Newly Renovated Matan, Better than Ever!

This week classes resumed in Matan, where I have been studying Tanach/Bible for years. There are lots of other types of courses, too, but I don't have the time to study more.

At first glance when we walked in the downstairs lobby looked unchanged, but when we walked upstairs to see if the office was open and we could pay, we were very pleasantly surprised by the changes!

Besides lectures, I'm part of a study group, and we used to study in the Beit Medrash (Study Hall.) A couple of years ago, it became too crowded and noisy so we studied downstairs, but this upstairs sitting area looks even nicer.

Beit Medrash (Study Hall)

We had a productive learning session and finished the Book of Job in the Al Haperek program. Now we are looking forward to studying Mishlei-Proverbs together and having a final siyum as the program ends.

Afterward we went down to the auditorium to hear Dr. Yael Ziegler lecture on `Kings, Prophets and Hurban`. The room was packed, and as usual she gave an amazing and informative and comprehensible talk. You do not have to be an expert in the Bible to follow, since she weaves in enough background information to make it understandable and interesting for those on all levels. Yes, that's quite a feat.

I am very much looking forward to this year's learning and thank Gd that it fits into my new working schedule. Honestly, I would not have accepted my new job if it hadn't!

Chanukah, 5776, 2015, Day #3

Lit the Hanukkah candles a bit late last night. Came home from work late, and put up lunches for tomorrow and a gazillion, ok just a few other things. But I did have a busy day between work and learning in the morning with my Al Haperek group. Believe me Chanukah is not  a restful week for me.

I'm sure I walked well over 10,000 steps today again, but my phone/pedometer kept refusing to count all the steps. It was getting very frustrating marching around the shoe store when there were no customers, and I had already cleaned up. And I did the turning the phone on and off. OK my body knows I did it, but the phone won't give me a gold medal. That's not fair!!

OK, enjoy, there are worse things.

Exciting Changes in Matan

A couple of weeks ago, I went to a lecture in Matan, where I study the Bible, Tanach. Dr. Brachi Elitzur spoke at the  siyyum, event that commemorated the end of the fifth year of the Al Haperek Program, in which the Na"Ch, Prophets and Writings have been divided into a six year learning program. We had just finished our studies of Divrei Hayamim, Chronicles, and that was the topic. Besides enjoying the lecture, I was happy to see lots of changes and renovations in Matan. I hadn't been there since the regular classes had ended in June.

The offices, Teachers Room and Beit Midrash, Study Hall have all been changed. There is now a large Bnai Akiva group studying full-time in Matan, and the students each have desk space all their own. There's still room for others to sit, but the desktop computers that used to be available for anyone to use are no longer there. Today, so many students have either laptops or tablets for what they can't do on their phones, making it unnecessary for Matan to provide computers.

Gd willing, pretty soon I'll be back for classes in Matan. And my friends and I will continue with Al Haperek, which is very exciting. We'll be in the sixth and final year of the program. It has given us all an opportunity to learn the Bible in a more thorough way than we had ever thought possible. Most of us did not have any Jewish education growing up, and even those who did insist that there is never enough time in school curricula for a fraction of what we have been learning. Also, learning the Bible as an adult is totally different from learning as a child for exams. And once this first round of Al Haperek is complete, I'm planning on starting it all over again! Believe me; once isn't enough!!

Involved With Lots of English Shavuot Learning in Shiloh

yes, the title is almost a tongue-twister...

This Shavuot, not only did we host our usual afternoon Shavuot Shiur, (class,) given in English by our neighbor Rabbi Dov Berkovits, but my husband and I both gave shiurim the night before. A neighbor in Shiloh just a few years felt the need for some English Shavuot Night classes, especially for women, and while encouraging her to do it I volunteered to teach.

The evening opened with a talk by my husband for both men and women, which was well attended. Then everyone treated themselves to the delicious cheesecakes and fruit salads my neighbor served. When the men left, sadly some of the women left with their husbands, I then gave two short original (totally my own ideas) shiurim to the women who stayed. After that I used the Matan Al Haperek study guides on Megillat Ruth. It would be nice if I could get a few neighbors to also sign up, so that I could do the weekly learning in Shiloh as well as with the friends I have been studying with. That way I could get more out of the studies, and things would stick better in my head. And in all honesty, I find the Al Haperek program wonderful. I am finally beginning to get a grasp of Tanach, Bible. My plan is to G-d willing sign up for the second round of studies in just over a year. It's a six year program, and we are finishing the fifth year soon.

One of Those Shiloh Miracles...

Last Wednesday was Rosh Chodesh Tevet and also Chanukah.  As I try to do every Rosh Chodesh, I had plans to doven at Tel Shiloh, the probable site of the Mishkan, Tabernacle, which preceded Jerusalem and the Beit Hamikdash, Holy Temple. Since it was Chanukah and there wouldn't be classes at Matan my Al Haperek study partners decided to travel to Shiloh, pray and then we'd study together at the Tabernacle Coffee Shop.  That way we'd be up-to-date and have spend the morning together in Shiloh.

Although there was a bit of pre-rain chill and clouds in the air, the weather was perfect for hiking around Shiloh Hakeduma before and after praying.  Miriam Blum acted as tour guide.

As we were finishing our rather noisy studies in the coffee shop, a woman came up to our table and asked if there were many English speakers in Shiloh.  We explained that only I was from Shiloh, and we were studying the Tanach, Bible in the Matan Al Haperek program.

She then said something I didn't hear clearly, and suddenly everyone was pointing to me.  She asked me if I was "Batya," and when I replied "yes" she told me her name, and she didn't really need to tell me whose mother she is.  I guessed it as she said it!

Her son had been in the Yeshivat Hesder Shiloh twenty-eight years earlier, when I worked as the English Public Relations staff.  That year there were three American boys who didn't know enough Hebrew to fit into the regular yeshiva studies, and there wasn't a real program for them.  They ended up spending a lot of time with me and became regular Shabbat guests in my home.

Of the three, one has been in real contact with us over the close to three decades.  He paid a shiva call after my mother's funeral, and his daughter even recently spent Shabbat with us.  There's another one I've been in much less contact, but I know where he lives.  The woman's son is the one I've been least in contact with, so I was really overjoyed that she found me.  The night before when she had spoken to her son he gave her orders:

"You must find Batya."

I'm just amazed that she did.  I "never" go to the coffee shop after praying at Tel Shiloh.  This was definitely siyate d'Shmaya, the Hand of G-d controlling things.  She made it clear why she had to meet me.  She wanted to thank me for offering a safe haven for her son when he was so far away.  In those days there were no cell phones, internet etc. Being in contact was very difficult.  It was especially important for visiting students to have a "second home."

BTY, since we're mentioning Rosh Chodesh at Tel Shiloh, here's the news for next month.

Women's Prayers at Tel Shiloh

Rosh Chodesh Shvat

Thursday, January 2, 2014

First of Shvat 5774, 8:30am

Tour of Tel Shiloh & Dvar Torah, Short Torah Lesson

Please come and invite family, friends and neighbors

תפילת נשים
ראש חודש שבט בתל שילה

יום ה' 2-1 א' שבט תשע"ד 8:30
יהיה דבר תורה קצר וסיור בתל
 כדאי לבוא ולהזמין חברות, משפחה ושכנות

Mark your calendar, and join us.  You never know what other miracle we'll experience.

You're welcome to join our facebook page. Tel Shiloh is open to visitors daily. Tours can be arranged through the Shiloh HaKeduma, Ancient Shiloh office. Email visit@telshilo.org.il  or phone 02-994-4019.

Will Rosh Chodesh Shvat 5774 be as wet as Rosh Chodesh Shvat 5773 was?

Starting Something New, Never Too Old

My hobby these past few years has been studying Tanach, the Jewish Bible.  I devote one day a week to traveling by bus and tremp to Jerusalem to take courses in Matan.

One of the courses I've been studying is Al HaPerek, in which we're learning most of the Bible in about six years.  Each week we get questions about a couple of chapters.  Some people study on their own, others as couples, and I'm part of a small group of women.  One thing we all have in common besides a love for, or at least an interest in the Bible is that we never had the chance to study it seriously before.  We absolutely love the idea that this course is taking us through all of the books from Joshua until the very end.  And to be honest, without looking it up, I really don't know what the last book is called.

I must admit that there have been chapters and lots of them that sort of went past me.  Too many names, places, events for me to fully digest and remember.  But I'm soldiering along.  Some chapters are more interesting and memorable than others.  There have been times I've felt stupid and frustrated, but I never thought of quitting.  It's just not on the menu.

My fellow students all agree that the opportunity to study the Bible so thoroughly is something we shouldn't miss.

I look at this as a great opportunity, even though I'd doze in frustration when confounded by all the names in Melachim, Kings, and get totally lost with the lack of "plot" in Isaiah and most of Jeremiah. Now we're starting the Twelve Prophets.  I even found a Soncino edition of the book in our home library.

Very surprising was what I found inside the front cover.  Apparently it had been my book when I was a student at Stern College about forty-five years ago.  I have absolutely so recollection of ever studying from it. Maybe I just bought it for no reason? That doesn't really make any sense.

Whatever...  I'm glad to have it as a reference book.

There's something I'm really looking forward to.  When we finish this series of courses, I'd like to do it again.  I have no doubt that the second time will be much better than the first.

Yes, I Guess I'm Human

I'm one of those people who jump up with my alarm if not sooner.  I can become pretty intolerant when hearing people talk about always being late and not hearing their alarms.  But yesterday was a rare one. I slept through my alarm. 

I had a mid-morning study date with my Matan Al HaPerek chevruta buddies.  To get to my friend's apartment I didn't need to leave all that early, but I always get up at least two hours before I have to leave the house to drink my water and coffee, shower, dress, doven, have breakfast etc*.  I hate starting off the day rushing and panicking.

At about 2am I awake and couldn't fall back to sleep.  Too many things were swirling in my mind.  I didn't even fall asleep on the couch.  I tried drinking water and having some goats yogurt.  It was already almost four; I decided that if I didn't fall sleep soon I'd just get up and do things. 

The next thing I knew my husband was calling my name and saying:

"It's a quarter to seven.  Didn't you want to get up early?"

Oops!  I sure did!  I DID NOT HEAR MY ALARM AT ALL!!  I rushed through my morning routine* which also includes blogging on both blogs, this one and Shiloh Musings.  Two hours later I was walking out the door, after pretty much everything was done.  The only thing I didn't do was pack a snack, some almonds and fruit. 

The bus to Jerusalem showed up just as I got down to the bus/tremp stop.  I got to where I had arranged to meet a friend exactly on time.  We had a fantastic learning/study session.  My plans were to then take sandals to a sandlar get new heels, then go to Machaneh Yehuda to shop and then meet up with my daughter to shop with her in Ariel, dropping off my bags, the shuk stuff and younger grandchildren at home on the way.  But as my friend was about to let me off on Rechov Agrippas, I realized that I was too, just too, tired and hungry (remember that I had forgotten to take fruit and almonds) to do those errands properly.  So she dropped me off at the "city line" outside of Pisgat Ze'ev and I efficiently tremped home.  The rides came quickly, and I was home in no time.

At home I made a quick lunch with the vegetable soup made the other day and was ready to go shopping with my daughter when she showed up.

The extra sleep I got when I didn't hear the alarm made up for the sleep I had missed in the middle of the night, which is good.