Feelings of a Seminary Girl in Eretz Yisrael During the Current Times
Every seminary girl who comes to Eretz Yisrael for a year is looking to grow in her ruchniyus through Torah classes. She travels around the country. She becomes a Shabbos guest by many different families. She becomes more independent and makes new friends. As this war is still going on and we have not yet met Mashiach, let us understand how it feels to be a seminary girl in Eretz Yisrael at this time. Is she able to reach all the goals she had for her year in seminary?
The following are responses from students in Bais Yaakov Seminar, one of the top Bais Yaakov seminaries located in the Bayit Vegan neighborhood of Yerushalayim.
How did it feel to be here in Eretz Yisrael when you understood that a war had broken out?
Right from the start, it was challenging to be far away from my family during wartime. Our seminary gained the trust of our parents early on, in regard to all the security regulations. The seminary has been in close contact with our parents all along. Everything that is done and decided has first been discussed with daas Torah. Rabbi Zev Leff, the Manhig Ruchani of BYS, used the following words when he returned to teach us after Yom Tov: “It’s so good to see you all here. Your parents are brave. Please tell them that you are safer here in Eretz Yisrael than anywhere else. Ashreichem!” I really do feel safe here!
The war is known as Iron Swords, but we have been referring to it as Iron Faith.
How have the news updates been affecting you?
News? What news? All the news we hear is in the form of an unlimited number of hashgachah pratis stories being told to us by our teachers and staff each day. Through the stories, we are able to get a glimpse into what is really going on.
When my mother calls me (every day, at least twice), she asks,” So what’s news over there?” and I say, “I don’t know, can you tell me?” The news that is most important to us right now are the lessons in strengthening our t’filah and relationship with Hashem. We are exercising our bitachon to know that everything Hashem does is part of the master plan.
How does your experience compare to what you expected? What are some of your challenges?
Some of the hardships we are facing are the fact that all trips have been put on hold. We are not able to travel far for Shabbos or visit out-of-town relatives. The fact that we were in a lockdown for over two weeks made the situation much more challenging. We had kumsitzes, guest speakers, entertainers, and more. Our seminary provided many fulfilling and rewarding activities to help us through the lockdown.
I have not been able to organize myself, because they don’t sell shoe organizers here in Bayit Vegan. Ha-ha! On the other hand, the experience we are having is so real. How can we go on pleasure trips when all the people of this country are suffering in one way or another? The t’filos we daven, even without going to the Kosel and Kever Rachel, are so genuinely heartfelt. Every bus and every billboard have written on them B’yachad n’natzei’ach (Together we will win). The achdus we have seen between all of klal Yisrael is unreal! We feel like we are part of something bigger.
In what way do you feel like you are part of something bigger?
“B’soros Tovos,” literally “Good News,” is the new greeting that can be heard. This takes the place of “Thank you” in the supermarket, or “Have a good day” to someone you see on the street. Everyone is giving the next person a brachah that we should hear the ultimate good news. Through the chesed activities we have been involved in, we feel very much part of the war effort of klal Yisrael.
What types of chesed activities have you been involved with?
It started off as preparing t-shirts to be used as tzitzis for the soldiers. We then went on to sending packages down South. Once we heard that numerous families were displaced from the South right to our neighborhood, we were on the case! We’ve made several carnivals for those families here in Bayit Vegan. Huge success!
We have been preparing and delivering packages to the families currently living in Bayit Vegan and Kiryat Yovel each Erev Shabbos. Just seeing their faces upon receiving the packages makes it all worth it.
Amazing! Keep up your good work! Can you leave us with one last thought?
Each night at 10:30 p.m., many Bais Yaakov seminaries say T’hilim, each in their own dorm. When we do this in Bais Yaakov Seminar, we feel the power of our t’filos going straight up to Shamayim. Being able to live in a dorm with so many other girls and not getting enough sleep has little to do with this war. However, the fact that we are able to beseech Hashem each night together through t’filah is a z’chus.
The many beautiful things we’ve heard throughout this time, the many miracles, the yad Hashem, the strength and the achdus of klal Yisrael, all point to one thing: Mashiach is on his way; he’ll be here very soon! We (especially the seminary girls already here in Eretz Yisrael) should all be zocheh to greet him!
By Chana Miriam (Serle) Chaitovsky
Beitar Illit, Israel