BAS Voices

Ms. Miriam Bessin Dean of Students I heard the following idea from Rav Johnny Solomon, who notes that we take pride in the mitzvot we perform so we often raise mitzvah objects for others to see. For example: we raise the lulav and etrog when waving them on Sukkot and

Zot Chanukah – This Is Chanukah Mrs. Rina Deutsch Judaic Studies As we all know, there is a debate between Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel over how we are meant to light our Chanukiot. Beit Shammai says we begin with all eight lights aglow and we take one away each

Our Inner Cruse of Oil Rabbi Jared Anstandig Judaic Studies We’ve all learned the story of Chanukah from a young age: The Greeks entered the Beit HaMikdash and contaminated all the oil. After a stunning military victory, the Kohanim returned and found only one small cruse of oil that remained

Mrs. Shyndee Kestenbaum Judaic Studies, Arts and Technology A beautiful component of our Jewish חגים is that they are not just a commemoration of past events, but have a relevant lesson for us in present day. The Sifsei Chaim says that every year, the same miracles, salvation, and blessings that

Mrs. Shira Lipner Director of Judaic Studies at Ulpanat Orot The menorah is the ultimate symbol of Chanukah. It’s pretty, reminds us of the miracle of the oil in the Beit Hamikdash and lights up our homes as the darkness of winter descends. But in an unusual choice of words,

“Dedication to Education” Rabbi Eddie Shostak Menahel of Yeshivat Or Chaim Rabbi Sacks shares a story about his father, an immigrant to Britain, who had to leave school at a young age to help support his family. Walking home with his father from synagogue as a child, Rabbi Sacks would

Mr. Jonathan Parker Assistant Principal and Director of Education In the Middle Ages, and again more recently, the apocryphal heroine Judith was widely associated with Chanukah.  It is from her story of duping and then triumphing over the Syrian-Greek general Holofernes with cheese and wine that we have the popular

Rabbi Seth Grauer Rosh Yeshiva & Head of School On the morning of October 7, Ben Shimoni managed to escape from the Supernova music festival in Re’im, saving the lives of four women. Miraculously, he dodged the bullet barrage, and managed to drive to safety in Beersheva. But the story