Yavneh Academy Middle School parents and students joined together on Thursday evening, January 2, for Parent-Child Mishmar. Students had the opportunity to learn together b’chevruta with their parents about the unique fast day of Asara B’Tevet, as this year it falls out on erev Shabbat. The learning began with sources about what Asara B’Tevet commemorates and how it is different from the other fast days. They then learned the Abudraham, who declares that like Yom Kippur, Asara B’Tevet can even fall out on Shabbat (although the way the calendar was set up it never does!).

Divided by grade, the parents and students then heard a short shiur based on the Chatam Sofer and Rav Lichtenstein, from either Rabbi Ross, Rabbi Schreiber or Dr. Frohlich. The message delivered explained that Asara B’Tevet is different since it signifies the beginning of the end and a time for the Jews to do teshuva before calamity arrived and/or was final. Similarly, in modern times, each year the Beit HaMikdash is not yet built, it is as if it was destroyed; it is up to us, on Asara B’Tevet, to determine what we need to do differently as a Jewish people to merit its rebuilding.

The Parent-Child Mishmar ended with a delicious dinner from Dougies.