Happenings at the Yeshiva

The week started with our annual YCT Dinner, and it was a huge success!  We had close to 400 attendees and raised over $500,000.  The event itself was elegant and ran flawlessly.  We also were treated to a fabulous video produced by Yitz Brilliant, that truly capture the essence and the energy of YCT.   Thank you to Naomi Smook, and the entire office staff for making this dinner such a huge success.  And a thank you to Rav Steven Exler (YCT 09) for stepping up at the last minute, when our emcee got sick.  Thank you Rav Steven for the wonderful job, done with such poise and grace!

At the yeshiva, we continued learning halakhot of siddur kidushin.  This week we focused on the ownership of the ring, the giving of the ring, and the language of the declaration when the ring is given.   We also had a special class where we looked at the nature of the institution of kiddushin itself, and saw its evolution from a more ownership-kinyan model to a more partnership­-kiddushin model.  An audio recording of a lecture I gave on this topic can be found on our website, or by clicking here.

In our Lifecycles class, third- and fourth-year students heard two classes on infertility and adoption, one halakhic, given by Rabbi Yaakov Love, and the other medical and pastoral, presented by Dr. Sara Barris.  We will continue until our Pesach break to explore topics related to marriage and fertility in the afternoons as we work through the halakhic issues of kiddushin, ketuvah, and nissuim in the morning sedarim.

In our Educators Program, the five students who have been interning at local Jewish High Schools - SAR and Heschel - began this week a three-week intensive internship.  They will be full-time at these schools until the Pesach break, taking on a serious teaching role in the classroom and immersing themselves in the school and the teaching experience.   This will serve as the perfect capstone to what has been a powerful and intense first year of this program.

Finally, a Mazal Tov to Marina and Aaron (YCT 2012) Braun on the baby naming of their new baby girl.  Leora Avigail was named on Sunday morning at a lovely ceremony and breakfast, and it was wonderful to have so many of Aaron's fellow students there.   She'tizku li'gadlah li'Torah li'chuppah u'li'ma'asim tovim!