The Mayanot Blog

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At a recent Mayanot Alumni BBQ in Los Angeles, there was an incredible turn out, over 175 guests came to reconnect with friends from their time as students at the Mayanot Institute of Jewish Studies, in Jerusalem.
Several students who had gone to Mayanot when it first began, over 15 years ago, came. “It was a pleasure seeing everyone I knew, and meeting new people that had connected to Mayanot in the same way I had”, said Jacob Huberman, Mayanot Alumni from 2005.
Mayanot Alumni in the Los Angeles region have been very active Jewishly. Rabbi Moishe Silver, Alumni relations in the US remarked, “We think it’s important to keep our alumni engaged and be there for them, even after they have left Mayanot”.
Rabbi Kasriel Shemtov, Executive Director and Rabbi Shlomo Gestetner, Dean of the Mayanot Institute were both in attendance for this momentous event, the first of its kind in this area of the country. Rabbi Shemtov remarked, “The idea is that when…

Written By: Chelsea Mika Shar (Chana Michaela Efrat),
Mayanot Alumnus from Johannesburg, South Africa
Water is life. Water is our life’s source. So too is Torah. No matter how dangerous water-life might be for a fish, being outside the water is 100% deadly. No matter how dangerous life may be vis-à-vis Torah, not following Torah guarantees our death. This lesson we learn from Rabbi Akiva. This was one of my greatest clarities and inspirations at Mayanot.
In the confused world of galus (exile) where ruchnias (spirituality) is more hidden and gashmias (physicality) is manifest, life for a fish seems pretty boring in the water. Life on land seems much more appealing! Even a fish on land looks like it is dancing, flapping about. However, in actual fact, the fish is dying.
We are constantly looking at others and comparing. We constantly feel inadequate and boring. However, if we are connected to our source; if we are truly connected, we develop a healthy sense of self. Mayanot provides th…