Optional Nissan Programs 5769

In MMY, as in most yeshivot, the month of Nissan is vacation time. While many of our talmidot return temporarily to chutz la'aretz to spend Pesach with their families, many others opt to remain in Eretz Yisrael for Pesach, to take advantages of the unique atmosphere these few weeks provide.

Staying in Israel for the Pesach break can provide a unique opportunity to experience so much of what the Land of Israel has to offer, outside the framework of regular learning.  We in MMY strongly encourage our talmidot to take advantage of this opportunity, and work hard to facilitate a positive Nissan experience by organizing quality activities whenever there is interest.

This year's major activity was our annual YAM L'YAM trip.  Over the course of four days, a group of around 20 students WALKED accross the entire country, "from [Mediterranean] sea to shining sea [of Galilee - Kineret]"!  They walked on roads, through valleys, over mountains, through herds of cattle....  Thus fulfilling the Biblical mandate "Kum Hithalech Ba'aretz" ("Arise and walk through the Land")!

The following week's activities included picking radishes to be donated to Tzedaka, baking our very own Kosher L'Mehadrin hand shmura matza to be used at the Seder, a picnic in a park in Tel Aviv, and more.  The girls also found time to experience some of Israel's recreational activities on their own, including a new bowling alley and a Maccabee Tel Aviv basketball game.

Of course, the highlight of this year's pre-pesach period was the unique once-in-28 year opportunity to recite Birkat HaChama (click here to read Rabbi Lerner's halachic summary), on the same day as the mitzvah of "Biur Perot Shvi'it" for bottles of wine made from grapes that grew during the Shmittah year.