By Adir Friedman ’24
This article is part of a series on Berman alumni in Israel detailing their experiences. We hope you enjoy the second installment, and more to come.
I once heard from Rabbi Jeff Kuperman that back when he was in yeshiva, the rebbeim once asked students what they were reading in their free time. When Rabbi Kuperman responded with the book “Why Buddhism Is True,” the rebbeim were not happy. I cannot help but picture how that story would have gone at Yeshivat Migdal HaTorah. Had it happened here, the rabbi would have answered, “Oh, I have read that book; it is very interesting. Let me know when you are finished so we can discuss.”
Migdal HaTorah is unique in that it does not shy away from any question. It is a place where you exercise your faith like you would a muscle, breaking it down in order to rebuild it stronger than it ever was before in preparation for when you set out into the larger secular world. Here, we are encouraged or even made to learn secular philosophy in order to use methods of logic, deduction, and reasoning to better learn and understand topics related to Yiddishkeit. Every rabbi is willing and able to help with your pursuits, and will gladly take any question in stride no matter how ludicrous it seems.
Credit: Adir Friedman ’24
But while rebbeim are extremely important, a yeshiva experience is most characterized by its chevreh. We have people from all walks of Orthodox Judaism. Nonetheless, everyone here is highly interested in philosophy, is extraordinarily nerdy, and wants to gain a deep understanding of Judaism through a rational and philosophical lens. The conversations that happen at mealtime and around the beis are unique to say the least, with topics ranging from textual criticism, to race, to politics, to whether or not God can inhabit the physical realm in any way. I did not truly appreciate this until, at one meal, we were having our normal philosophy discussion, when one student piped up, “Can we just talk about something normal for once? This food is mid.” I realized he was right: our conversations here are far from ordinary. That is one of the things that makes this yeshiva so special.
Unfortunately, he was also right about the food. At least twice a week and on Shabbatot in Yeshiva, our dinners are prepared by a mysterious entity known only as “Benny” and are covered in an equally mysterious liquid known as “Benny Sauce.” It does not taste bad, but if too much of it does not upset your stomach, the sauce looks like it should. That being said, students from other yeshivot who stay over for Shabbat apparently rave about how good the food is, so perhaps it is quite good as far as yeshiva food goes.
However, not all hope is lost. You can make your own food! Migdal HaTorah likes to encourage independence in its students both in thought and in general by treating them like adults. For example, we are asked to take care of our apartments (not dorms) by ourselves, be responsible for our own attendance and learning, and procure our own food on Fridays. The yeshiva also does not close the dorms over break, which is a big attraction for some people.
Another big attraction is Migdal HaTorah’s absolutely spectacular international trips. For instance, last year, the entire Yeshiva traveled to Dubai to learn about Islam and had a great time. In previous years, places such as Bahrain and Switzerland have been the destinations. At the time of writing, I have not yet gone on the trip for this year, but on March 9, we will be going to Abu Dhabi, and “excited” does not begin to describe how I feel about this.
One final notable thing about Migdal is its safrut program. You do some reading, then get handed a quill and get told to practice until the head sofer says you are good enough to start writing a megillah. While it does require a good bit of dedication and practice, it is a fun and unique experience that I am glad to have.
All in all, I am glad to have found a yeshiva that is right for me in Migdal HaTorah. But even if Migdal HaTorah does not sound interesting to you, I highly recommend looking into other yeshiva programs. Here, there are no tests and no grades to worry about, creating a low stress environment where everyone is genuinely interested in learning and having a great time. Your gap year is likely the only time you will ever have such an opportunity, so be sure not to waste it.
Email: adircfriedman@gmail.com
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