

Yet I'm walking through the night...

Yet it's time to run to greet the King,

Before I lose my voice to sing...

Arise, awaken; feel the dust...

Let go of fear, fall into trust...

Almost from the forest, the darkness turns to day,

Still mist surrounds this presence, I can't see ahead it's grey...

So, sit upon the haze,

Contemplate these crazy ways...

The do's the don'ts, the wills the wont's.

Addictive modes of behaviour- an illusionary saviour...

Cries and shouts to help me out-

The mist has set and turned to dew.

The sun arises- is that me? Is that You?

Run, so long my souls been waiting,

Left in pain anticipating-

I can hardly breathe, yet it feels so clear,

The field's there, HaShem You're Here.

Announcements:

Welcome to Yael, Yehoshua & Levi Ben Yehuda our new Dorm-mother family who completes our B'erot community with simcha, enthusiasm and care.

Mazal tov to our movement teacher Esther Alfassi on the marriage of her son Adam Yitzchak to Moria Landau also of Bat Ayin.

Thank you to the staff and students, who responded to recent traumas with group Tehillim. Hashem should hear our prayers.

Former B'erot Student celebrates her Wedding at Bat Ayin

A beautiful Kalla sits immersed in prayer and blessings at the entrance of B'erot Beit Midrash decorated with fruits and flowers. The sun is setting over the Judean hills on the eve of Tub'Av, as music and joy fill the air. Then silence, the Chatan has arrived... overwhelmed, slowly the music begins again, he veils his Kalla and then walks towards the sunset, towards the Chuppa. Excitement and radiance emanate her being... she arises to meet her Chatan...the Shechina has arrived!

Under the Chuppa the two souls stand as one... their faces shining with excitement, surrounded by deep pink skies, an orange glow and miles of endless hills... We all stand together as one, pouring our energies into blessings and receiving the light from this soul connection....

After the Chuppa the festivities continued... the evening was filled with so much energy, light, blessings and dancing, and Please G-d an infinity of blessings to come... Mazel-Tov

(In the sense that HaShem's Presence is felt in all that you do) and Thank-you for filling the world with more joy... thank you Avraham Shachar and Yocheved Zehavah Venismach.

To see pictures of Yocheved & Avraham's Wedding visit our Student & Staff Page and click on Weddings under Student Simchas www.berotbatayin.org/Weddings.htm

Midreshet B'erot Bat Ayin is currently accepting applications for its Sukkot Program, Fall session and full year program. Dates of upcoming programs: Tochnit Tisrei October 9th. Fall session: Sunday, October 26th (Rosh Chodesh Chesvan)

Investment Opportunities in Midreshet B’erot Bat Ayin

Founder's Club

q Build the New Campus $540,000

q Build the New Central Building $360,000

q Build the New Dormitories $180,000

q Build the New Beit HaMidrash $90,000

q Build the New Auditorium/Theater $72,000

q Build the New Art Studio $54,000

Building Fund- Builder's Club

q $36,000 (12x$3000)

q $14,400 (12x$1200)

q $9000 (12x$750)

q $7200 (12x$600)

q $3600 (12x$300)

Patrons

q Dedicate a Caravan $1800 (12x$150)

q Dedicate the Communal Kitchen $1200

q Dedicate the Beit HaMidrash $900 (12x$75)

q Dedicate a Dormitory $540

Pioners

q Dedicate a Greenhouse $3600 (12x$300)

q Place an add in the Newsletter $150

q Olive Tree $36 q Date Palm $54 q Fig Tree $72 q Grapevine $90

q Pomegranate $108

q Seforim (Jewish Books) $18 Write in dedication

Donations of $100 and above are tax-deductible in the United States and

Canada.

For a tax-deductible donation in the United States make checks out to:

The Gush Etzion Foundation.

For a tax-deductible donation in Canada please make checks out to Mizrachi of Canada.

Please mail your contribution in the enclosed self-addressed envelope to:

Midreshet B’erot Bat Ayin

The Village of Bat Ayin

Gush Etzion, 90913

Israel

Investment Opportunities in Midreshet B’erot Bat Ayin

Founder's Club

Building Fund- Builder's Club

Sponsors

Patrons

Pioners