Ma’ayanot students’ connections to Torah and kedusha, to their teachers and to each other, soared at Ma’ayanot’s annual Mishmover, a combined mishmar-sleepover opportunity for all-night Torah learning. Nearly 300 Ma’ayanot students began learning after school on Thursday, February 13, with a keynote speech by Miriam Feman about her escape from Iran as a teenager, followed by a siyum Mishnayot on Seder Zera’im, which Ma’ayanot students and faculty learned in memory of Zechariah Haber, Hy”d, husband of Talia Friedman Haber (‘10), who fell in Gaza one year ago. Talia’s family attended in person, and Talia herself addressed the students over Zoom, recalling her husband’s exceptional middot and extolling the opportunity to forge lifetime friendships at Ma’ayanot. Teacher shiurim and panels, senior chaburot, guest shiurim by GPATS fellows Noa Berkowitz (‘19) and Tzivia Major (‘20), late night Lev Hashavua, lots of food, a chance to daven vatikin at the Hudson River and a schoolwide kumsitz rounded out the program. Mishmover was meticulously planned by Director of Torah Programming Miriam Schwartz, based on the theme of “defying gravity,” Klal Yisrael’s quality of rising above nature through Torah, mitzvot and kedusha.
When asked what inspired them the most, students noted many aspects of the varied program. “Mrs. Feman’s speech about her life; we could really see the yad Hashem involved, and the siyum in memory of Zechariah Haber,” said junior Tamar Fogelman. “The way Ma’ayanot is still connected to Talia, even though she graduated many years ago,” added freshmen Aliza Gaisin and Gila Klar. “Creating new bonds and strengthening teacher-student relationships; asking our teachers questions about tefillah, so we can grow,” said junior Tehila Strobel. Freshmen Molly Shmuel and Talia Benedict, and sophomores Tahlia Avery, Esti Schreiber and Kaylee Vogel also appreciated the insights each teacher shared on the panels, whether they were about tefillah or friendship. Junior Maayan Erlich summed up Ma’ayanot’s Mishmover magic as “learning Torah lishmah with my friends.” Building relationships around meaningful Torah learning is the essence of Ma’ayanot.
