The Mayanot Blog

The first time I stood in front of the Kotel (Western Wall) I didn’t know what to think. On the one hand, I was praying at one of the holiest sites for the Jewish people. It was incredible to know that this is where the Beit Hamikdash (Temple) once stood. This is where my ancestors would travel to on the high holy days and where the center of Judaism once was and still is, thousands of years later!
I thought I felt connected to Jerusalem before but after spending even a little bit of time here, I truly feel like its home. I feel comfortable walking around the winding streets of the Old City discovering new nooks and crannies, meeting people and tasting all the delightful food that there are here. It never gets old, there is always something new to see or experience.
On our most recent Mayanot tour of the area, with all 30 women in the Summer Mayanot Women’s Learning Program, I learnt more then I could have imagined about the historical and spiritual significance of this amazing place. …

Meet Liz!  Liz Cornell is a fellow Mayanot student and intern coming from New York City. After graduating from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania as a computer engineer and clothing designer, Liz went on Birthright at the beginning of the summer and has been in Israel since then. At the end of the summer, Liz will return home to start working at the Free People Headquarters as a women's fashion designer.
Growing up, she was raised Reform, going to Hebrew School since 3rdgrade and having a Bat Mitzvah at the age of 12. After that it was her choice whether or not to continue her Jewish studies. As she did continue to learn, she realized that there was so much more she wanted to know about Judaism that she hadn't yet learnt.
When she got to college, she lost touch a bit with her Judaism. However, in her last year and a half of college she got involved with Chabad on her campus and once again remembered what it was she loved about being involved in a Jewish community, and decided she …

For the past month or so I’ve been studying at the Mayanot Women's Learning Program. Prior to coming, I had never been to Israel so my introduction to the country was a Taglit Birthright Israel trip that I had extended into a three-month long adventure. Right before I came to Israel and Mayanot, I graduated from American University with a degree in International Relations. In college, I became very involved in my Chabad on campus and eventually decided I wanted to learn more in Israel.
For the next month, I will be taking over the Mayanot blog, writing about my experiences as well as the experiences of my fellow students. I hope you enjoy!
Growing up I went to Hebrew School twice a week to learn the stories of the Tanach [Hebrew Bible]. As a kid, it was so exciting to learn about heroes, villains and princesses. At the time, they seemed like fantasy stories set in made up places. Queen Esther seemed just as real as a Disney Princess and Moshe Rabenu may as well have been a superh…