Summer 2019

Tzip Kupferstein is from Lawrence, New York. She has spent a year and a half in Michlalah and now attends Queens College. Tzip’s chabura topic is life lessons and middot development from shabbos. Each chabura addresses a different  aspect of shabbos and the girls learn how to apply these lessons to their daily lives. The Chabura is set up as a “Shabbaton” – each time we learn about another part of shabbos whether it be Kabalat Shabbos or Cholent. Throughout the Chaburas there are games, videos and a variety of exercises to help the girls gain a better understanding and appreciation for Shabbos. The goal of her chabura is to make shabbos a more meaningful experience and to enable the girls to take the lessons of shabbos into their weeks. 

The girls in Tzip’s Chaburah are Kayla , Ariella ,Tamar, and Aliza

What was something new you learnt on michlelet? 

Kayla – I’ve learnt through Chaburah as well as the tiyulim we went on to appreciate not only the beauty but the history and meaning behind the land of Israel. 

Ariella – I’ve learnt to appreciate our home land of Israel. We greeted a nefesh bnefesh flight and it was so moving to see how excited people are to come live in our home land. All different types of Jews were united in their excitement – am Yisroel chai

Tamar – I’ve learnt the important of friendships. I’ve developed new relationships this summer and a new found appreciation for good friends.

Aliza – I’ve learnt to appreciate a good Torah Shuir. Sitting  through a night speaker every time at first sounding impossible but now There the highlight of my days! 

Shoshana Rapps is from Edison, New Jersey. After graduating Bruriah High School, Shoshana spent a year and a half in Michlalah and is currently studying Jewish Education and Psychology in Stern College for Women. Shoshana went on Michlelet as a camper and is super excited to be back for her second summer in Eretz Yisrael as a Madricha! 

Shoshana’s Chabura is titled “Thirteen Steps To Being The Best Ovedet Hashem,” where the girls learn how to serve Hashem in the best way, by emulating Him, through exploring and gaining greater insight into the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy. Each Chabura centers around one of Hashem’s Yud Gimmel Middos HaRachamim and the lesson is then applied to practical daily life, to learn how to emulate Hashem’s Ways. The Chabura always ends with a Tefillah Tip, where the idea learned is connected to a part of Tefillah. 

The amazing girls in Shoshana’s Chabura are Rikki, Danielle, Rivka and Hannah. Each girl is incredibly unique and adds something special to the Chabura. It is such a z’chus for Shoshana to get to learn with them on Michlelet this summer! 

When the girls were asked “In what way has Michlelet helped you become a better Ovedet Hashem (Servant to G-d),” the girls answered:

Rikki: The amazing Chaburas on Michlelet have truly opened my eyes and made me a better person as well as improving my Avodat Hashem. I’ve learned to apply these valuable lessons to my daily life. Such as improving my kavana when I daven, treating others the way I would want to be treated, and emulating Hashem’s incredible ways as much as possible.

Danielle: Michlelet has really helped me become a better Ovedet Hashem by understanding how important it is to be a proud Jew. I need to show others that no matter where I am in the world. Also Michlelet has shown me so much more how amazing and special it is for Jews to come together and be one.

Rivka: All the amazing trips and sights we saw in this amazing Land have changed my view on G-d’s creations. After such eye opening experiences, I feel I can see HaShem clearly in my life, strengthening my connection to Him and enabling me to walk in His path in a new way.

Hannah: Michlelet has given me a better understanding of how to use my body to serve Hashem. Whether it be to not speak Loshon Hara or the order to tie my shoes I feel better prepared in my religious journey. 

Tovah Weiskopf is from Bergenfield, New Jersey. After attending Bruriah High School, she spent a year and a half learning in MMY, and is currently in Stern College! Tovah went on michlelet as a camper and is so excited to be back as a madricha!

Tovah’s chabura is titled: “Navigating our growth through the Jewish calendar”. Each chabura goes through a different holiday or special time of the year and discusses messages and values that we can apply to our daily lives!

The amazing girls in Tovah’s chabura are: Adina, Ayelet, Mindy, Rivka

What was your favorite chessed we did this summer?

Adina: On michlelet we had the privilege to go on many Chesed trips. I really enjoyed all the trips but my most favorite was delivering food to the Israeli soldiers. When I gave my food to the soldiers, not only did it make me feel more connected to Israel, but it made me realize how much these soldiers do for all of the Jewish people and I feel so grateful.

Ayelet: My favorite chesed we did this summer was making the wedding. It was really cool how the entire camp put together a beautiful wedding for a choson and kallah who wouldn’t have been able to have one without our help.

Mindy: My favorite chessed this summer on Michlelet was going to the machlises house Thursday night to help prepare food for shabbos. Walking in to such a busy house yet full of simcha really showed me how to chessed in the right way and is an experience I will never forget

Rivka: My most memorable chessed this summer was going to greet a nefesh bnefesh flight at five at the morning. I have so much respect for the olim who are leaving their family and friends to come to the holy land. I was so happy to make Jews who I’ve never met before feel welcomed.

Zahava Pfeiffer is from Bergenfield, New Jersey and is currently in Touro College studying Psychology. She went to Bruriah High school and then spent a year and a half in seminary at Michlalah. Zahava went on Michlelet as a camper and is now so excited to be able to teach and learn Torah in Eretz Yisrael as a madricha on Michlelet.

The amazing and inspiring girls in Zahava’s homeroom are Ariella, Elisheva, Zahava, Chavi, and Bailey.

Zahava’s chaburah is called “Making Torah APPlicable: An App a Day to Live the Torah Way.” Each of Zahava’s Chaburas takes an iPhone app to teach a particular theme or concept in Judaism. The structure and theme of Zahava’s chabura lends itself to stimulating discussions and videos to make the ideas more relevant and applicable to our lives. The goal of Zahava’s chabura is to explore and understand central topics in Judaism, with an emphasis on imbuing meaning and purpose into our daily routines.

What is your favorite part about an in Shabbos on Michlelet and why?

Chavi Golding: My favorite part about the in-Shabbosim in michlelet is the time spent after the Friday night meal. The Tisch after the meal is a time when you are constantly laughing with all your friends, remembering the adventures of the past week and becoming even more excited for the next week. You truly feel like one big family sitting together, smiling, sharing snacks, and just simply enjoying every minute together.

Elisheva: My favorite part of an in shabbos on Michlelet is the afternoon when we have free time because its a time when we can meet all different types of girls from different places and use that time to connect and get closer.

Zahava: On Michlelet in Shabbosim there is a special atmosphere where we all feel like one big family celebrating Shabbos together. I particularly enjoy the post Shalosh Seudos kumzits when we sing into the weekend watching the beautiful views of Eretz Yisroel.

Bailey: My favorite part about an in shabbos in Michlelet is the Zmiros by the meals. Everyone is singing and it’s a very nice experience that we all get to have together as a camp. The singing really enhances shabbos and makes it very meaningful and special

Ariella: My favorite part about an in shabbos on michlelet is that on the most special part of the whole week, no matter where each of us come from, we all spend the day coming together as one enjoying and singing. And even better we have the opportunity to meet new people because of all the different activities we have and at shabbos meals we have mixed seating!

Rivka Hirsch is from Passaic, New Jersey, and is currently studying Biology at Stern College. She attended Bruriah High School and then spent a year in Israel learning at Michlalah. This is Rivka’s first summer on Michlelet and Baruch Hashem she is having an amazing experience!

The girls in Rivka’s chabura are Elana, Nava, Cila, Gabriella, and Rena.

Rivka’s chabura topic is the שש זכירות, the 6 events in Jewish history that every Jew is obligated to remember every day. In our chabura, we explore what happened during each of these events and ask the question, “Why do I have to remember this event every day? What does this have to do with me?” The goal of the chabura is to internalize the messages of the שש זכירות and how they relate to our personal avodas Hashem, as well as understand the important position they hold in our national history and essential makeup as the Jewish people.

What was your favorite tiyul on Michlelet so far? 

Gabriella- My favorite tiyul was probably maarat hamachpala because I really was able to connect to my roots there. As I was saying mincha and saying the Bracha of avot I felt such a connection to think that all I had to do was look up and I was staring at Sara’s grave and Avraham was right next to me.

Nava- My favorite tiyul so far was going to Shiloh. It was very cool to be able to see the site of where they believe the Mishkan was. Also, learning about all of the proofs they have that help show that the Mishkan really was there was very interesting.

Rena- That’s a difficult question. I loved all of our tiyulim. But the Tzfat tiyul was really nice. I enjoyed touring Sofer Stam, the artists’ colony and the old city. I especially loved rafting and hiking in the Chetzbani up north.

Cila- One of my favorite Tiyulim was the boat ride that we went on in Tevaria on Motzei Shabbos. It was so beautiful to sing meaningful songs with the entire camp while taking in the incredible view of Tevaria! I also really loved the Tiyul to Maaras Hamachpela. I felt a really deep connection to the Avos and Emahos and it was so special to be able to Daven there.

Elana- My favorite tiyul on Michlelet has been the Sofer Stam in Tzfat. I really liked learning about the process of writing Torahs and Mezuzoy, and I enjoyed getting hands on experience and insight into Mitzvot that I don’t necessarily see on a daily basis. We also practiced writing our name with a quill and ink on parchment, which was very cool! It was a meaningful and fun experience that I really enjoyed.

Ruthi Glaser is from Queens, New York. She attended SKA for high school, and then went on to learn for an amazing year and a half in Shaalvim For Women. She is now studying at Stern College. This is Ruthi’s first time on Michlelet and she’s having an amazing time! 
Ruthi’s chaburah is called “AnataME- using our spiritual bodies to serve Hashem”. In the chaburah, we delve into the deeper meaning behind many different body parts, and the middos that stem from them. The goal of the chaburah is to learn how to elevate our physical bodies in order to serve Hashem in the best way we can! 
Ruthi’s chaburah is made up of 4 of the BEST GIRLS AROUND: Malkie, Pori, Ruthi and Tamar! 

What was the most meaningful moment on Michlelet so far? 

Pori- My most meaningful moment on michlelet was visiting Tammy Carmel and seeing how much emunah she has!

Ruthi- Over the course of my five weeks on michlelet, I have reached many great heights due to the wonderful variety of campers and madrichot. A specific moment that played a huge part in helping me throughout my journey was Ruthi’s chabura. Originally in the morning, Ruthi’s chabura shared the first words of mussar and Torah that I heard the whole day.  Therefore, they clung to me throughout the day, affecting my every move. These words of Torah were especially meaningful to me because they taught me how to elevate the physical into the spiritual, something that we are required to do with every action we take. Ruthi truly taught me the essence of being a Jew and for that I am forever grateful.

Tamar- One of my most meaningful moments on Michlelet so far was when we made a bridal shower for a kallah! It was definitely a moving experience for me that made me feel extremely grateful for everything that I have. Seeing a huge smile across the kallah’s face brought an even bigger smile to my face! I loved that I was able to do such a big chessed and see that all the efforts that were put into it made such a big difference to the kallah and her family. I will never forget how happy the kallah looked when we gave her presents and danced around her! I feel so privileged to have been part of such a special mitzvah like this and thank Michlelet for allowing me to partake in this beautiful chessed!!

Malkie- One of the most meaningful moments on michlelet for me was our Tisha Bav night program. Seeing everyone feel for Am Yisroel was really beautiful. Having this night program it got me thinking about how I can improve as a Jew. The exact words I said on this night was “I’ve never wanted Mashiach more in my life”

Tehila Azar is from Teaneck, NJ. After attending Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School, she was blessed to continue learning at MMY for an amazing year! Now she’s in Stern College for Women studying math and computer science. Tehila is so excited to be on Michlelet for her first summer!
Tehila’s chaburah learns about different Aggadic stories throughout the Gemara. We then analyze the various lessons that Chazal was trying to convey through the stories and work on applying them to our daily lives in serving The Ribono! 

The incredible girls Tehila has merited to learn with are: Adira, Zoe, Tova, Rachel, and Rakhel!

What’s your favorite place we visited on michlelet and why?

Adira- My favorite place we visited was Kfar kedem because we got to see what it was like for people who lived during the time of the Mishnah

Zoe- My favorite place was going to the nefesh b’nefesh flight because it was incredible to spend all this time connecting to and seeing the land of israel and then to see people make the decision to live their dream by living here in Israel or joining the army. It was truly inspiring!

Tova- My favorite place I visited on michlelet was the hospital while doing medical clowning because I was able to make people so happy and have such a big impact on people by such small actions

Rachel- My favorite place we went to was Tzfat. When we were walking in the city, it was one of the first times I really felt like I was in Israel and it was pretty cool

Rakhel- My favorite place we’ve gone to on Michlelet is Masada. We got up at 4 am to see the sunrise and although we missed it and everyone was extremely tired, I could see that every single person including me didn’t care. It was definitely worth it. The view was exceptionally beautiful and we got to daven looking out at the wondrous beauty of Israel

Tali Lasarow is from Toronto, Canada. She attended Tiferes Bais Yaakov High School and then went to michlalah seminary. She is currently studying kinesiology at York university. This is Tali’s first summer on michlelet and she is loving every moment of it! 
Tali’s Chaburah discusses the important and relevant messages we can learn from Tehillim and דוד המלך’s life experiences. Her goal is to enhance the girls עבודת ה׳, in areas of בין אדם למקום, בין אדם לחברו, ובין אדם לעצמו, through focusing on topics such as Tefilla, Ahavas Yisoel, and Bitachon. She hopes to deepen their appreciation of Tehillim and integrate practical lessons into their lives! 

The wonderful girls in her homeroom are Michal, Talia, Meira, and Naomi 

What was your favorite part of Michlelet? 

Michal – My favorite parts of Michlelet are the chessed trips. I love seeing the people that we are doing the chessed for. It feels very rewarding to see how happy it makes them feel and makes me feel more grateful for what I have. It shows me how a small act of kindness can really change someone’s day.

Talia – My favorite part of michlelet is being able to go out of my comfort zone and to be able to make new friends!

Meira – Getting to meet girls from all over America and create friendships with them

Naomi – My favorite part of michlelet is the trips we go on all throughout Israel. I love water activities so my favourite tours were when we went to tevaria and tzfat and did water activities there.
 

We began our incredible day with the option to wake up at 3:50 and board the busses for Ben Gurion Airport, where most of us greeted a flight of new Olim with Nefesh B’Nefesh! After welcoming our brothers and sisters back to Eretz Yisroel, we reunited with the rest of Michlelet. A few of us chose to go on a super fun water hike, while the rest went to Kfar Kedem, a place that takes you back in time to bake pita, ride donkeys, and milk sheep. Eventually, the groups met up again at Aqua Kef, a water park that’s on the water in Tiveria! Finally, we made a stop for a delicious dairy dinner, and then enjoyed each others’ company on the long bus ride home.