Sparks of Light: Chanukah Ner #1
by Rav Yair Halevi On Chanukah we are encouraged to ideally light the candles at the entrance of our homes. Why is this detail so important? The first mention in the Torah of the entrance to a home is with Avraham. The Sefat Emet explains that the inside of one’s
Sparks of Light 2017: Introduction
Dear Friends, Last week, following what was undoubtedly one of the most successful and uplifting Shabbatons I have ever been part of at Or Chaim, the school administrative team decided to cancel yeshiva on Sunday. Our students were exhausted and there were many tests in the week ahead. Therefore we
Reflections on Israel’s ‘Theater Time of the Year’
by Rabbi Gal Ben-Meir I have always sensed the vibe of theater during the time of Chanukah in Israel. It’s an amazing thing and no one ever planned for this to happen, but it seems like the busiest time of year for the Israeli theater is the time of Chanukah.
The Impact of a Celebrity Selfie
by Rabbi Dr Seth Grauer Two weeks ago, I was sitting with my children in Shaarei Shomayim on Motzei Shabbat listening to Shlomo and Eitan Katz and I received a text on my phone from one of our teachers at Or Chaim and Ulpana, Yosef Kurtz, that reads: Walking through
Hot Showers, Signal Detection Theory, and the Advantage of Chavruta Learning
by Rabbi Hartley Perlmutter You are in the shower. It’s been a long day, and nothing could be more relaxing than standing exactly where you are. Two minutes into you shower the phone rings. Do you hear it? Before we answer the question, let’s define some terms. Signal Detection Theory
Does Technology Make Us Better?
by Mr. Jonathan Parker I was flipping through the new issue of The Atlantic today when I came across this nugget from Ray Kurzweil: “The means of creativity have now been democratized. For example, anyone with an inexpensive high-definition video camera and a personal computer can create a high-quality, full-length
Can a Motivated Group of Students Really Make a Difference?
by Rabbi Seth Grauer The Rambam in Hilchot Avodah Zara (1:3) writes: Once Avraham was weaned, he, as a child, began contemplating and thinking day and night, and wondered how a sphere could follow a fixed path without being directed. If so, who directed it? Surely it would be impossible
Empowering to Question: An Idea in Pedagogy
by Rabbi Yosef Kurtz When thinking about principles of Jewish education, one need not look further than the Torah for guiding instructions. On Passover we recite a number of times “When your child asks you….you should tell them….”. From these words of the Torah, many sages and contemporary authors point
My First Impression of Or Chaim
By Coby Cohen When I walked into Or Chaim on the first day, I was a little nervous and overwhelmed. It was finally hitting me that I’m actually starting high school. It was a little weird to be in a different school, after I’ve been at Netivot for my entire
My First Impressions of Or Chaim
by Jonah Diamond When I first walked through the doors of Yeshivat Or Chaim this year, I was nervous, excited, overwhelmed and happy all at once. It was a feeling only experienced by those who have changed something big in their lives. For the past ten years of my life, I
