6 Months Changed My Life

Last week, the Mayanot Women’s Program in Jerusalem held a banquet to mark the end of the academic year, the theme of which was “And the fire upon the altar shall be kept burning and shall not go out (Vayikra).”

In one of the standout points of the evening, Marina Fridman of Milwaukee delivered a speech on behalf of her fellow students, in which she chronicled her Mayanot experience from her first day at Mayanot until the end of the program.

“Six months ago I had very little Jewish knowledge. However the breadth of knowledge that I have acquired from you is immense. I appreciate so much the foundation you that you have helped me build for a lifetime of learning,” she said in her address to the teachers.

In addition to thanking the Mayanot faculty, a special mention was given to Mr. George Rohr, a lead Mayanot investor and founder of the Mayanot Women’s Program.

Keeping with the theme of the night, the [soon-to-be] graduates of the Program were encouraged to maintain, and build on, the inspiration, knowledge and skills they had acquired from the Mayanot experience upon returning to their home towns and communities.

To assist in this process, Rucheli Manville, a Mayanot student and engineering graduate from Fort Lauderdale, Florida unveiled the Mayanot Women’s Program Forum, an online portal that she created which will consist of Mayanot class recordings, virtual chavrusas and an “ask the staff section.”

The point of the forum, Manville explains, is to help students keep the momentum going. “We all know that Chassidim don’t say goodbye, and the technology age has made that easier than ever,” she said.

“The Mayanot Women’s Program forum was created with the goal of helping us not only to keep in touch, but also to continue learning and growing as a family.”

This week, the Mayanot Women’s Program will welcome more than 50 students for its five week summer program, which will be followed by a semester/year-long program beginning in September.

VIDEO: Marina Fridman’s speech