B'YY YY CCCC AAAA B'Yachad YY YY CC AA AA Together YYYY AAAA CC HH HH AA AA DDDDD YY AA AA CC HH HH AAAAAAAA DD DD The Electronic YY AA AA CC HHHHHHH AA AA DD DD Alumni YY AAAAAAAA CCCC HHHHHHH AA AA DD DD Newsletter AA AA HH HH DD DD of AA AA HH HH DDDDD Ohr Somayach --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 'Hinei ma tov u'ma na'im sheves achim gam 'Yachad' How good and pleasant it is for brothers to be 'Together' --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Issue #5 Shavuos 5755 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ->SPOTLIGHT on an ALUMNUS Rabbi Gavriel Rubin Gavriel, who grew up in Stillwater, Oklahoma, arrived at Ohr Somayach back in 1982 after graduating from Stanford University with a degree in anthropology. Moving quickly up the ladder of learning he followed his years at Ohr Somayach with some solid years at leading Israeli yeshivos before returning to Ohr Somayach as an instructor in 1989. Married in 1984 to a girl from Haifa, he is today the father of four sons and a daughter. Gavriel has taught virtually every subject in the Introductory Department, from Gemara to Halacha to Hashkafa. His classes in Kuzari have inspired him to initiate a new English translation of that classic. He is also in charge of pairing Beis Medrish talmidim with Introductory students during the 6:30-7:30 tutoring hour. In addition to his duties at Ohr Somayach he has been involved in conducting a Beis Medrish program for an Ohr Somayach- affiliated outreach program for an English-speaking community in Raanana. But Gavriel's impact on other Jews began even before he came to Ohr Somayach. He was recently talking with a talmid here, Yerachmiel, who also attended Stanford, and heard from him how his non-Jewish roommate at college was always on his back for not showing an interest in Judaism like another Jewish fellow he had once met on a collegiate excavation project in Peru. Without knowing who this mysterious Jew was, Yerachmiel harbored an animosity towards him for supplying such a conscience tickler. But Yerachmiel eventually let his conscience guide him to Ohr Somayach where he eventually discovered - in the course of that aforementioned conversation - that the mysterious catalyst was none other than - Gavriel Rubin. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ->Max Katz, the Supporter from Stillwater, OK! Ohr Somayach students come from everywhere in the world; New York, Johannesburg, Sydney... but Stillwater, Oklahoma? Alumnus-turned-staff member Rabbi Gavriel Rubin (who was raised in Stillwater) has this story to tell: "It all began thirteen years ago at the Jerusalem campus of Ohr Somayach. Periodically groups of visitors from various ministries or official organizations come to visit the yeshiva, and students from interesting backgrounds are invited to tell them a little about themselves. Well one day, about thirteen years ago, a group from the UJA come to visit the yeshiva, and I was one of the students asked to come and tell my story. The MC, a New Yorker named Ari Winter, who was always amused that anybody could actually come from someplace like Stillwater, Oklahoma, began to introduce me, "And now you're never going to guess where this next student is from (giggle-giggle).... Stillwater, Oklahoma!" Only, funny thing is, nobody laughed. You see, this was a Southwestern UJA convention, and everybody was from places like Stillwater. In fact, everybody started turning towards this one man in the back of the crowd to see if he showed any signs of recognition, because he was from Stillwater. That was Mr. Max Katz who had been at my bar mitzvah, and we had a nice chat afterwards about old times. That much is ancient history. Now for the sequel: Well, Mr. Katz apparently never forgot his positive impression of Ohr Somayach and what it achieved for a home town boy. Over the years he has sent contributions by mail and has recently established the Max Katz Scholarship Fund to enable other students to develop into the Gavriel Rubins of the future. In his letter to Mr. Katz upon hearing of the establishment of this fund, Rabbi Rubin describes why he was personally moved by the gesture. "You see," he writes, "when I started studying Torah here thirteen years ago, I, too, was unable to pay tuition to the yeshiva. It was only because someone else had made a generous endowment, as you just did, that I was able to pursue my Jewish education here to make up for the limited opportunities I had growing up in Stillwater. Now other young people, perhaps from places like Stillwater, will be able to learn about their heritage." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ->Messages from Alumni Hartley (Chaim) Bressler, DC, MD (`75 -- `77) Hello Rabbi Newman. Congrats on your B'Yachad publication. A job well done! I am an Ohr Somayach alumnus (1975-77) and am wondering if you could track down another alumnus for me. His name is Arthur Snyderman and was from the Chicago area (I think) and was also at Ohr Somayach around the same time.. I suggest putting a "Searching for Lost Alumni" category in B'Yachad. (Would anyone else like to see such a column? Let us know your interest! -- ed.) Melech Benington (`92 ) We live on Park Heights (Baltimore) and I daven at Rabbi Feldman's shul, an excellent mixture of Ner Israel grads. and some hasidim. Sunday I go to Agudah. Rabbi Hopfer is our Rav -- an extraordinary man. There are literally hundreds of kids on our block. My son Yechiel Yakov (our official English spelling) was one year old on 3 Nissan. He is an exceptional bracha. I go to a gemara shiur at Yesodei HaTorah -- a program by Rabbi Zvi Goode [an Ohr Somayach alumnus] -- just about to finish 2nd perek of succah. It is great to learn like this -- 2x a week, 2 hours each. If I had time , I'd do more, but I still commute to Reston -- 1 1/2 hours each way. I listen lots to tapes... --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ->Simchas & Announcements All the chasanim-to-be listed in last issue are now married! Welcome to the following new members of the Ohr Somayach Family: Rabbi Reuven Geffen - Boy Rabbi Zalman Corlin - Girl Rabbi Chaim Salenger - Boy Rabbi Dov Kagan - Boy Rabbi Meir Shuster - 1st grandson Shlomo Nahali - Boy Lyle & Ellen Wexler - Girl Mordechai Kruger - Boy Daniel and Bracha Hurwitz had a baby boy just one hour before Shabbos Vayikra. Rabbi Dovid Weinberger's son - Bar Mitzvah Richard Warshall - Engagement Michael Wiseman (Jerusalem `89-90) was married to Coriinne Sitbon of Paris in March, and they are living in Golders Green. Simcha Goldberg (OS 88-89) was married to Yaffie Englard of Kew Gardens, New York. Mazel Tov to all! Condolences Our sincere condolences to David and Simone Alexander on the passing of their son Yehuda Zev, z"l, and to Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Steinlauf on the passing of their son Sheldon Simcha, z"l. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ->Topic of the Month `SHAVUOS' The day we received the Torah (Pesachim 68b) Selected quotations on this topic: o "Charus al Ha'Luchos" -- "Inscribed on the Tablets" (Shemos 32:17) -- Don't read "charus" --"inscribed", but rather read "cheirus"-- "freedom". A person is truly free only if he is occupied with the study of Torah. (Mishna Avos, ch.6) o A person who studies Torah lishmah -- for its own sake, hastens the Redemption. (Sanhedrin 99b) o When a person invests his efforts in the study of Torah, it is considered as if he is standing on Mount Sinai and receiving the Torah. (Zohar Bamidbar 179) o Just as the apple tree bears fruit before showing its leaves, so Bnei Israel preceded their commitment to perform mitzvos (na'aseh) to their hearing and understanding the Torah (nishmah). (Shabbos 88b) o Time doesn't pass over a person, rather a person travels through time. Every Shavuos we arrive at the same point in time which possesses the sanctity which our forefathers experienced upon receiving the Torah at Sinai. So it is the time of the "giving of the Torah" also for us. (Michtav Me'Eliyahu, vol.2, p.28) We'd appreciate your sharing with us other sources or your own thoughts on this topic. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- How to Contribute to B'YACHAD The only way we can have up-to-date information is if you provide it. Please send us your comments, suggestions, announcements, and ideas via one of the following methods: E-Mail: address your message to: ohr@jer1.co.il set the subject to "B'YACHAD" Fax: 972-2-812-890, Attn.: B'YACHAD Post: Yeshiva Ohr Somayach, ATTN.: B'YACHAD 22 Shimon Hatzadik Street,POB 18103, Jerusalem 91180 ISRAEL -------------------------------------------------------------------- How to Subscribe: To receive "B'Yachad" via E-Mail, send the message: sub os-alum {your full name} to: listproc@jer1.co.il Issues are also posted on Compuserve's Religion Forum Judaism Library and the Jerusalem1 Gopher -------------------------------------------------------------------- Ohr Somayach Representatives Worldwide: Jerusalem, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Miami, Monsey, London, Toronto, Montreal, Johannesburg. For information about contacting your regional representative see the Jerusalem1 Gopher or E-Mail us your request. =========================================================================== SUBSCRIBE! to one of the many weekly "lists" published by Ohr Somayach Institutions: weekly - Summary of the weekly Torah portion dafyomi - Rav Mendel Weinbach's insights into the Daf Yomi ask - The Rabbi answers YOUR questions on Judaism parasha-qa - Challenging questions on the weekly Torah portion os-special - All the SPECIAL publications produced by Ohr Somayach os-alum - "B'Yachad" - the Ohr Somayach Electronic Alumni Newsletter There is NEVER a charge for any of the above lists (though your local information provider, such as AOL, Prodigy or CompuServe, might charge a nominal fee). To subscribe to any of these lists, send the message: subscribe {listname} {your full name} to: listproc@jer1.co.il =========================================================================== Jewish L EEEEEEEE Prepared by Ohr Somayach Institutions J L E 22 Shimon Hatzadik Street, POB 18103 J L Exchange Jerusalem 91180, Israel J J L E Tel: 972-2-810315 Fax: 972-2-812890 JJJJ Learning EEEEEEEE Internet:ohr@jer1.co.il =========================================================================== General Editor: Rabbi Moshe Newman Contributing Editor: Chaim Salenger Production Design: Lev Seltzer =========================================================================== (C) 1995 Ohr Somayach International - All rights reserved.