The Mayanot Blog

By: Hallie Lapides, Mayanot Alumni The definition of a light house is this: A tower or other structure displaying or flashing a very bright light for the guidance of ships, in avoiding dangerous areas, in following certain routes, etc.  At its essence Mayanot is truly a light house. This concept fully embodies what Mayanot is.  In life our choices are not always easy. We are faced with challenges along our way just like a ship at sea. Mayanot does not tell you exactly where to go, or even what path to follow - what it does do is shine light on the path you are already on. I looked through all of the notes I have taken during classes since I first began two weeks ago. I was looking for common words and themes. I ended up with a jumbled pile of beautiful words, and from that I composed an innocent poem.  This journey is my own Here I know I never walk it alone There is a spark inside A connection to the Divine A oneness between my soul, heart and mind Thi

One of the greatest miracles that occurred during Chanukah and the Macabean revolt was that there were Jews willing to stand up and fight against the over arching power of the Greeks. Antiochus made the observance of Judaism an offense punishable by death. It is an amazing miracle in our day that Jews can come together and celebrate Chanukah out in the open, spreading light and sharing Torah for all to see. The Mayanot shul utilized the energy of the holiday to publicize this amazing miracle by organizing a community event that over 250+ members, alumni and new friends came to participate in. This event turned out to be one of the most joyous gatherings of people, art and music for the Chag. Nathaneal Harkham  and his wife Jacqueline Harkham , donated over 15 pieces of art for the event. Some of the paintings included Jonah’s Journey, The Praying Tree, Light and Moshiach and the funds of each painting sold was donated to Mayanot. David Brooks , a Mayanot Alum a

My experience of Judaism until I came to Mayanot was that it was a religion filled with obligations and conforming to a higher power, which Rabbi Levinger, Rosh Yeshivah of the Women's Mayanot Institute, always says, "Judaism is not a religion. It is a relationship."   I finally realized that for myself. I knew there was something wrong with the image I had been fed at other institutions, where I felt judged and like I needed to hide myself to conform to what the community wanted and why I wasn't fully happy, even though I had started taking on more mitzvos. That is not Judasim.  My journey since coming to Israel has been to reveal who I am and the type of relationship I want with Hashem, with other people, and with myself. The conclusion I have come to is that I want real relationships.  One Shabbos, we all created our own 'in-Shabbos' at Mayanot (it's when all of the Women stay at Mayanot for both meals). We went around the table saying

A unique and joyous celebration took place at the Mayanot shul in Jerusalem when the Mayanot community united for a recent Hachnasat Sefer Torah. Members took part in a historic moment by participating in the welcoming of a new Sefer Torah to the shul.   The occasion began with a special ceremony, when the last few letters were inscribed into the beautiful Torah.  Thirty community members were each able to take part in the mitzvah of writing one of the letters. After the ink dried, there was a beautiful procession from the Fraenkel family home to the Mayanot shul in Nachlaot, where hundreds of families and friends joined together for the celebration. Music and dancing accompanied the expression of joy by the crowd, as the Sefer Torah was finally placed in its new home. The Sefer Torah was dedicated as a symbol and sign of achdut by the community of the Mayanot shul. Each individual involved whether by letter, word, verse, chapter or book, all united as one in the combi

Spotlight is a new blog segment we are doing where we catch up with our alumni, find out about their Mayanot experience in retrospect and see what current project they are working on. Here we joined up with Daniel Kronovet to see what he was up to after finishing Mayanot 2 years ago.   This is what he had to say, “I attended Mayanot for December and January, in the winter of 2012-2013. I loved everything. The classes were fascinating, the students were very friendly. It was a very exciting place to be. I really enjoyed our trip to Tsfat. Walking through the city with the other students was a very special experience”. Currently Daniel is collaborating on a moving and revolutionary project to bring adequate heating to welfare neighborhoods in New York City. At 27 degrees below freezing in New York last year, imagine if you didn’t have heat. It’s a troubling thought, and it’s how the opening promotional video of Heat Seek begins, a sensor that automatically takes th

This will be the Channukah event of the Year When:  Wednesday, December 17 at 8:00pm Where:  Mayanot Shul, 28 Narkis Street. Nachlaot, Jerusalem Mayanot Shul presents an evening for adults to celebrate Channuka together! Come view & purchase some holy Jewish art while listening to soulful music and enjoying  great people, good wine & tasty snacks. Join us for the 2nd night of Channukah, December 17th, 8pm-10:30pm Featuring: A live painting display with art from David Brook & Nathaneal Harkham (Proceeds from art sales to be donated to Mayanot) Amazing music from Nachman Jam Band   Wine, Beverages & Snacks Channuka candle lighting   And Admission is Free! For more info please contact: Susie at: [email protected] or 02 538 8770 x.501 Come Celebrate the Light B'H!