The Mayanot Blog

The official transfer of Mayanot Institute in Jerusalem's new building took place on the auspicious day of Chof Av, launching a renovation campaign. With G-d’s help and many months of dedication, the Mayanot Institute of Jewish Studies is excited to announce that on the Rebbe’s father’s Yom Hilula, Chof Menachem Av, ownership of the new Mayanot World Center, located at 7 Ben Tzvi in Jerusalem, has officially been transferred and registered to Mayanot. The signing for this momentous event took place at the offices of attorneys  Ashi Del  and  Shuki Del  in Ramat Gan. The new Mayanot World Center will offer thousands of young students the opportunity to connect with their heritage, to learn Torah, and cultivate an awareness of their Jewish identities. "It is a great joy to have the official signing on this most auspicious day," Rabbi  Kasriel Shemtov , executive director of Mayanot commented, "We are sure this will be a great source of nachas to the Rebbe. With

I’m not sure how many people who became attracted to the chassidic way of life as teens and young adults spent their youth following the Grateful Dead, Phish, or whatever their particular taste in improvisational music might have been. But I do wish I had a dollar for every one of them. Somehow, their summers in RVs and muddy festival campgrounds, listening to transcendental guitar and bass lines, helped prepare them to one day travel the windy pathways of  Chassidus . Chassidus has its own tradition of awesome music and song. Undoubtedly, it is chassidic melody that is the most conducive complement to the study of Chassidus and to the implementation of its teachings in daily life. In my band, Chillent, we improvise with chassidic music too.  To listen to this rendition of Al Tira. Before you get the wrong idea, let me explain what I mean by “improvisational” music. In its usual sense, the word “improvise” might mean “make it up as you go along,” but that is not what I’m ref

  One of my favorite things about Mayanot is Shabbat. Prior to coming to study at Mayanot, I had never been in an environment where everyone was keeping Shabbat before. Sure I’ve been on a few Shabbatons (weekend trips), but it was nothing close to the experience of Shabbat at Mayanot. Shabbat at Mayanot is so particular because it is always such a special time. We have three types of Shabbats here; the first is In-Shabbats where we have all our meals at the school and a family comes to spend Shabbat with us, the second is In/Out-Shabbats where we are free to either do what we want or be set up with a host family, the third is a Shabbaton where we go on a trip and spend Shabbat somewhere else in Israel, as a group. On In-Shabbats we spend Friday getting Mayanot ready for us to eat, learn and hang out over Shabbat. By the time the sun is setting, we are dressed and ready for an inspiring weekend. We all light candles together in the Beit Midrash (Central classroom) and then

The Mayanot Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem has been partnering with Gift of Life bone marrow registry for the past 10 years to save 36 lives and counting. Gift of Life works to cure blood cancer through bone marrow and blood stem cell donation.  As part of an initiative with Taglit-Birthright Israel to expand the registry and give young adults, coming to Israel, an opportunity to join and potentially save a life, the expansion was tremendous and the Mayanot Institute of Jewish studies jumped on the bandwagon, not only offering this to Taglit-Birthright Israel participants but to our long and short term learning program students, as well. According to Israel Recruitment Coordinator Halana Rosenfield , "Mayanot has been a huge supporter of Gift of Life and of the families that we help". Thus far they have tested over 9128 participants, finding 230 matches and completing 36 lifesaving transplants to date. Donors remain on the registry until their 61