The Mayanot Blog

Mazal Tov to the entire Mayanot Family! May we all have much  simcha  and  nachas .  Babies: Camille and Mathew Altman had a baby girl Monica and Sholom Babayov had a baby boy Shana and Andy Balkin had a baby girl Zehava Bracha and Baruch Arky had a baby boy Kira and Yehonatan Ben-Israel had a baby girl Nora and Ori Bergman had a baby boy Miri and Dovid Birk  had a baby  boy  Maayan and Yaakov Dahan had a baby boy  Batya and Kalman Delmoor had a baby girl BrookeLynne and Shmuel Dukes had a baby boy Rebecca  and Yaakov Michael Gohds had a baby boy Chava and Chaim Aharon Green had a baby boy Yehudis and Nathan Hoffman Chana and Joel Janovsky had a baby boy Ilana and Yisroel Dovid Klein had a baby boy Esther and Gabriel Kushnir had a baby girl Shifra Chloe and Yaakov Segal had a baby boy  Lily and Danny Langer had a baby girl Chana (Engel) and Adam Nisanoff had a baby girl Chana Leah and Shia Nochum had a baby boy Sandra and Mendy Paul had

The Mayanot Birthright Summer program is kicking off in May, with over 4000 young Jews from all over North America, set to experience Israel on a 10 day trip, with 40 peers – many visiting Israel for the first time in their lives. Mayanot has been a certified trip organizer since the inception of Birthright Israel,  19 years ago. Much more than a free trip, it is a gift from the Jewish people to its younger members, aiming to ensure a vibrant Jewish future while enabling young Jewish adults to explore their heritage in an environment of healthy dialogue, and experiential education. During their 10 days in Israel, the participants will be joined by a group of 6-8 Israelis – either soldiers or students – with whom they will share the journey of discovery, while learning to understand one another's culture.  Together, they will visit the mystical city of Tzfat in the North, Tel Aviv's contemporary metropolis, Jerusalem's Old City and modern day ce

There is a house on David Yellin St. that’s earned quite a reputation. Three stories of solid white Jerusalem limestone sit behind a small white gate out front and a garden above. It’s a narrow street, just a single lane. This little street sits at the intersection of worlds.  A half-kilometer to the south is the famous Jerusalem market, the “shuk”. All manner of shops and restaurants and bars push their fruits and sweets on the countless tourists streaming by. Even the Jerusalem folk navigate through the performers, and the visitors, and crowds, every Friday to make Shabbat happen. A little farther north is another big market street. Black hats, and white shirts, and wigs, and heads scarves, distract from the fact that the people here need to purchase food and clothes and support their families, as well. Sandwiched between the fast pace of the modern world and fast pace of the timeless world, are the people that are running about doing their errands and living their lives.

An interview with Doron Joffe, 2017 Mayanot Alum When did  you  attend Mayanot and for how long? I attended Mayanot in 2017 after high school. I was there for a year. What was your favorite part of the program? I loved the Fabrengens with the Rabbis. Whether it was on a Shabbos or on a Chassidic holiday.  It was vital for me to hear ideas about Judaism from Rabbis who are so experienced with people who come from similar backgrounds to me.  What was your most memorable moment? I will never forget a Fabrengen I had with Rabbi Wichnin (our Rosh Yeshivah). He was discussing the idea of " Didan Notzach " (we will be victories!)  and its every-day life applications. What he said that day has formed the basis for my attitude throughout university life. I would do anything to be in that Fabrengen again. What were the most valuable tools  you  took away from the program, academically and otherwise?    Academically, I gained tools to help me decipher the