Surrounded by the connections she’s made, Ateret Tollinsky is constantly working to improve her Torah learning and middos at Michlelet Mevasaret Yerushalayim (MMY). A graduate of Ma’ayanot, Ateret lives in Teaneck, where she davens with her family at Congregation Rinat Yisrael. Following her year in Israel, she plans to continue her growth at Stern College for Women.

Why were you drawn to MMY and what makes it different from the other midrashot you were considering?

I was interested in the type of environment MMY prides itself on. There’s a strong textual basis to all the learning with an incredibly diverse teacher and student body. I was excited to expose myself to many unique perspectives from different people all around the world.

What’s one thing you hope to accomplish this year?

I want to be able to open a sefer and learn on my own. When I was picking all my seforim, I focused on buying Hebrew books so I could improve my textual skills. It took time and I’m still working on it, but I feel I’ve accomplished a lot.

I’m trying to push myself to take advantage of the opportunity I have now and put my heart into studying a text. It’s important to gain these skills while I still can. Later in life I won’t always have time to sit over a text and work through it.

Can you talk more about some of what you’re doing to achieve your goal?

I’m learning on my own and with chavrutas. Everything from Olam HaMiddos and Alei Shur to the Iggeret HaRamban and Peninei Halakha.

In shiur, I’m working more on general textual skills. Even though each class has us studying completely different sources, the skills we’ve been developing still carry over from subject to subject.

It sounds like you’ve got a lot on your plate. What’s something you’ve learned that you didn’t know before?

In addition to the chavruta I have on the Peninei Halakha, I’m also going through his book on Tefilat Nashim by myself. Most siddurim are written with the more stringent halachic obligation of men in mind, so I never knew which Tefilot women were obligated to recite. If I only have five minutes to daven, there are certain Tefilot I have to say and others I can leave out. I never felt like opening up a Peninei Halakha before and now I find it so cool learning things like that.

What were your expectations going into MMY and how did they differ from reality?

I was nervous I wouldn’t get the support I needed to accomplish my goal. When I got here I was shocked by how inviting everyone was. On my first day, I walked over to a Shana Bet girl studying in the beis and asked her for a recommendation. Right away she suggested a sefer and I got to learning immediately afterwards.

What’s been your favourite shiur?

I love Mrs. Elsant’s class on Vayikra. We learn many different sources and she explains how each should affect your hashkafa. She takes this archaic book of karbanot and allows you to see yourself in it. There’s so much more depth to the sefer, and finding its deeper meaning changed my outlook on life.

Who’s a teacher you really connect well with?

My favorite teacher is Mrs. Berman. We learn Haftorah and she manages to make you feel something while still tying it to the parsha. She plays us songs made from the pasukim of the Haftorah which makes the whole experience incredibly impactful.

Taking a break from the beis, what do you enjoy doing outside of seminary?

I love making connections with people. It’s nice to go to Tachana Rishona and meet up at a restaurant or visit other seminaries and see my friends in their dorms. I’m close with people in school, but it’s also good to get out and connect with people I don’t usually see.

Where is your favorite place to go for Shabbat?

I have a cousin who made aliyah and lives in Tzur Hadassah. I love going there and playing with her kids. She has three little boys who are so cute. It’s like a taste of home.

What do you love the most about living in Israel for the year?

There’s a certain calm tranquility the land of Israel exudes. The air you breathe and the sites you see are all part of that. You look around at the beauty and are overwhelmed with this awe-inspiring feeling of mah rabu maasecha Hashem.

Israel is also unique in that there’s variety of different types of Jews living together. It’s been incredible experiencing different ways of life in places like Teveriah or Tzfat.

What has been one highlight of your year?

I spent an incredible Shabbat in Tel Aviv with this shul called נחלת אבות. They run a program for seminary girls to meet and form bonds. There were about 10 girls from MMY and the rest were from different Beis Yaakov seminaries around the country.

We got the opportunity to talk about what we’ve learned, the places we’ve lived and experiences we’ve had. It was awesome exposing myself to people who were so different from me.

How do you think MMY fits your own outlook and personality?

I love weighing different ideas and being able to argue both sides of a debate. I have da’ati teachers from Alon Shvut and then I have chareidi teachers from Sanhedria Merkava. I’ll have one teacher who’s on one side of an issue and then five minutes later I’m in a different class with a teacher who’s on the complete opposite side. Constantly transitioning and exposing myself to cool ideas fits with who I am.

How do you think this year will prepare you for the rest of your life?

Like I said, I want to be able to learn on my own and utilize the skills I gained here in the future.

Beyond that, I think this year has taught me to be ok with constantly working on myself and my middos. Constant growth is a good thing and I’ll always be working on improving how I treat others and how I treat myself. I’m building a framework I hope to take with me for the rest of my life.

What’s some advice you’d give to incoming Shana Aleph students?

This year is all about figuring out who you are and who you want to be. That may sound overwhelming and scary, but so many people are here to help you. Take advantage of the resources you’re being handed. There are so many incredible teachers to learn from and awesome students who you can be inspired by. It’s great to hang out with friends, but hanging out with friends doesn’t mean exclusively going for ice cream or pizza. You can make a chavruta and feel accomplished learning together.

It’s important to be aware of where you are and the opportunities you’re being given. Don’t take anything for granted.

 David Deutsch of Woodmere, New York, is a Shana Bet student currently studying at Migdal HaTorah in Modi’in.