Welcome back!! Hope everyone's Pesach was just as amazing as ours. Most people are back or on their way back from Chutz La’aretz but we had the pleasure of staying in Eretz Yisrael for Pesach! We were fortunate to spend the last week and a half with our families doing fun activities such as horseback riding on the beach, bullet factory, Bahai gardens, zoo, and enjoying all that Israel has to offer. We are so lucky we got the opportunity to see how amazing it is to spend another Jewish holiday in Israel but also so excited to be back and ready to make the most of what’s left of this year. Who knows what's in store for next year?!

Today is Yom HaShoah and we began the day with learning in the Beis about questions regarding Pesach that the Jews asked the Rabbi's in the ghetto.  Even in the ghetto, Jews were concerned about keeping the Jewish law and maintaining a strong connection to Judaism.  A bit before 10 we walked up to the main street to hear the siren that sounds for 2 minutes. At precisely 10:00 AM, we stood in silence as the cars, busses, train and pedestrians stopped and stood in silence remembering the six million Jews who perished in the Shoah.

When we returned to Midreshet we had the privilege of hearing from Holocaust survivor Mrs. Rena Quint who shared her story of surviving alone in Bergen-Belzen with us. It was amazing to hear how courageous she was as a child in the Holocaust.  We wrapped up the morning with a visit from the “Gift of Life” and had a bone marrow drive. Many years ago it was difficult to find a bone marrow match for Ashkanazi Jews as so many had perished in the Holocaust –only a 5% chance of a match. Today, baruch Hashem, because of Gift of Life’s efforts, the odds of finding a match have risen to 70-80%. We are so thankful that we were able to be a part of this important mitzvah.

Micayla Rosenbaum and Tali Redlich