MMY 5767 has begun!

On Monday, 4 Elul (August 28), the academic year of MMY 5767 (2006-2007) officially began with the arrival of the group flight from New York. This is our largest machzor ever, with 99 girls registered! They are a diverse group, coming from over 30 different communities in the United States (Baltimore, Boca Raton, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Detroit, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Silver Spring and many parts of the New York/New Jersey area), Canada (Toronto and Vancouver), England (London and Manchester) and even Melbourne, Australia.

The students arrived to a newly-renovated and expanded campus, with an additional dormitory apartment, refurbished student lounge (including new upgraded computers and a piano!) and additional classrooms accross the street from our main building.

A few hours after landing at the airport, the students gathered together for the first time in the Bet Midrash for a brief address by Rabbi Felberman, the Rosh Yeshiva. Immediately following, they boarded busses and headed for the Old City, where they sat as a group in a remote location at the foot of the Temple Mount, and heard some words of inspiration from Rabbi Haber and Rabbi Katz. After that, everyone went to the Kotel for a very inspiring Tfilat Arvit.

Tuesday and Wednesday morning were devoted to intense orientations, class registrations, sefarim-buying and other logistic arrangements. They also managed to squeeze in an opening shiur by Rabbi Berzon, and another one by Rabbi Felberman.

On Wednesday afternoon, the girls once again boarded busses for a first tiyul, in the beautiful mountains to the west of Jerusalem. When they returned on Wednesday evening, they were treated to a "Welcome to Israel" party thrown by their madrichot. On Thursday morning, less than three days after most of them entered country, they had their first formal classes to begin their year of learning.

Below are some photos from the opening tiyul and party: