Rain and Chanukah

Ma’ale Gilboa has shown us extreme heat, cold nights, windy days, and cloudy skies, but it has never shown us rain. In fact, it has barely rained at all in Israel this year.  Therefore, on Monday, we said special prayers to ask for rain. Also, because this week is right before Chanuka, we concentrated our studies on learning about the laws and customs of Chanuka.


Here is what we did last week…


Since no one else has done so before me thought I would just fill you in on what a week looks like here in Ma’ale Gilboa.


Sunday: Remember, Sunday is a regular work day in Israel. Nevertheless, there were not so many people at the Beit Midrash for Shacharit. Perhaps it was because people stayed up late on Saturday night eating pizza, watching movies on their computer, or talking with friends—usual Saturday night activities. Everything else was normal except that during Rabbi Yehua’s shiur he mentioned that tomorrow we would be saying a special prayer for rain. Some people planned on fasting as well.


Monday: We continued learning about the laws of Chanuka in our Gemara classes. During the break, I participated an art class. It usually takes place on Fridays, but because we missed it last Friday, we had it today. In the class, we practiced sketching the tree outside the Beit Midrash. At 3:30, we said the special prayer for rain with the members of the kibbutz. At night, we had a class with Debora, the art history teacher. She showed us a slide show of examples of Chanukiot throughout history. She started with the Menorah taken away from the Second Temple to a Chanukia shaped as the security wall.


Tuesday: We had a group Gemara class today about Chanuka with everyone studying at Ma’ale Gilboa. (Usually we just study with the students in our group.) At about 4 p.m. we left MG for our weekly volunteer activity at Beit Alfa. Beit Alfa is an absorption center for Ethiopian immigrants. I help 18 to 22 year olds study for the exams needed to earn a high school diploma. Other volunteering options include: helping high school students with their tests, playing with kids, and helping with the agriculture on the kibbutz.


Wednesday: Like Tuesday, today we also had a group Gemara class about Chanuka. After that, we had the weekly Wednesday room cleaning to do.  At 4 p.m. we davened Mincha and Maariv with the kibbutz. We lit the Chanuka candles. For the Chanuka celebration, we joined our Gemara groups and ate with our Rammim (Rabbi / teacher). I went to Rav Meir’s house. The celebration was fun. While on the bus, we listened to the radio, we laughed when we heard that the Palestinians claimed that the Kotel is not a Jewish place. At Rav Meir’s house, we told stories about miracles that happened to us, and after that we ate some good Israeli Chanuka jelly-filled donuts


Thursday: Because of Chanuka, we all left the Yeshiva after Shacharit, breakfast, and a shiur with Rav Bigman.
So, there you have it—a week at MG. Hopefully next week would be just as good.

Daniel Felber