On Tuesday I woke up after a night of insufficient sleep with little enthusiasm for the upcoming day at the Ohr Somayach Yeshiva in Jerusalem. However during my introduction to the campus I felt a sense of belonging as I was expecting a hectic ultra-Orthodox environment. Instead it was very relaxed and the madrichim and teachers there had very familiar Australian/South African backgrounds to us. We had 3 different shiurim by 3 different teachers and although some of us didn’t agree with all of the ideas they introduced, we learned well and left feeling ready to learn even more the next day. My favorite lesson of that day was how to decide who to grant legal ownership of an object like a garment to, according to Halacha in the Gemara. For half an hour, our group engaged in a lively debate, with plenty of well-natured arguments and deep discussions. That night we watched the Argentina Croatia game, with an interruption from a hectic group of Argentinian fan girls who didn’t allow us to speak through the game.
Since that first day, the sense of belonging and comfort continued in Gush Etzion on day 2. Although there was a slightly more religious atmosphere, we had a learning experience as inspirational as the first day with knowledgeable teachers and the MTA participants from Australia and South Africa. The lesson learnt from that day that stuck with me was the conditions needed in order to say the Shema and the Amida. Afterwards we did a very scenic and historical hike where we visited ruins of an ancient Crusader fortress. We also visited the shuk and had a great meal with a great vibe. Later that night we watched the France-Morocco game with students from Mount Scopus in Melbourne who were slightly more welcoming than the Argentinian fans from the night before.
Our final day of Yeshiva consisted of a short tour around the Old City and some learning at Orayta Yeshiva, seconds away from the Kotel. The location of this Yeshiva, in my opinion, made it unmatched compared to the other two and it was a spectacular experience learning in the holiest place on earth. A lesson I took from that day is in order to live like a Chassid, you need to add certain boundaries in your life. Later that day we chilled a bit on Ben Yehuda street before meeting back with the rest of the group.
In the last 3 days we learned basic Gemara principles and developed an idea of what it is like to learn in a yeshiva environment. Despite a few debatable ideas taught to us and a few ideas from the different yeshivot that conflicted each other, we learned some solid lessons that are the foundation of who we are as Jews. It was something I recommend to anyone who wishes for an understanding of Jewish ethics, culture, history and a guideline of how to live your life according to the Torah.
Jonah Suchard