Mayanot Women’s Anniversary

The Mayanot Shul in Jerusalem was bursting last Monday with students and well wishers as the Mayanot Women’s Program celebrated its first anniversary.

“It’s hard to believe that only one short year ago we opened our doors with 8 students, and today B”H we have over 40 full time students learning with us,” they told COLlive.

The students prepared a beautiful evening, organizing everything from the tablecloths, to decorations to gifts for the families who host them on Shabbat.

The evening was attended by the teachers and Rabbis of Mayanot including Rabbis Kasriel Shemtov, Shloime Gestetner and Meir Levinger – director of the program, some of the Mayanot board members, alumni who reside in Israel, the women who host students on a regular basis for Shabbat and who learn b’chavrusa with students, and of course, all current students.

A video of life behind the scenes at Mayanot was shown, and a powerpoint roll call of all the 138 alumni and the countries (or States) that they come from. They will be shown at the Mayanot booth at the Kinus Hashluchos.

Rabbi Gestetner gave the keynote address and explained that an anniversary is a time to give a ‘shevach v’hodaah’ to the Aibishter that we have the zchus to be the Rebbe’s shluchim.

“The unique quality of Mayanot students is that they are infused with the desire not only to learn, but to teach and inspire others in Jewish communities and universities around the world. There is a sense that Torah is learned in the Beis Midrash but does not stop at the door, it continues to impact the environment,” he said.

He also stressed appreciation to many partners that made the dream of a women’s program in Jerusalem a reality. Included are lead investors: Mr. George Rohr, chairman of the Board Yaakov Cohen, Board Members: Abe Erdynast, Mordechai Haller, Andy Abraham, Michael Lyman and Avrohom Silver. A special thank you was extended to founding chairman, Yoseph Gutnick who founded Mayanot some 12 years ago.