Expectations and Reality: Should They Match?

My summer session fell during the summer parshiot and I explained that Moshe’s mission fell apart both on a communal and personal level because of misplaced expectations. From a community perspective, the episode of the meraglim (spies), doomed his progeny to die while travelling in the desert, only to be followed by a disastrous rebellion. This was followed immediately […]

Sparks of Light 5780: Eighth Night

Change It Up! Gila Green and Aliya Moyal Grade 12 students, Ulpanat Orot For every other holiday in the Jewish calendar, the rituals that we practice repeat themselves every day. For example, on Sukkot, we shake the same lulav and etrog every day. On Rosh Hashanah, we blow the same shofar both days of Rosh […]

Sparks of Light 5780: Seventh Night

Chinuch: The Key to Jewish Survival Yoni Herman Grade 11 student, Yeshivat Or Chaim Amidst the fun and joy of Chanukah, we often focus on the theme of Jewish survival. We know that theme regarding many of our holidays: They tried to kill us, we survived (Hashem saved us), let’s eat. But during Chanukah, it’s […]

Sparks of Light 5780: Sixth Night

Fill the Pit with Meaning Yonina Grauer and Eli Yissar Grade 11 students, Ulpanat Orot Chanukah is the holiday where the Jewish people come together to remember the miracle of the oil that lasted eight days. We are taught from a young age that this small miracle was the reason that the Jewish people were […]

Sparks of Light 5780: Fifth Night

Every Day, One Step at a Time David Haber Grade 12 student, Yeshivat Or Chaim On Chanukah, we read from the Torah all eight days. The eight readings come from the second half of Parshat Naso and the beginning of Parshat Beha’alotcha. Though we read new pesukim each day, one might notice that the readings […]

Sparks of Light 5780: Fourth Night

Thank You, Hashem! Nava Edery, Ayelet Klein and Daniela Black Grade 9 students, Ulpanat Orot   Chanukah is a special time for us to say thank you for all the little and big miracles in our lives. Today we are going to tell a story that will show this idea: A man was anxiously sitting […]

Sparks of Light 5780: Third Night

Pure Olive Oil: A Lesson in Love Eliav Saban Grade 12 student, Yeshivat Or Chaim The Gemara in Shabbat 21b states: תנו רבנן מצות חנוכה נר איש וביתו והמהדרין נר לכל אחד ואחד והמהדרין מן המהדרין בית שמאי אומרים יום ראשון מדליק שמנה מכאן ואילך פוחת והולך ובית הלל אומרים יום ראשון מדליק אחת מכאן […]

Grade 10 Israel Trip / Kulanu Mishpacha 5780

Scroll down to see the photo gallery and previous posts!  Kulanu Mishpacha 5780 – Update 4 by Annie Rosenblum | 1/12/2020 I had the zechut of being one of the four lucky girls who got to go on the grade 10 Israel program this year. I can really say that deciding to go on this […]

Sparks of Light 5780: Second Night

Finding the Path Julia Kholodenko and Rena Torczyner Grade 11 students, Ulpanat Orot Hashgacha Pratit is a term used to refer to divine providence in Judaism – in other words, when something happens that’s such a coincidence we have no choice but to attribute it to G-d’s plan. The following is a remarkable example of […]

Sparks of Light 5780: First Night

Pure Olive Oil: A Lesson in Love Shalom Feuer Grade 10 student, Yeshivat Or Chaim We are well aware of the story of the “miracle of lights” in which the Jews find one jug of pure olive oil that lasts for eight days. There is a common misconception, however, that pure oil is required to […]