This week, on Sunday, we went on Midreshet's Tanach Tiyul. First we visited the very place that our hero, David HaMelech, defeated the mighty Goliath. Not only did we read the story while looking over the valley where this story took place, we also watched an amazing reenactment of the David and Goliath scene, literally living the Tanach and its stories. We then ventured on a mini hike to the Stalactite caves where we saw the amazing different shapes that have formed in these caves over millions of years. Ma rabu ma'asecha Hashem! After a delicious BBQ for lunch, we ended the day in the Eshta'ol forest, the very place where Shimshon had his camp. How amazing it all seems that just a short while ago, during the War of Independence, we fought in this very place!

On Tuesday, in preparation for Shabbat, we all went to our respective Rakezet's homes to not only learn about the special mitzvah and zechut of hafrashat challah when baking Challah, but also to experience it. We had a wonderful time with Rina and Lauren as we anxiously waited for our challot to come out of the oven, and we can't wait to spend this Shabbat with them!

Shana Bet is part of a unique program with the students of Midreshet Darkaynu. Michal Porath Zibman has shared some details with us about the program and Shana Bet's participation this year: "Midreshet Darkaynu is a seminary for young women with light special needs. The two groups of students meet together every Tuesday morning. For the past couple of weeks we have learnt about the significance of having a military cemetery, the value of Hakarat Hatov that we have towards those soldiers who have given their lives so that we can live safely in Israel, and the concept of Chessed shel Emet- Chessed that one does with the deceased without receiving anything in return. This week we began a volunteering project - the first of its kind; Midreshet Moriah and Darkaynu went to Har Herzl, Jerusalem's Military Cemetery, and assisted the gardeners in weeding and cleaning the graves of the fallen heroes of Israel's War of Independence in 1948. While we were working we noticed how these soldiers had come from all over the world to fight for Israel's independence; Egypt, Syria, Germany, Austria, Poland and many more countries were mentioned on these tombstones. It was a meaningful and rewarding experience and we look forward to continuing  volunteering there with Darkaynu throughout the month of November".

Miriam Einhorn and Sarah Fakiro, Shana Alef