MidLind Update
Azkara for Ezra Schwartz
by Jessica Griff
The fourth Thursday of every November is a day centered on giving thanks. Usually, the day consists of watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, eating turkey, and planning the next day’s shopping extravaganza. Somehow, those events are supposed to trigger gratitude and self-reflection. I would argue, however, that we Americans have become so lost in the rituals of the day that we forget the true meaning of Thanksgiving. This year, without a turkey in sight, Midreshet Lindenbaum girls experienced the true essence of the American holiday.
Many of us traveled to Beit Shemesh, joining with 1200 other American gap year students, to take part in a memorial service for Ezra Schwartz z”l. Ezra’s teachers and friends spoke of his funny, good hearted nature and devotion to growing closer to the Jewish people through chessed and the completion of Tanach. A group of Ashreinu boys composed and performed a rap song to channel their feelings and — in a way — speak directly to Ezra, even though he is no longer here. The culmination of the evening’s event was a siyum of all of Tanach in Ezra’s memory. In less than 20 minutes, we had reached Ezra’s goal by each learning a different chapter. While achieving this feat was something to celebrate, we were bittersweet given the unfortunate circumstance.
We felt sadness because Ezra himself was not able to complete what he set out to in his Tanach endeavor. We felt anguish because we realized Ezra will not be alongside us as we graduate college. We felt anger towards the perpetrators of evil in the world, who concoct such heinous crimes against innocent people. But overwhelmingly, we felt grateful for the blessings we have in our own lives, and the opportunity to honor Ezra’s. I cannot think of a more appropriate way to have spent Thanksgiving and have commemorated Ezra Schwartz.
Trip to Shiloh
by Devora Chait
At a time when most of the American girls would usually have been watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Midreshet Lindenbaum loaded onto a bus to journey to Shiloh. Led by Shani Taragin, (and accompanied by two special guests — my grandparents!) we started our tour before we even arrived at the site. Anywhere in Israel is bound to have some interesting history, and the hills we passed on the way were revealed to be the battlegrounds of the Maccabees, which were especially exciting to see right before Chanukah.
After a classic tiyul deli lunch, we set out to find the remains of the Mishkan. Shani has trained us well: we identified an ancient well and burial ground, verifying that the land was once a city. We soon found a winepress in the ground outside the city gates, the ancient Canaanite gates themselves, and the remains of a church, a mosque, and a synagogue. It was clear that Shiloh was a site considered significant by all.
Shani explained the layout of the Mishkan and its vessels with a model set inside the church, symbolizing the triumph of the Jewish people. After a short film conveying the history of Shiloh, we walked to an area bordered by stones. Tanachim in hand, we learned about the measurements for the Mishkan and about its destruction. But how could we be sure the Mishkan actually laid here? Shani came prepared. Using a rope roughly the length specified in the Tanach for the width of the Mishkan, we measured the ruins — and it matched! We were standing at the site of the Mishkan.
Although we couldn’t witness the Mishkan standing, we then went to modern Shiloh and visited a shul designed to mimic the structure of the Mishkan itself. It was incredible to see both ancient and modern Shiloh!
Thank you Shani, for guiding us, as always!
Patriots’ Moment of Silence
by Ruthie Hoffman
Welcome back to Sports Center Israeli style! On Monday, November 23, The Patriots beat the Buffalo Bills 20–13. But, this wasn’t nearly the most applaudable achievement of the evening.
This week, I’d like to dedicate my column to Ezra Schwartz z”l. Ezra was a huge New England Patriots fan. That Monday, the Patriots held a moment of silence to honor Ezra. The entire stadium looked up to the picture of Ezra on the big screen, wordless.
A commendable amount of effort went into this. On Saturday night, two days after Ezra’s murder, emails were sent to the New England Patriots expressing Ezra’s love for the team and how much it would mean to the family to honor Ezra at the upcoming game. Through much consulting between media, team personnel, and determined young Jews, this effort to honor Ezra was attained. Click here to watch the beautiful tribute.
