Esther Dyckman is from Queens, NY and attended SKA for high school, followed by a year and a half in MMY. She is currently entering her Junior year at Stern College and is majoring in Mathematics. This is Esther’s third summer on Michlelet and first as a madricha. Esther’s chaburah is about Parallels in Tanach and its goal is to compare and contrast stories and people in Tanach, using textual and thematic similarities, to glean practical messages from those comparisons. One example is “Women at the Well: Jewish Values in Relationships.” This chaburah compares the three stories of Eliezer and Rivka, Yaakov and Rachel and Moshe and Tziporah, and extracts messages first from the similarities between the three and then by pinpointing what is unique about each story.
Esther’s chaburah is made up of an amazing group of girls including Shoshana (Frisch), Esti (TAG), Dafna (Yavneh), Naava (Sharrei Torah of Richmond /STOR), Rivka (YGW) and Ariella (Shulamith).
What has been your favorite place we visited in Israel and why?
Naava- My favorite place we visited in Israel is Chevron. We toured around the gorgeous small community and learned the struggles it takes to live there. Going to Maaras Hamachpela was an unbelievable experience making this trip and our time in Israel feel so real. It was a meaningful and enjoyable opportunity. 🙂
Rivka- Definitely the kotel was the most amazing place we’ve been on michlelet. The second you walk in you can feel the connection and when you daven while touching the stones it’s surreal and you literally feel that it’s just you and Hashem and you can ask whatever you want and He will listen. It’s the closest I’ve ever felt to Hashem in my life.
Ariella- My favorite place I’ve gone so far in israel is Maerat Hamachpaela because it’s such a meaningful thing to know that our Avot and Imahot are buried there and I’m able to daven there in their zechut.
Dafna- My favorite place we visited so far was the home of Tammy Karmel. It was such a powerful experience to meet someone with so much Emuna, going through challenges beyond comprehension.
Shoshana- My favorite place to visit so far has been Tevaria. I absolutely loved the water sports there. Nothing compares to flying down the kinneret with your friends, feeling the wind and water splash your face. I will definitely be going back!!
Esti- My favorite trip of this summer was the tubing snd banana boating in the keneret because I was able to see more of Israel while having fun.
