(Courtesy of Lamdeinu) On Sunday morning, Dec. 8, over 100 guests entered a beautifully decorated social hall, festive in shades of blue and white, to attend Lamdeinu’s 10th Anniversary Chanukah Breakfast. The event marked a wonderful morning filled with Torah and Tehillim, inspiration, appreciation and warmth. The room brimmed with Lamdeinu students, teachers and devotees, as well as family and friends of the honoree, Judy Schiff. Attendees enjoyed a delicious buffet breakfast as part of the celebration. The event was guided by Lamdeinu’s Program Director and Social Media Coordinator Malki Warshawsky.
Dean Rachel Friedman opened the program and eloquently spoke about Lamdeinu’s mission to “Study in-depth and be inspired.” Dean Friedman reminisced about the milestones for Am Yisrael that have coincided with Lamdeinu’s decade-long history and described Lamdeinu as a refuge and zone of comfort for its learners. She described the enthusiasm and creativity of her Parshanut haMikra shiur — of which honoree Judy Schiff is a long-standing member.
In her dvar Torah, Dean Friedman noted that the parshanut shiur is currently analyzing the experiences and growth of Yaakov in Sefer Bereishit. She focused on Yaakov’s aspirations to reach the spiritual heights of his fathers and explored a beautiful discussion in the medieval commentary, entitled Tzeror Hamor, on this topic. She suggested that the challenges of the author of Tzeror Hamor in the turbulence of the expulsions of Jews from Spain and Portugal in the 15th century may have molded his interpretive approach and deepened his Torah insights.
Dean Friedman then spoke of the beauty and excitement of “making Torah our own” at Lamdeinu through engagement, discussion and enlightened study. She emphasized that Judy Schiff has been part of Lamdeinu from its inception in 2014 and is a model of Torah and chesed in every way. She then introduced Mrs. Judy Schiff, a long-time Lamdeinu participant and cherished member of its learning community, to accept the Lamdeinu Torat Chesed Award for 5785.
In her acceptance speech, Judy Schiff shared heartfelt words about her journey with Lamdeinu and shared that she has been a student at Lamdeinu from its beginning 10 years ago. She recounted her participation in a variety of Lamdeinu classes, each focusing on different areas of Torah study, and expressed how these classes have profoundly enriched her understanding and appreciation of Torah. Mrs. Schiff spoke about her love and knowledge of other languages, including Hebrew and French, and reminisced about the privilege of learning Chumash daily with the esteemed Mrs. Nechama Leibowitz, z”l.
Judy also highlighted her ongoing study of Parshat Vayeitzei with Lamdeinu’s Parshanut HaMikra class, sharing insights into the many facets of Yaakov’s dreams. She expressed gratitude for Lamdeinu’s commitment to offering women opportunities to advance and deepen their Torah learning. Here is an excerpt from her moving and inspiring remarks:
“Our Rachel (Dean Friedman) also had a dream — to establish a center of in-depth study. Could she have dreamed of a Beit Midrash full of serious-minded adults from all over the area — extending even to Florida and Israel — studying Chumash, Talmud, Nevi’im, halacha … for the pure joy of it, truly Torah lishmah? Could she have dreamed of the convenience of smartphones or the magic of Zoom?”
Lamdeinu’s morning of Torah, Tehillim and delectable mata’amim concluded with delicious desserts and Birkat Hamazon. The warmth of Lamdeinu’s community and its unwavering dedication to Torah study left all attendees moved and inspired.
Lamdeinu’s daily classes currently meet on Zoom. The winter semester will begin this month and the schedule is now available. For more information about Lamdeinu’s mission or to register or support its learning programs, contact Program Director Malki Warshawsky at [email protected]. To sign up for classes, go to lamdeinu.org.
Come and join Lamdeinu, and you too will study in-depth and be inspired!
