Batya Feman is studying at Michlelet Mevaseret Yerushalayim (MMY) in Baka, Jerusalem. She grew up in Teaneck, attended RYNJ for elementary school and Bruriah for high school. Her family davens at Beth Abraham. In the summers she’s attended Camp Dina and Camp HASC.
Her next stop? Shana bet, then Touro College.
Why did you choose to study at MMY?
I chose to learn at MMY because of its amazing program, faculty and sincere love of avodat Hashem and Torat Eretz Yisrael. It is known for its warm environment, unbelievable girls and great classes and I am happy to say it was all true.
What kind of goals do you have for the year?
Coming into this year, I really wanted to take advantage of the “bubble” environment. I wanted to use my time here to challenge myself with more textual learning, and strengthen my skills so that when I leave I would have the tools to learn on my own. I also wanted to leave with a deeper and more meaningful understanding of God and His world.
What have been some of the highlights of your year so far?
My year has been full of incredible and inspiring moments that will stay with me for a long time. One of the most exciting and impactful moments for me was on Yom Ha’atzmaut. We began Wednesday night at Yeshivat Mercaz Harav, where we joined their special tefilot for Yom Ha’atzmaut. While at first it was a little different than what I was used to, it ended up being such an inspiring experience. The next morning we all packed onto a bus and drove to Gan Sacher, where families from around Jerusalem come together, making barbecues and celebrating the fact that we have had a home for 71 years. Once we found space amongst the crowd, we started playing games, dancing, and had an amazing barbecue (with steak!!!). At one point, a man came over from a nearby barbecue and said it was his mother’s birthday and asked if we could sing Happy Birthday to her. We didn’t know either of them, but we went and sang and danced with her to celebrate her birthday. This is one of many examples of the unity we felt that day. We may have been complete strangers yet we acted like it was our family, and that was a message I was really able to take from that day.
What kind of challenges have you faced coming to Israel?
One of the biggest difficulties for me this past year has been being away from my family for almost 10 months. Growing up, I have always been very close with my family and it was definitely an adjustment not to see them every day. Although this was very hard, I’m also very lucky because one of my sisters lives here with her family and it has been amazing building my relationship with all of them.
Another adjustment for me was the language barrier, because, coming in, I didn’t know Hebrew very well. I’m happy to say that I’ve definitely learned a lot and can proudly (almost) carry a conversation in Hebrew.
How has your year been different from your expectations?
Coming into this year, I honestly had no idea what to really expect. When I spoke with people who have gone to MMY in past years, they would say that while the year is amazing, the adjustment to life in Israel and the learning style would be hard. Although I was nervous, I tried going into this year with an open mind and my adjustment was very quick and smooth, and I really felt very comfortable very quickly. So far, this year has definitely exceeded my expectations of what I originally thought it would be like, and I am so happy with how things have worked out.
Where is your favorite place to go for weekends/Shabbat so far?
I have had the opportunity to go to many very interesting places over this year. One place that stands out in my mind was the Chevron Shabbaton. It was really incredible to spend a Shabbat in the place where the Avot lived and to see the roads that they walked on. Being able to daven in Me’arat HaMachpela and to sing Kabbalat Shabbat was such an inspiring experience. Singing Lecha Dodi, we could feel the ground shaking underneath us from all the dancing, and it impacted me so much more than I expected. During the day, we took a tour of the city and were able to observe how the Jewish people live there even while living in such hard conditions.
What are you most looking forward to for the rest of the year?
This year has really been incredible, and I’m very excited to continue to take advantage of every moment I have her and continue to build relationships with friends and teachers.
By JLNJ Staff
