Orot Invites You to Join us at our Upcoming Bat Zion-MTA Reunion

If you haven't signed up yet, you can do so here. Also, please join the Facebook Reunion page - and share your pictures and memories with fellow bogrot.

Its Zionism Y'all: Bringing Israel to the South

By Jaqueline Rose (Gray)
Bogeret of BZ 5753

In the summer of 2010, myself, my husband and our four children moved from our home in Modiin to Atlanta, Georgia for שליחות. My husband is a teacher and so the decision to go on שליחות was about giving something back to a community in the diaspora. We also thought it would be an amazing experience for us as a family - the opportunity to live in a different country, met different people and visit places that we would not normally get a chance to see.

We were sent by הסוכנות היהודית as שליחים מורים and have spent the past 15 months in Atlanta working at Greenfield Hebrew Academy and Young Israel of Toco Hills shul. I have been providing Hebrew enrichment and support to 1-8th grade students, together with giving yoga and environmental education classes to gan age kids. My husband has been teaching 7th and 8th grade Kodesh and History of Israel - his area of expertise! Shabbat is no time for rest as my husband is also Youth Director in the local Young Israel shul, organizing youth tefilla in the morning and Bnei AKiva in the afternoon. Being שליחים is a 7 days a week job!! We have worked very hard devoting ourselves to the community that brought us here, and trying to ensure that our שליחות has meaning and purpose by being an example to the community of what is means to be a religious Jew with Israel as a core value.

Despite the hard work, we are having a wonderful time here. We have been welcomed into the community with open arms and have made really good friends. Most importantly our children have integrated well and made amazing friends, having none of the social challenges you worry about as a parent. We have made sure to make the most of every Sunday, vacation, and family outing. We have enjoyed all the small things that make America such a fun place to be - Starbucks and Target to name a few!

But not a day goes by when we don’t miss Israel. During my year at Orot (1992-93) my love for Israel developed into an ideology, a life path, a passion. I meet and learned with people who had a deep love and respect for Israel and the Jewish people, and the way they lived their lives inspired me to want to live by those values. I knew that there was nowhere else that I wanted to live my life and raise a family. Five years after leaving Orot, I left my home town of London for Israel. I still remember how I cried the whole 4.5 hour flight, but once I landed at Ben Gurion I felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders and I had done what I promised myself I was going to do – I had made aliya.

Today, it is hard being away from our house that we built, our family and friends, relaxing Fridays when you DON’T come home from work and have to cook for Shabbat in two hours, and the sense of being part of a national community. Soon we will return to Israel. I do not under estimate how hard it will be to leave here, for myself and my husband, for our children. Even though we always knew this was temporary it's still hard to leave a place that you have invested time and energy, and made every effort to be part of the community. But once we touch down at Ben Gurion I know that I will have the same feelings I had when I made aliya - I am home, and as we all know “there is no place like home”!

The Bat Zion 5764 Reunion in Nof Tzion

By Debbie Ifield, Bogeret of BZ 5764

It was Chol Hamoed Succot and I was off to Jerusalem. I set out from South Netanya, very excited to reunite with my Orot friends. I finally made it into Jerusalem, despite heavy Chol Hamoed traffic, and asked a taxi driver to take me to Nof Tzion. 'Sof Ha'olam!!' he said, but he eventually found the area, and I ran into my friend Eddie's (Shoshana Bauer) apartment to be greeted by the greatest bunch of girls I've ever had the privilege to spend time with.

I was quite late, so everyone had already arrived, complete with husbands, children and smiles on their faces. This year the Orot Succah Party was particularly special. Not only was it 8 years since we first became a Bat Zion group, but this time we were also celebrating our fantastic madricha Debbie's 30th birthday. It was a surprise for her, and we partied in style, in the succah and the main room, with lunch and birthday cake, with recounting old Orot stories and playing with the new generation - the Orot kids. I finally saw the newly engaged Chaya and had the chance to wish her mazal tov in person, (as well as Bshaa tova to quite a few of the other Orot ladies). The Tal programme was also represented. We gathered together from all areas of Israel, from Jerusalem to Shuva to Netanya to Maale Adumim all the way to Mizpe Rimon!

Seeing my Orot friends was a definite highlight of my trip to Israel. It always is!!

2nd Annual Sukkot Orot Reunion

By Debbie (Krug) Shochat,
Madricha of Bat Zion 5764

A long time ago, when I was a madricha at Orot, “Batzi” the car was driven into the Orot parking lot, and there was room for 4 other passengers. 7 years later, Baruch Hashem there isn’t an available seat. As Oriya and I drove down the windy road to get to Nof Tzion, standing at about 5 different bus stops stood all the Orot Bogrot, with Baruch Hashem, many children in sight. Sadly, I wished that I had room for everyone in the car, but I was beyond happy looking at the continuity and growth. Though it was no simple task arriving, over 30 people attended the reunion, and from literally all over Israel, as far south as Mitzpe Ramon, to as far north as Shilo. (Though, a bogeret from Ma’a lot wished that she was able to come). There was good food, good laughs, and reminiscing over the good times. And while topics of discussion 7 years ago were about Rav Kook, filling out Shabbat lists, what’s Shula serving for lunch, and Rav Shvat’s latest new song, suddenly other realms of conversations can be heard. Whether it be careers, politics, children, communities, with occasional divrei Torah as well, it’s a true blessing to see commitment to Torah, to Israel, and to friendship, so many years later.

A Letter from Judy Ford

Dear Girls, (to me you will always be girls!)

By now most of you are mothers and some of you may even be grandmothers. Many of you may even have teenage daughters just like you were when you were at Orot. Time does not stand still and we have all grown older. I see some students from time to time and I am amazed that they recognize me, I don’t always recognize the generally because of the scarves or hat that they are wearing.

I must tell you that some of my most special memories are of the Shabbatot and tiyulim that I spent with you and Sapir. I can still remember the untidy rooms and my attempts to get you to tidy them up. I am sure those of you with teenagers have the same up hill battle every day.

My husband and I still live in the same apartment in Petach Tikva. All our children are married, BH we have many grandchildren and several great grandchildren.
You can find me on face book and if you want you can send me an e-mail from time to time. My address is ford17@013.net.il I will be happy to hear all about your lives since the last time me meet.

This photo of my husband and myself was taken at our granddaughter’s wedding on the 1st January this year. My granddaughter is 19 and just finished Sherut Leumi.

My regards to you all, Purim Sameach and Pesach Kasher Ve'Sameach.

Judy

Important Changes at the Bat Zion Program

Dear Friends,
In September of last year, I joined the Orot College for Education as the new director of the Bat Zion program. I had great hopes and excitement about revitalizing a program that had brought young women to study the Torah of the Land of Israel for over twenty years. I spent the entire month of November traveling to cities throughout England and the United States meeting potential.
Despite the hard work, due to an increasing number of one-year programs and the changing tastes of high school seniors, we did not receive sufficient applications to re-establish Orot's Bat Zion program. Still, Orot continues to provide a high-quality college-level education to hundreds of Israeli students, and we would like to offer the benefits that Orot can provide to students from abroad.
We are revamping the Bat Zion program to better reflect Orot's strengths and cater to students looking for what Orot can offer them. Foreign students who attend Orot will integrate into the broader college community and participate in a program consisting of:

1. A Judaic studies course schedule drawn from Orot's large number of class options. Students will take classes for full college credit or audit classes for no college credit. (Orot's college program runs from Sunday morning to Wednesday evening
2. Integration into the regular dormitory and college student life
3. Additional educational assistance and tutoring to help English-speaking students thrive and succeed in their Israeli classes
4. Thursday programming for foreign students, including shiurim in English and special tiyyulim weekly. We will transport students to Jerusalem each Thursday evening. The regular college runs from Sunday through Wednesday, so Bat Zion students will enjoy additional special program on Thursdays.
5. Monthly Shabbatonim and other programs for overseas students
6. A significantly lower price than the previously advertised one-year program. Teaching hours account for a significant portion of one-year programs. Because we will integrate Bat Zion students into existing college classes, we can offer the program at a significantly reduced cost, while still offering additional experiences important for a powerful Israel experience. Tuition for the coming year including room and board will be $10,200, and will cover lodging, food, health-insurance, tiyyulim and any other additional programming.

Clearly, this is a different type of program than the Bat Zion program that I presented in November. It will be a very small program for a student with looking for serious learning and confident enough to function in an Israeli environment. At the same time, it offers a unique opportunity for a student looking to spend her year in Israel invested in serious Torah study. She will experience Israel, grow in Torah, make friends, and learn Hebrew that will stay with her throughout her life.
Additionally, if a student is considering making aliyah after high school, a year at Orot will be a great way to enter the Israeli system under the guidance of a combined program, making her integration that much easier the following year.
I will be contacting you soon just to touch base and get your feedback. If you have any comments or suggestions, or feel that a particular student might be a good candidate for Orot, please let me know.
Thank you so much for your help and assistance. It was a pleasure meeting you during my travels, and I thank all of you for your encouragement, kindness and friendship. I pray that the current calm in Israel grows into a period of peace, safety and security for us all.

Fondly,

Rabbi Reuven Spolter
Bat Zion Program at Orot

My Year in Seminary (at Orot of course)

by Danielle Oster

Sem (that's British for "seminary") is supposed to be a year full of learning. spiritual growth and finding your inner strengths. I think in order to fulfill these goals, it is very important to be in the right environment. But you have to find the right environment for you. Do you want to be in Jerusalem where all your friends are and you have that temptation to go out EVERY night for 'fear of missing out'? Or do you want to get the most out of your year and maximize your potential by being in Orot, where you're constantly in a learning environment (the college) but at the same time, you'll make great friendships with the rest of the girls on the program.

For me, I saw it like this: from Sunday morning until Thursday afternoon we had an amazing schedule offering lots of different shiurim as well as other activities. Then from Thursday evening until Motzei Shabbat/Sunday morning, I was free to go wherever I wanted, spend time with friends from other sems, and go to different places for Shabbat.

This way I truly gained as much as i possibly could from my year in Israel.
Of course, Orot isn't for everyone. If you need to be in Jerusalem (don't forget there's a free hasaah to and from Jerusalem), then Orot isn't the place for you. But you have to ask yourself: what do I want from my year in sem, because I know that from being in Orot, I experienced a year full of Torah on a buzzing, friendly campus while also being able to enjoy the rest of Eretz Yisrael.

Good luck!!

But It's Not in Jerusalem! by Luna Franco

I really loved not being in Jerusalem for a few reasons. First of all, it takes away from alot of distractions. When youre in Elkana, youre there for a specific purpose. To learn. Also I personally liked it that being in Jerusalem wasnt an every day event because I didnt want it to "lose its spark". I moved to Jerusalem this year, and Im finding it a little difficult to adapt. When I was in Elkana there was never that question of should I go out tonight or not. Or this ones in town so I want to go see her etc. Everyone always stayed in and I think thats one of the major reasons we became the tight group of girls that we are. Even during a free period, instead of going out, either we would take that time to be with each other or to head down to the beit midrash and catch something up, or start that book weve been meaning to, btu never had the time. I mean its not like we didnt go out. Most of us came to Jerusalem every Thursday night through Friday. And we came together, as a group. I think that that was one of my favorite parts of Orot. That most evrything we did, we did together and I think thats something very special, and I know that alot of that had to do with us not being in Jerusalem. We all went our seperate ways for Shabbatot, but when we all came back to Elkana, I cant explain it, but it was one of the best feelings in the world. Even now when I go back its the most amazing feeling.
Another reason I really liked about not being in Jerusalem was that I really came to appreiciate it. Every time I came I really felt the kedusha. Now that I live here, of course I still feel it, but its a very different feeling. Its where I live, so sometimes I get so caught up in my everyday routine that I have to take a breath and realize where I am.
Its weird, but being out of Jerusalem was probably the best thing thats ever happened to me.

Luna Franco studied at Orot last year. If you have any questions and want to send Luna and email, click here.