(Courtesy of Lamdeinu) On Sunday, December 6, Lamdeinu held its Sixth Annual Chanukah Breakfast, titled “Boker Shel Or: A Chanukah Morning of Torah.” Men and women of the larger Jewish community joined together on Zoom to celebrate Lamdeinu’s mission, to look back on this whirlwind of a year, and to anticipate Lamdeinu programs and classes ahead.
The Chanukah Morning of Torah began with a warm welcome from Esti Mellul, Lamdeinu’s program director. She spoke about Lamdeinu’s passion and commitment to the Jewish community for the past seven years, and noted how extra special that has been over the course of this past year, when so many things came to a halt—but Lamdeinu never stopped. “On Wednesday, March 11, Shushan Purim, Lamdeinu ran classes as usual. However, on Thursday morning, March 12, the Jewish world was notified that gathering was no longer acceptable. The problem? That notice came at 9 a.m…and we had a class scheduled for 11. By 11 a.m. Lamdeinu was up and running on Zoom. And almost nine months later, we’re still going strong. Lamdeinu has been offering learning, community and warmth for years before the pandemic, and b’ezrat Hashem, with your support, we will continue to be here, providing the same and more, for many years to come.”
The breakfast participants watched and sang along to a moving rendition of Hatikvah performed by the IDF. They were also led in Tehillim 121 by Dean Rachel Friedman, as is customary at Lamdeinu. Dean Friedman then delivered an insightful dvar Torah about the five senses that we use to discern information. She delved into the meaning of the word “ראה” (seeing) and suggested that “lirot” in the Torah does not just mean to see, but to know and understand. She explored Yaakov Avinu’s life, the way he used his different senses, and the way his physical vision evolved into emotional insight and understanding. Dean Friedman connected this case study of Yaakov to learning at Lamdeinu: “Lamdeinu is about seeing. It is about sight and insight, the ability to see what is on the surface. But even more importantly, to develop a deeper understanding of what lies beneath the surface—the depth of Torah and the vision it provides for the community of Am Yisrael, and the larger view and understanding of the humanity of all people and all nations.”
Dean Friedman then introduced the keynote speaker of the morning, Channa Lockshin Bob, who Zoomed in from Modiin, Israel. Channa, who teaches Gemara at Midreshet Amudim and works in the Judaica Collection of the National Library of Israel, has also become a regular on the Lamdeinu roster. Channa spoke about the book and character of Yehudit, and how women are obligated to light Chanukah candles because af hen hayu b’oto hanes—“even they were a part of the same miracle.” She explored the concept and definition of “af.” At first glance, it seems that “af,” or “even,” alludes to that which is secondary. But perhaps “af” is more about the surprise factor. “There’s something surprising about women’s roles in all of these things,” Channa explained, “af hen hayu b’oto hanes proclaims that even women can be heroes and can defeat enemies.” The phrase is not stating that women are secondary in the Chanukah story, but rather is expressing surprise that women play a primary role. “And maybe that’s actually the point,” Channa continued. “If even a woman, who is typically physically weaker than a man, can still bring about a powerful man’s defeat, then so too can the Jewish people, who is physically weaker than the empire it is facing, achieve victory. The whole point of Chanukah is this ‘af hen.’ Even those who we don’t anticipate to be able to save us, can save us. … Little Yehudit can be a powerful hero, and the weak and downtrodden Jewish people can stand up to a giant empire. Yehudit in her ‘even-ness,’ in her surprising-ness, is the perfect model for the victory of Chanukah.”
Channa suggested that this concept of “af” is also the perfect model for Lamdeinu. Oftentimes women’s learning can have an undertone of “af,” or even—even women can learn, just like men—but if we understand “af” to mean something new and exciting, it changes the tone. “When you have a learning institute like Lamdeinu that’s doing so many cool things, then women’s learning is not a secondary thing, but it becomes primary, and is at the forefront of doing exciting things for learning for women and men.”
Lamdeinu concluded the Chanukah Morning of Torah with a video created by program director Esti Mellul. The video featured Lamdeinu students and teachers (and their children and grandchildren!) speaking about what Lamdeinu means to them, and the impact Lamdeinu has on their daily lives. It was a perfect way to end the Boker Shel Or and bring warmth and light into the week ahead.
Lamdeinu continued its Chanukah celebrations with a “Chanukah Week of Learning.” On Tuesday, Rabbi Hayyim Angel discussed “Daniel: The Hidden Story of Chanukah.” On Wednesday morning, women of the community davened and sang together in Lamdeinu’s Rosh Chodesh “Tefillah, Shirah, and Torah” celebration, and listened to Alisa Danon-Kaplan discuss “Akedat Hayeled: Recentering this Week’s Haftarah.” Chanukah celebrations continued Thursday with “Solving a Rambam Riddle: The Insignificance of Hadlakat Nerot Chanukah” taught by Rabbi Gedalyah Berger, and “Assessing Complexity: The Halachic and Historical Legacy of the Chashmonaim,” taught by Rabbi Daniel Fridman.
Lamdeinu’s new semester begins in January, and will feature unique and inspirational classes on Tanach, Gemara, Halachah, and the Jewish holidays. Stay up to date by visiting Lamdeinu.org or emailing [email protected].
Lamdeinu thanks our learning community all over the world for supporting us and learning with us on Chanukah and all year round. Join Lamdeinu again this January to “Study in Depth and Be Inspired”!
