Shapell's - Darche Noam

This week we were honored to host הרב יוסף צבי רימון HaRav Yosef Tzvi Rimon (Chief Rabbi of Gush Etzion, Rosh Beit Midrash Machon Lev, Nassi World Mizrachi and prolific author and posek) for a special on line program with alumni throughout the world. We invite you to watch, learn and be inspired!
If you prefer just audio, you can hear it at https://open.spotify.com/episode/1qOcFjErIeR9MijyRh3twH?si=e96cb0a2897a4c3f or https://soundcloud.com/shapellsdarchenoam/rav-yosef-zvi-rimon-q-a

Rav Yosef Zvi Rimon - Q & A Session - The Hand of Hashem in the War Since Oct 7 Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

This is a beautiful episode that gets right to the heart of the issues in the way that only Rabbi Shurin can - it is timely so make sure to listen as soon as possible!

*Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut: How Should We Relate?*

This episode addresses a question many alumni are asking: how to relate to Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut?

Many who went through Shapell’s and Midreshet Rachel v’Chaya developed an appreciation for the State of Israel and for the IDF. At the same time, many now find themselves in communities where these days are not marked at all. Even within Israel, there is a wide range of approaches. Some communities do not observe these days, while others mark them in meaningful ways, and for some they are central to the year.

That leaves many people unsure how to think about it. Is this a hashkafic question, a halachic one, a communal one, or a personal one? And what do you do when your instincts don’t align with your environment?

In this episode, Rabbi Shurin offers a framework to help think through these questions with clarity.

This, and all of our Torah content, can be found on your favorite streaming platform by searching for “Shapell’s/MRC Virtual Beit Midrash”.

Rebbi, I Have a Question! 09 Episode 09: Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut: How Should We Relate? SHOW NOTES This episode addresses a question many alumni struggle with: how to relate to Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut. Many w

MAKE YOUR PREP FOR KABBALAT HATORAH PRACTICAL & MEANINGFUL
Check out our new Virutual Beit Midrash offerings.

With Pesach behind us and Shavuot next up, our Virtual Beit Midrash is back in full swing with an engaging lineup of NEW topics for alumni starting TODAY, APRIL 19. We encourage you to participate.

Eruv Tavshilin: What problem is it solving? How is it a solution? RABBI KARLINSKY'S GEMARA CHABURA delves into the Sugya of Eruv Tavshilin, relevant for everyone this Shavuot.
Live on Sundays and Wednesdays at 6pm (Israel time).

48 Kinyanei HaTorah: RABBI SCHOONMAKER'S MIDDOS & AVODAS HASHEM VAAD explores how to acquire and integrate Torah into your everyday life.
Live on Sundays at 5pm (Israel time).

Moshiach & Geula: RABBI HIRSHFELD'S CHABURA continues to learn Rav Moshe Shapira zt”l’s enlightening sefer.
Live on Sundays at 8:30pm (Israel time).

Connect to all these shiurim – and more – by visiting www.darchenoam.org/virtualbeitmidrash. You can also access our full VBM wherever you get podcasts.
PM for more information!

Sometimes a story comes along that perfectly captures what it means to be part of the Shapell’s/MRC family.

Meet Tzvia Bailowitz, an MRC alumna who studied with us over the last three years, made aliyah just over a year ago, and became engaged to Ezra Smith this January. They planned a seven-week engagement and a wedding on a farm near Efrat. Then the war with Iran broke out, and their families, coming from Oakland, New Jersey, and Kansas City, suddenly couldn’t travel to Israel. It looked like they might have to put their wedding on hold.

As travel restrictions kept changing, it turned out that their families were able to come after all. With just two weeks to go, though, they needed a new venue. Without hesitation, the community sprang into action, and we arranged for the wedding to take place at a friend’s beautiful home overlooking the Ramot Forest, which has a bomb shelter and nearby access to several more.

“So many people have done a crazy amount of chesed for us. We feel an overwhelming sense of love and care from the people around us,” said Ezra, a rebbi in a gap year program and hesder yeshiva in Jerusalem.

The wedding was truly a family affair. Shapell’s student Eitan Weiss built the chuppah on a terrace overlooking the Ramot Forest, and most of the bride’s guests came from her beloved MRC community. On Sunday, tables, chairs, and flowers began arriving. On Monday, the one-man band, krohn, set up his equipment, and the photographer captured Tzvia and Ezra among the trees. By late afternoon, friends and guests were streaming in, filling the home and garden with energy and simcha.

The wedding was beautiful in every way, and the love and ruach of friends and family carried the bride, groom, and their families throughout the night. Far from being Plan B, it turned out even better than anyone could have imagined. Mazel tov to Tzvia and Ezra, and may they build a bayit ne’eman b’Yisrael.

Reflections on learning during wartime: “every daf is another missile”
by Aaron Cohen, current Shapell's student

On one of the first days of the ongoing Israeli–Iran war, I was sitting in the Shapell’s Beit Midrash with my chevruta, puzzling over a tricky sugya in Masechet Ketubot. All of a sudden, without the usual hatra’ah (warning signal alert), the unmistakably shrieky siren sound shot out from each of our cellphones. Having endured multiple 4 a.m. wake-up calls from Tehran in the last week, I knew exactly what to do.

I begrudgingly rose from my seat and quickly shuffled toward the exit door on the way to the basement miklat (shelter). Caught up in the rush, I mindlessly left my Gemara on the table. As I headed for the door empty-handed, my chevruta looked me in the eye and said in a quiet but confident voice, “We should bring our Gemaras and sefarim into the shelter. Every daf we learn, we shoot back another missile."

I froze. He was absolutely right.
When the Iranians fire missiles and rockets at Israel, it is not just Israel they want to destroy—it is the Torah, mitzvot, and the Jewish way of life. When I spend an extra thirty minutes in the beit midrash after night seder, or daven Tehillim with kavana, or dance joyfully with my friends during an extra ruachdik Kabbalat Shabbat, I am embodying an indomitable resistance to the enemies of Klal Yisrael.

Living in yeshiva during the war certainly has its challenges. Sirens disrupt our sleep schedules, and news updates of destruction and Israeli casualties shake our resolve. But I am so relieved to be surrounded by caring rebbeim, motivated friends, and an environment in Shapell’s that enhances my ability to live a passionate, consistent, joyful Jewish life.

Every day in yeshiva, after the thrice-daily tefillah, we recite Perek 121 of Tehillim:
הִנֵּה לֹא־יָנוּם וְלֹא יִישָׁן שׁוֹמֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל. “Behold the Guardian of Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.”

So the next time a siren goes off, I will be proudly carrying a sefer into the miklat. Because we cannot afford to slumber.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4Nj3ESqtsGCog4lwM49NGS?si=9fiChPTcRjqsl8x642wVHQ
A new episode of the “Rebbi, I Have a Question” has dropped! This time Rebbetzin Esther Shurin joins her husband to give all of us much needed chizuk and perspective for the unprecedented and challenging times we are living through. In this episode they share thoughts for those living in Israel right now, guidance for alumni and friends living outside of Israel who want to respond thoughtfully, and a broader Torah perspective that can help frame the times we are living through.

I cannot believe how much I gained from the hour spent with them - there is truly something for everyone! I’m linking to the episode on Spotify but you can find it on your preferred streaming platform by searching for the “Shapell’s Virtual Bet Midrash”.

Let me know what you think!

Rebbi, I Have a Question! 08 Shapell's/MRC Virtual Beit Midrash · Episode

FROM THE DESK OF DANA MARGOLIS...


Since the war began, life at Shapell’s and Midreshet Rachel v’Chaya has, like everywhere in Israel, been disrupted in ways none of us expected: adapting to frequent trips to shelters, sleep interrupted by roaring sirens, weddings postponed, travel plans changing, and more. Yet the learning has continued, tefillah has taken on added intensity, and there is a strong sense that the temporary sacrifices we are making are leading to a positive future.

At MRC, the women have been learning from the dorms via Zoom when necessary, staying with their schedules and continuing their classes and chavrusas. At Shapell’s, the guys have carried on learning on campus despite frequent warnings and sirens that send everyone quickly to the bomb shelter. What has been most striking is that even in the shelters, students are focused on learning, Tehillim, chavrusas keep going, and sometimes a shiur simply resumes in the shelter.

Our rebbeim and teachers have been remarkable. When it is possible and safe, they come in to teach in person. When it is not, they teach remotely. Beyond the scheduled classes, they are constantly checking in with students, hosting them in their homes when appropriate, and making sure no one feels alone during a stressful time. The same is true of the broader staff, who remain in steady contact with students, offering guidance, reassurance, and support.

The atmosphere among the students has been strong and positive. There is a sense that everyone understands they are living on the front lines of an auspicious period in our history and that being together in a community like this makes it manageable. Plus, lots of cooking and baking in the MRC dorms is keeping everyone comforted, happy, and entertained!

Purim, which arrived in the middle of all this, was particularly meaningful. Rabbi and Rebbetzin Karlinsky hosted their iconic Purim tisch, filled with singing, brachot, and divrei Torah. Teachers and rebbeim also welcomed students and alumni to their Purim seudahs and many reported having the best Purim of their lives!

It is hard not to feel that we are living the Megillah in real time. We are witnessing events unfold that remind us how quickly circumstances can change, and we daven heartfelt tefillot for the safety of our soldiers, the people of Israel, and our allies.

Above all, we feel grateful. Grateful for the resilience of our students, for the dedication of our rebbeim and teachers, for the privilege of being part of this community, and for Hashem’s protection that is carrying us physically, spiritually, and emotionally. We remain hopeful and pray for real and lasting change for Israel, the Jewish people, and the whole world.

On this day of fasting and prayer, we're privileged to share selections from the learning that's been taking place at Shapell's and MRC over the past several days. It's an opportunity to bring greater understanding and Torah perspective to the challenging times we're facing today and to strengthen our community at this momentous time in Israel and around the world,

All of these shiurim can be accessed via your preferred streaming platform (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and more) by searching for the Shapell's/MRC Virtual Bet Midrash.

With blessings for a safe, meaningful, and very happy Purim!