Orot Israel College Students Visit Zomet Institute

By Rav Avraham Weiss  
Head of Toshb”a Department, Elkana campus

Not long ago, students from Orot Israel College’s Toshb”a (Oral Law) Department visited the Zomet Institute in Gush Etzion. As its website explains, the Zomet Institute is “dedicated to seamlessly merging halachic Judaism with modern life.” Founded in 5737 (1977), Zomet is known for its halachic-technological solutions, including milking machines that can be used on Shabbat, Shabbat elevators, electric scooters for Shabbat, and much more. Zomet now boasts a new visitor’s center, where the general public can learn about these technologies and the underlying halachic principles involved.

For the Orot students, the tour was a chance to see real-life, modern applications of “dry,” theoretical Halachah - including equipment for hospitals, security systems, and home use. Furthermore, translating halachic principles into a practical language helps clarify those principles. Thus, for example, the students learned about the differences between the halachic concepts of grama and ko’ach kocho; the necessary preconditions for grama; the source for the prohibition against using electricity on Shabbat (boneh, makeh b’patish, mavir, or molid?); and the practical ramifications of these questions.

The students were particularly intrigued by the issue of shinui otzmat zerem hechashmal (varying of electric current), which is the principle behind the use of hearing aids, electric scooters, electric wheelchairs, metal detectors, automatic gates, LED lights, and other instruments on Shabbat. Halachic authorities insist that shinui otzmat zerem hechashmal does not involve molid (loosely, “creating” something new), but shinui otzmat zerem hechashmal is usually restricted to cases of tzorech gadol (literally, “a great need”), due to concerns of marit ayin (outward appearance) or that such use is “unbefitting Shabbat.” However, it is possible that in the distant future, these concerns will no longer apply. After all, the so-called Shabbat clock (i.e. an automatic timer) is now widely used, but initially, some opinions held that it should only be used to turn on lights on Shabbat (due to similar concerns).

Rav Reuven Spolter, who teaches a course on the Shabbat laws at Orot Israel College, accompanied the students on their fascinating and enlightening tour of the Zomet 

Orot Israel College Hosts Gala Book Launch in Honor of Dr. Yitzchak Sapir

On Tuesday, 23 Adar 5773 (March 5, 2013), Orot Israel College’s Elkana campus hosted an event marking the release of “Minchat Sapir” – a collection of articles published in Dr. Yitzchak Sapir’s honor. Dr. Ayal Davidson, head of Orot’s Land of Israel Studies Department, served as the master of ceremonies for the gala event, which was held in the presence of Rav Professor Neria Guttel, President of Orot Israel College; Dr. Yehuda Felix, Orot’s founder and first Rosh Michlalah; Dr. Yossi Spanier, the book’s editor and the former head of Orot’s Land of Israel Studies Department; Orot’s faculty, alumni, family, and many friends. In addition, Aviv Gozlan, one of Dr. Sapir’s students, played the piano, and Dr. Aryeh Morgenstern delivered a fascinating lecture entitled “Building the Churvah: The Onset of the Redemption and the Vilna Gaon’s Students.”

“This evening is very emotional and special,” noted Rav Professor Guttel. “What makes this evening so special is that it sprang from below. Orot supported and assisted, of course, in the book’s publication. But the initiative and the publishing were arranged by Yitzchak’s colleagues, friends, and loved ones, and I consider that to be a fitting expression of this evening, this book, and this man. The book conveys love, affection, and friendship. During the Exodus from Egypt, we left 80% of the nation behind. However, when we received the Torah, we once again became one nation: ‘as one man, with one heart.’ So, too, this book and evening, which brought together those who deal with different opinions, purviews, and departments, constitutes a pathway to unity and cooperation.”

Dr. Spanier recalled, “About four years ago, Professor Yisrael Rosenson and I decided to put together a commemorative book for our friend Dr. Yitzchak Sapir, in honor of his retirement. During the intervening years, we collected, sorted, and organized the articles. While editing the book, we focused on Yitzchak’s interests and activities over the years, including the Tanach, synagogues, prayer, the history of the Land of Israel, Israeli botany, and archeology. Although it took us somewhat longer than anticipated, we believe that the final product will not disappoint and that the book reflects the man of the book: Yitzchak.

“As it says on the book’s cover: ‘The main thread connecting the articles is the authors’ admiration and appreciation for the man whom they honored with their writing: Yitzchak Sapir. This is the thread that connects the writers and their compositions to the readers. Sapir connects worlds and people. On an academic level, his multidisciplinary approach is evident at every turn… Sapir’s personality and critiques lead to a multifaceted integration – of religion and science, Torah and derech eretz, man and the One Above. This collection was written as a gift of love for a family man, a researcher, an explorer, a scholar, an educator, and most of all, a dear friend. His name is Yitzchak Sapir.’”

Representing the family, Dr. Sapir’s son Uri remarked, “It is now several days after Purim, and one of the familiar themes of the Megilah is ‘v’nahafochu’ (‘and it shall be reversed.’) There is no need to tell those who know Abba how important this matter is to him. The root ‘hey-pey-chaf’ appears in Tehilim 114, where the miracle of the Exodus from Egypt is described in comparison to unnatural phenomena. The miracle is cited in reference to the contrast between an immovable stone as opposed to flowing water. Even Chazal likened the Torah to both stone and water. Similarly, firmness versus elasticity are just one of the many inherent contrasts which characterize Abba. His way of life, which contains contradictions and contrasts, yields great depths – like signposts with crests, valleys, and mountains.

“An adherence to truth is manifested in Abba’s life as a life of action, and as the Rambam said: ‘Practices the truth, because it is truth.’ Often, this trait creates antagonism, detachment, and distance from others. But this is not the case with Abba. His teachers, his friends, his students, and his partners along the way know a man who walks with his truth and, at the same time, loves and supports unconditionally. Truth and peace are two values that – like stone and water – clearly contrast with each other, but as the navi said: ‘Love truth and peace.’ Love makes room for both of them, and indeed, for Abba, these values stand next to each other, fully and completely.”

Next, Orot alumnus Naama Ariel said, “Dr. Sapir recommended that we read the international bestseller – the Tanach – and to extract its pearls. In every chapter and verse, he sees the word of Hashem that must be studied, and we were always amazed by his knowledge and devotion to every book and verse. In addition to the intellectual learning, there is a great deal of emotion in his approach to the Land of Israel, and one part of the air he breathes is the Land. He is not a teacher in the ordinary sense of the word, but first and foremost, a loving and concerned educator.”

Dr. Sapir himself was the final speaker. He said, “One of the most awkward moments of my life was when Yisrael and Yossi told me that they were thinking about publishing the book, and they asked for my permission. I considered it and finally agreed to their proposal. And when I saw how my teachers and my friends willingly and gladly responded and shared their teachings, and even more so, when I see the book, which is like a new vessel filled with aged wine, I am happy and thankful.

“During a rare cynicism-free moment, I wrote in the introduction to my research paper: ‘This work is the fruit of loves – a love of the Torah, a love of the Land, a love of the Hebrew language, and a love of Israel and its history.’ At my request, the book’s editors divided it into four sections, corresponding to these four loves…

“I see you before me – my teachers and my friends, who have been with me throughout my life: friends in Torah learning, friends in a love and knowledge of the Land, friends in the act of settling it, and friends in fighting for it. I love you all, and thank you for gathering together and coming.”

Students in the English Department assist Learning Disabled students in Elkana’s elementary school

By Dr. Vitela Arzi, 

Head of the English Department, Elkana campus

Students in the English Department taking the course "Teaching English to Students with Learning Disabilities (L.D.)" have an excellent opportunity to implement their theoretical knowledge by teaching students in the neighborhood elementary school on a one to one basis.

The goal of the program is to allow our future English teachers to have hands-on experience to practice what they have been taught. The first semester of the course was dedicated not only to the teaching of the remedial program for teaching reading to L.D. students, but also to the acquisition of concepts and topics related to L.D. learners, such as attention deficit disorder and visual and audio perception problems.

The participants in the program are students who were selected by the elementary school advisor after consulting with teachers. All have some form of a learning disability and have had difficulties learning English.

Orot students come equipped with the necessary material for assessment and teaching while the class instructor, Mrs. Tzila Rabinovitz, an experienced professional in the field of Teaching English to Learning Disabled students, makes the rounds and supervises the activity. After the lesson, the students and instructor discuss and summarize their work.

Both students and pupils benefit from the program. The students gain practical experience in teaching the remedial method they have learned and the pupils benefit from being taught in a way that accommodates their learning styles.

A New Look at the Wicked Son

Last spring, at Orot's staff Shabbat in Naharia, I heard a wonderful thought about the Rasha - the wicked son - from Rav Ze'ev Hass, an instructor at Orot. For parents and educators, we find the Wicked Son the most challenging of children. First of all, what parent would even label her child as "wicked"?

רשע מה הוא אומר? 'מה העבודה הזאת לכם?' - ולא לו. ולפי שהוציא עצמו מן הכלל וכפר בעיקר, אף אתה הקהה את שיניו, ואמור לו: 'בעבור זה עשה ה' לי בצאתי ממצרים' - לי ולא לך, אילו היית שם לא היית נגאל! 

What does the Wicked Son say? "What is this worship for you?" - and not for him. And because he excluded himself, he has rejected a founding principle. You too must blunt his teeth and say to him, "For this God did for me when I left Egypt." For me and not for him. Had you been there, you would not have been redeemed.

The Questions 
We all well know the questions regarding the Rasha. At face value, his question really isn't that difficult: מה העבודה הזאת לכם - "what is this worship of yours?" His question is so similar to the question of the Wise Son that we are left to wonder why we react to him in such a seemingly harsh manner, and to the Wise Son with such love and care. Secondly, as soon as he stops speaking, we stop talking to him, and start talking about him - in third person. Only then do we return to speaking to him to deliver our harsh response. Finally, the answer that the Hagadah provides to the Rasha should trouble us. Blunt his teeth? Tell him that he would still be in Egypt? When has that worked on a child?
 

Not an Only Child Rav Hass suggested an answer by considering the "Wicked Son" not in a vacuum, but in contrast to his brother - the Wise Son. Imagine this son growing up, constantly trying to compete with his older, "perfect" brother. (This phenomenon isn't that unusual.) The oldest is often the most accomplished - intellectually, physically, educationally. Imagine how his brother feels when he's the one in school whose teachers always say, "Are you the Chacham's brother?" (As much as we ask teachers not to say things like that, somehow they still do...) How about at report card time, when he invetiably compares his grades to his "perfect" brother's? It's not hard to imagine him thinking that he can never really live up to the standard his brother set for him, so why bother?

The "Wicked Son" in our Schools

If you've ever taught in a school that tracks students by ability, you can see this phenomenon outright. It doesn't matter how you label the classes: "A1, A2, A3"; "Masmidim, Lomdim" - whatever you call them, the students in the bottom class know that they're the "dummy" class, and they'll say so outright. Oh - they'll do something else as well. They'll stop trying. After all, if their very own school calls them idiots, then why should they even bother trying to disprove them? (It's a good question that schools constantly struggle with: how do you establish an environment that allows excellent students to grow without labeling the others as inferior?) That's our "Rasha". If he can't compete with his brother - and he can't - then why bother. So he begins to act out. We don't believe that children are inherently wicked. But he acts wickedly. His behavior certainly is bad, manifesting an attitude of apathy and indifference. And so he asks his question: "What is this worship of yours?" Why should I bother if I'll never measure up?

The Unique Nature of the Jewish Nation

Chazal teach us that at the time of the Exodux, the Jewish people found themselves in the depths of spiritual depravity and degradation. In the words of the Midrash, they had reached the 49th level of impurity, as far down as one can possibly descend and yet repent and return. What if they had adopted the attitude of the wicked son. Had the Jewish nation given up, the Exodus would never have taken place. This, explains Rav Hass, is the concept of the "Chosen Nation"; the unique quality of the Jewish people that we contain within us a spiritual spark which can, and ultimately must propel us to improve, grow and acheive spiritual greatness. This is an eternal "rule" of the Jewish people. Even if we ourselves cannot see the great potential within us, God can. He will redeem us and nurture us in order to draw out the spark of holiness that we all contain. This inherent Jewish inherent quality will never change. And yet, it's the very notion that the Wicked Son rejects. So we say not to the Rasha - but about him, that if his apathetic attitude had been in Egypt, then he and the rest of us would never have been redeemed. Change can only come about when you believe in yourself and see not only your shortcomings, but the great potential within you to grow.

The Solution: Show Him the Truth For this reason, we are instructed specifically to "blunt" his teeth (and not knock them out). Rav Hass noted a fascinating truth about God's creations: the more sophisticated and advanced a being is, the more primitive it is at birth. Think about it: animals are expected to get up and walk on their own moments after being born. Human beings, on the other hand, enter the world helpless, unable to care for themselves in even the most simple manner. We require nurturing, care and attention for years before we can take the necessary steps to care for ourselves, and then hopefully, our children. Nothing symbolizes this idea better than our teeth. We're born without them, and as we grow, our teeth grow, symbolizing our development and maturity. (Baby teeth --> adult teeth --> wisdom teeth). So, when addressing the Rasha's attitude of indifference, we tell him to look at his teeth. Does he really think that he was supposed to be born with a mouth full of teeth? Why then should he necessarily have to live up to the Chacham from the very beginning? Just as his teeth will grow and sharpen, so too will he develop, grow and become the person that he was meant to be.

"Our" Rasha

No parent today would label her child a "Rasha." (God forbid!) And yet, every parent and teacher knows which child feels inferior; that he cannot keep up with the stronger kids, and would rather not bother. Our task must be to instill in our children a sense of potential. We must help them sharper their teeth (ושננתם לבניך - from the word שן - see Rashi) to the point that they too have a sense of confidence in their unique abilities. Like the Jewish nation, every child has that spark. It's up to us to help it emerge - to bring each and every child the personal redemption he or she can and must achieve.

Orot Israel College Students Attend Prestigious Academic Conference

by Dr. Avia Guttman  

Head, Special Education Department, Orot Israel College

On Monday, 25 Tevet 5773 (January 7, 2013), students from Orot Israel College’s special education department attended an important academic conference at Bar Ilan University in honor of Israel Prize laureate Professor Reuven Feuerstein’s 91^st birthday. Entitled “Cognitive Education, Modifiability, Learning, the Brain, and Everything in Between,” the conference was a joint undertaking of Bar Ilan’s School of Education and the Israel Association for Cognitive Education. After a number of distinguished academics – including Professor Zemira Mevarech, Dean of Bar Ilan’s Faculty of Social Sciences; Israel Prize laureate Professor Penina Klein of Bar Ilan’s School of Education; Professor Hephzibah Lifshitz, President of the Israel Association for Cognitive Education; and others – greeted the conference’s participants, the two keynote speakers took to the podium. Professor David Tzuriel, an internationally-renowned expert on dynamic assessment, spoke about “Mediated Learning and Cognitive Modifiability,” and Professor Moshe Bar, the director of Bar Ilan’s Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, gave a talk entitled “To Learn and to Remember: The Human Brain from Infancy to Old Age.” Next, the participants were invited to choose from an exciting array of simultaneous symposiums, which focused on cognitive education’s real life applications. The symposiums were delivered by lecturers from different Israeli universities. Orot Israel College was represented by Dr. Avia Guttmann, head of our special education department, who chaired a symposium and delivered one of the lectures. Finally, Professor Feuerstein himself took to the stage and delighted the participants with his talk, which was entitled “Structural Cognitive Modifiability and the Brain’s Neuroplasticity.” Professor Feuerstein demonstrated how learning and repetition can even have an effect on the brains of individuals with impaired cognitive functioning. Later, the students thanked Orot’s administration for allowing them to participate in this prestigious conference. In particular, the students enjoyed meeting the world-famous authors of the books and articles they had encountered during the course of their studies at Orot. The students were also grateful that they had been privileged to witness academia at its best and said that they hoped they would have the opportunity to take part in additional conferences and colloquiums.

Orot Israel College Students Awarded For Serving as Youth Mentors

by Nati Fried – Dean of Students, 
Orot Israel College, Rechovot Campus 

Two talented Orot Israel College students were recently recognized for their work as student mentors in the Perach National Mentoring Program during the 5772 school year. On Chanukah, second-year student Ezra Avraham received the country’s top prize at a gala ceremony at Yerushalayim’s Begin House, and third-year student Oshri Cohen received an award for his efforts in the central region at Bar Ilan University. 

Perach has had an active presence at Orot's Rechovot campus for the past twenty five years. Nearly 60% of our fulltime students participate in this important program, which helps prepare them for careers in education.

Ezra Avraham, who is currently serving in the IDF as part of his studies at Yeshivat Hesder Orot Yaakov, spent last year mentoring a third grader, who was faced with various educational and social challenges. Initially, Ezra focused on helping the boy with his homework and playing soccer with him. However, after consulting with Perach’s professional staff, Ezra was able to expand his focus to education and teaching life skills. 

By the end of the year, Ezra’s young charge had undergone a dramatic change. Not only was he able to open up and moderate his behavior, but he had acquired new skills and interests. Moreover, the Perach coordinator stated that over the course of the year, Ezra himself had developed into a mature and more assertive young man. In fact, Ezra added that serving as a mentor had helped him learn more about himself and his own personality. 

Oshri Cohen, who is of Ethiopian descent, spent last year mentoring a bright, motivated boy from a lower socioeconomic neighborhood. Over the course of the year, Oshri helped the boy with his schoolwork, exposed him to new and positive interests, and encouraged him to make new friends. Throughout the process, Oshri maintained close contact with the boy’s homeroom teacher and parents, who were greatly appreciative of Oshri’s efforts. 

Fittingly, the award citation referred to Oshri as “a mentor with the soul of an educator” and as “an excellent role model.”

The Greatest Jewish Generation

I'm not bashful at shiva houses. After years paying shiva calls as a shul rabbi, I no longer beat around the bush. I'm not there to talk about politics or neighborhood issues. So I sit myself down as close as I can to the aveil and simply say, "Tell me about your mother."
And they always want to do exactly that. And sometimes I find myself in awe of what I learn. Take yesterday.
Last week, I received an email from Orot about the passing of Mrs. Sarah Lev, the mother of Mrs. Shoshana Feuer, who works in the office of the President of the College, and I paid a Shiva call yesterday afternoon. Nowadays, when an older Israeli passes away my first question is always, "Was she born in Israel?" (After all, so many were not, which leads to fascinating aliyah stories). So, when Shoshana told me that her mother was born in Europe, I wasn't surprised. But what Shoshana told me next moved me greatly. (I didn't write everything down, so I'm sharing from memory.)
Mrs. Lev grew up in Lodz, Poland. As a child, she studied in a Mizrachi school where she learned Hebrew, and even traveled to the United States as a Mizrachi representative to promote the values of Zionism. (I didn't even know that they sent such missions before the War!) When the Holocaust broke out, her entire family moved east – and continued to move east, until they found themselves in a Russian work camp in Siberia, where they remained until the war ended. After the war, she returned with her family westward, and eventually ended up in a camp in Germany, where she met her future husband.
In Germany, she and her husband began to care for a group of some sixty children who were orphaned during the war, many of whom knew nothing about their families. (Later in life, one refused to marry an Ashkenazi girl, for fear that she might somehow be related to him.) She taught the children Hebrew, and together with her husband became their de-facto parents, accompanying them to Israel when they made Aliyah in 1948. While they didn't remain close to all of them, they did remain quite close with a group of them, and many would bring their future husbands and brides to the Levs before getting engaged. During the shiva Shoshana pointed out an elderly-looking gentleman, about seventy years old now and said, "He made aliyah with my mother." Even now, so many years later, he came to honor and remember the only real mother he had ever had.
Thinking about the stories Shoshana told about her mother, I cannot help but find myself in awe of the tremendous suffering that Mrs. Lev and her generation endured on the one hand, and their amazing fortitude and strength on the other. By and large, they didn't talk about how hard things were (and I'm sure things were no picnic when they got to Israel either). They didn't complain. They did what had to be done. And they – their entire generation, built the country that I am blessed to live in today.
In America, we refer to the generation of Americans who fought in World War II as the "greatest generation" for similar reasons. They fought and suffered and endured, and built the country that the United States is today. The same is true of the heroes that fought Israel's wars and defeated the enemies bent on our destruction.
But we don't talk often enough about a different type of greatness; that of the thousands of Sarah Levs, who gave their strength and dedication to helping others because that's what needed to be done; who accepted their lot in life – the tremendous loss and terrible pain – often with tremendous fortitude, and literally built the country and rebuilt the Jewish people on their backs.
That generation is, inevitably, moving from this world to the World to Come. We must remember them, honor them, and cherish them – and commit ourselves to pass on their shlichut and mesirut nefesh for Klal Yisrael to the next generation who did not have the zechut to know them.