MAZEL TOV NECHAMA!!!

MAZEL TOV TO NECHAMA COHEN--THE 1st CHICAGO GIRL FROM MBY-5768--ON HER ENGAGEMENT TO GAVI WIEDERMAN FROM MONSEY!!!!! This is sooooo exciting!!!! Nechama and Gavi should be zoche to a BNB, and all brachos, and....you know! IYH by everyone!!!!

Chanukah Sameach to all! Isn't it nice to be home for Menorah? Yehudit, Debbie, and Blima-do u remember we were stuck by the Kotel right before lighting, the second or third night?! We called everyone's fathers and then squished into a tiny gross "monit" and made it back just in time for dreidel! Nothing like a little exitement, but personally, I'm enjoying my family just fine!

MAZEL TOV YEHUDIT!!!

Okay, so now it's Yehudit's turn for a Mazel Tov--Mazel Tov to the first Brit from MBY 5768!!!! This is such exciting news!!! Yudit and Srully should be zoche to a BNB & everything good! Looks like your room is going pretty fast...IYH by everyone! [Debbie, are you happy that someone finally posted?:-) ]

MAZEL TOV CHANALA!!!

Mazel tov Chanala Feldman on your engagement to Y Elchonon Lipschutz!!!! Such exciting news!!! May they be zoche to a BNB and everything only good!!!!!!

MAZEL TOV BRACHIE--and Gitty!!!

Another double BYA mazel tov!!! Mazel tov to Brachie Rosenthal & Eli Berkowitz--Gitty's brother!!! This is so exciting!!! IYH by everyone!!!

MAZEL TOV CHANII!!!!!

Another BYA 5768 Mazel tov--Mazel tov to Chani Kostelitz on her engagement to Elazar Flam!!! This is such exciting news! May she be zoche to a BNB!

Mazal Tov Tzivi!!!

Mazal Tov Tzivi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!my roomie!!!!!may u be zcoche to build a bayis Neeman beyisroel!!so sad i wasnt there last night... but will iyh make up 4 it!!! will speak!!!

Mazal Tov Hudis!

Mazal tov to Yehudis Wolmark on your engagement! You should be zoche to a BNB & all brachos!

MAZEL TOV!

Mazel tov to Esti Shapiro on her engagement!!! She should be zoche to a bnb... !!!

Mazal Tov Esti!

Mazal Tov to Esti Safrin on ur engagement! may u be zoche to build a bnb!!! lovely news!

MAZEL TOV SIMI!!!!!

A hearty mazel tov to Simi Nussbaum on her engagement to Shloimy Goldstein from Boro Park!!! Best wishes to both of them, and iyh by all of us soon!!!

Good YTV

hi!
just wanted to wish u all a lovely ytv! weird not to be in eretz yisroel, but still nice at home!
enjoy!
Yehudit

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TESHUVA

I got this article and decided to share it with y'all. Hope you gain from it like I did, and that it helps you in prep before Yom Kippur...
Gmar Chasima Tova; may we all be nichtav v'nechtam for only good this coming year!!! Looking forward to hearing only good from everyone!!!
Lshana Haba Biyerushalyim Habenuya!!!!!
I'm also adding a public request of michilla from everyone....

EMERGENCY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TESHUVA

Rav Dessler Z'TL writes that in difficult times when one does not know what the day will bring, one should undertake a shortcut to Teshuva which he literally calls 'ezra rishona (first aid)' in difficult times (Michtav D'Eliyahu Volume I, Page 30). Rav Dessler provides the following four emergency recommendations for Teshuva:

1. Learn Torah - in order to chase away the Yetzer Horah.

NOTE: The Chofetz Chaim would add in his Vidui 'Botalnu min HaTorah (We have wasted time from Torah)'. The Vilna Gaon (Mishlei 1:22-23) writes that since the Mitzvah of Talmud Torah is the GREATEST of all Mitzvos, the Yetzer Hora for bitul Torah (wasting words, laitzonus) comes from a great Ruach HaTumah (impure force). Thus, overcoming it and learning properly is the greatest of accomplishments.

2. Learn Mussar - in order to acquire the true view of life.

NOTE: The Mishne Berurah (Orach Chayim 603, seif katan 2) brings the Rosh, the Arizal and the Vilna Gaon, all of whom independently rule that one is obligated to learn Sifrei Mussar every day of the year (no exception is made for technological advancement).

3.Accustom Yourself to Break Your Desire - (according to Rabbeinu Yonah in the name of the Raavad) this is equivalent to many fasts in one day!

NOTE: According to the Baalei Mussar, this replaces Yissurim (physical suffering).

4. Increase Your Acts of Kindness - both to individuals and to K'lal Yisroel. This includes practicing Chesed B'Lev - including davening for others, doing a chesed for the z'chus of others, and having tza'ar for the suffering of others.

NOTE: The Alter of Kelm writes that with every second of your thoughts in helping others you fulfill a separate Mitzva D'Oraysa of V'Ahavta L'reacha Komocha.

There is no doubt that we are living in turbulent times. Let us take these emergency recommendations to heart and with us into the coming year. This will certainly serve as a source of great brocha for us and all of Klal Yisroel!

Question for all the amazing alumni/madrichot

Hi, all! How was everyone's Rosh HaShana/Shabbos Shuva? Wishing you all a great Yom Kippur...
Question for the general "oilam": When 12th-graders ask me about BYA seminary, what do you all think is the best part I should stress the most (besides for the fact that it's the BEST seminary ever!!!)? Cuz my sister's friend asked me last night...
Any advice? I'd appreciate it... (& I'm probably not the only one with this question)
Missing you all like crazy!!!!

Shabbos Shuva

Hi everyone! Hope you all had a great Rosh Hashana (for those of us who stayed in sem for Pesach, it was the first Yom Tov home since 12th grade Shavuos)!!!
Have a gutten Shabbos Shuva, and try to remember all your haftaros classes.....shuva yiroel, ki koshalta b'avonecha....
Gmar chasima tova!!!!

hi..

hi..
just a short note to wish u all a gmar chasima tova, n may all ur tefilos be answered letova!

Hi Every1! Can't beleive w're already at this time of year!!! Remember last yr this time?!? Didnt even know who any of u were!! Anyway... hope u r all doing okay! Have a wonderful yomtov and a Kasiva Vechasima Tovah! Looking forward 2 hearing only GOOD news iyH! All ur tefillos should be answered BEKAROV!! Hope every1 is moichel me 4 ANYTHING!!! Take Care...

Gut Yom Tov!

hi!
i just wanted to wish u all a gut gebentched yur, wherever ur!! i hope that the coming year will be full of much bacha, hatzlocha and simcha in all that u do!!
i hope u all forgive me if i ever owed any of u any money or something like that.. n anyone who thinks they owe me.. it was a gift!
have a sweet new year. dven well n enjoy the honey cake.. this year home made!
good yom tov!

hi.. i got this email from someone.. thought u might all find it useful...

P R A C T I C A L S T E P S T O P R E P A R E F O R R O S H H A S H A N A / Y O M K I P P U R

Rosh Hashana is judgment for the year ahead and Yom Kippur is judgement for the past year. Yes, on Rosh Hashana you’re supposed to focus on crowning Hashem BECAUSE by doing that you’re saying that all you’re gonna do this year is for the sake of G-d! And if you do things rightfully for Hashem then Hashem will take care of you. THAT’S why Rosh Hashana determines our future year.
You may carry out the following mentally, but it would be more constructive if you write it all out. Writing is essential, because writing grants you valuable insight into your own psyche. It is key to self-awareness.

1. Before Rosh Hashana: Hashem judges you just as harshly or softly as you judge other people. List people you know who you’ve judged/judge negatively and think of ways to view them positively.

2. Before Rosh Hashana: It’s good to daven for other people. Write a list for people who you want to specifically have in mind for the following: To have children, Health, Parnosa, marriage, happiness and be able to be makarraived. It’s better if you have their full Hebrew name, but if not, use their English name. Hashem knows who you’re talking about. Don’t worry he’ll sort it out.

3. Go through “Al Chait” in your Yom Kippur Machzter. For every sin, write down (or at least mentally go through) details of how you sinned in that way. Here is a compiled list of sins if you don’t have time to do it yourself (I used an Artscroll machzter):

Sinning willingly; Hardening your heart ie.not being understanding; sinning without realising (well you can’t expand on that one if you still don’t realise! But it could be something that you never realised was a sin, then u stopped doing it); evil speech; immorality; deceit; harsh speech; wronging a neighbour: inappropriate inner thoughts; insincere confession; being disrespectful towards parents and teachers; careless sins; desecrating Hashem’s name; foolish speech; giving into our yeztar hora; denial; false promises; bribery; scorning; with commercial dealings; with food &drink; extortion; haughtiness; idle chatter of our lips; interfering eyes; haughty eyes; brazenness; throwing off your yoke; entrapping a neighbour; resentful eye; obstinacy; gossip mongering; vain oath taking; baseless hatred…

4. List sins that you did against G-d: a) regret b) confess c) strategise how to not do it again.

5. List sins that you did against another person a, b & c apply as do: d) Fix what you did (if you stole, pay back or if you spoke loshon hora about them, go back to the people to tell them you didn’t mean it and it wasn’t true, etc.) e) ask for forgiveness. However for asking for forgiveness for speaking or believing loshon hora: R' Yisrael Salanter, like Breslov, said if the other person doesn't know that you said about them, it'll only make it worse and they will be even more hurt, so it’s better not to. The Mishnah Brurah suggests that you should tell the subject that you sinned against them without being specific. The Chofetz Chaim suggests that, you could learn halachos of shmiras haloshon and spread awareness of shmiras haloshon instead of asking for forgiveness.

If you can’t think of a way in which you did a particular sin – or generally throughout- have in mind that there’s an entire world of lost Jews whose sins you should apologise for. That’s why we say “WE have sinned…”
6. and be in awe next Rosh Hashana…
· Define who you are. Rabbi Tatz says that to define the true essence of who you are: pinpoint your deepest desires. Once you know who you are you can set possible goals for yourself.
· Set goals for how much you want to improve/accomplish. Realistic goals.
· Strategise how you’re going to do that. E.g. Find a book about it, get advice from a Rabbi or a friend or therapy etc.