Machon L’Yahadus, a women’s yeshiva in Crown Heights where young Jewish women learn, live and love Judaism focuses on family connections.
Annually, the school holds a Family Shabbaton to ensure strong, healthy dynamic relationships with the students’ extended family members.
Rabbi Shloma Majeski, principal of Machon L’Yahadus, explains, “The Shabbaton provides understanding and significant insights. Some family members are concerned about how this new lifestyle will affect their relative’s future and her responsibility towards her family and society. Participation in the weekend provides a relaxed, friendly atmosphere in which we can nurture an understanding together. We welcome questions in the general sessions as well as in casual conversations with the host families and the school staff.”
The Shabbaton takes place at the Machon L’Yahadus dormitory on President Street in the heart of Crown Heights. Shuli from Argentina opened the Shabbaton with a welcome to her mother and the family members who had come from around the world.
“I know each one of us has a special story that brought up to Machon L’Yahadus. I originally came last year for a two-week intensive seminary program with an Argentinian group. Although our program was separate and we had our own Spanish classes and activities, we were hosted by Machon L’Yahadus and I fell in love with the place. In September of this year I came back to study for a full year. Now, one year later from when I was introduced to Machon L’Yahadus I can really say this place has become my home away from home.”
Sixty people gathered for the Shabbos meal Friday night. The spacious dining room was beautifully set up by the dorm students and shluchos dorm counselors, who also prepared the delicious meal.
Student Zeesy from Houston spoke at the meal:
“Even though every girl here has her own unique story, there are certain similarities we share and just to bring you in more to the inner world of Machon L’Yahadus and the type of girls here.
I’m from Texas and I had an amazing, suburban childhood. I went to public school, I played volleyball and basketball, I had friends, we went to Friday night football games, and I loved it. I grew up in a very loving and supportive home. My mother being a psychologist taught us about empathy and putting yourself in someone else’s shoes from the time we could talk. My father being an entrepreneur taught us that with hard work we can achieve any dream we set our minds to. It was also a very Jewish home where we used words like “tallis,” we ate bagels and lox, we went to shul on Saturdays, and I had a bat mitzvah.
“When I decided where to go to university, I landed on McGill University in Montreal, Canada. I wanted to live in Montreal and be more central in the Jewish community and more a part of it.
On my campus, I went to almost every Jewish event I could find. Over time I can’t explain it, but I felt most at home at Chabad. There was a certain warmth to the environment that I loved and I wanted more of.
“When I was still in my first year, two third-year students and Rabbi Shmuly and Rashi Weiss asked me and two other freshmen to meet during the week at the Chabad House. They wanted to run more first-year events special just for us. They told us we should ask our friends what they want and whatever it is, Chabad will make it happen. If we’re tired of the food at the cafeteria, they can have a pizza or taco-making event. If we want to meet more students, they’ll do a social event. Whatever we want they’ll make it happen.
“I was taken aback. Here I was 18 years old for the first time away from home for months at a time, coming from Houston to Montreal, and on such a big campus I felt like one in a million, like I hardly mattered. But the shluchim who barely know me were telling me just the opposite. I do matter, I have a voice. They care about my experience.And they saw all this potential in me as a leader among freshmen so much so that they were asking my opinion. I knew I was valued in this space, and from that point on I knew Chabad was my place.
“In my last fall semester, I was in a very comfortable space. I was keeping Shabbos and lived a 10-minute walk from my Chabad House. There was kosher food in Montreal when I was at college and in Houston when I came home. Also, my family is very welcoming and supportive of my journey which certainly makes it much easier. I was also learning with my rabbi and rebbeztin. I felt I was growing and had the infrastructure to support it, but what would happen when I graduated? What would I do then? Luckily for me, I always wanted to take a gap year or two before law school, but I never decided what to do. So over time I landed on seminary in Israel and I had an incredible year at the Mayanot Institute of Jewish Studies. After that year I wasn’t ready to give up full-time Jewish learning and wanted to live in a fully Chabad community and get more experiences of a Chabad life. So I came to study at Machon L’Yahadus.
“Here at Machon L’Yahadus as much as we learn in the classroom we learn outside the classroom. We get experiences meeting people in the community and attend simchas and “Jewish life-cycle” events. We see what it looks like to live a Jewish life not to just read it in a book. Crown Heights welcomes us and Machon L’Yahadus and the teachers empower us to find our own way and our identity in all this.”
After Shabbos, everyone reconvened at the dorm for Havadala, followed by a lavish Melave Malka prepared by the students and shluchos.
Nine-year-old Liron came with his Mum all the way from England to spend time with his sister Amy. Motzei Shabbos he spoke to the students, alumni and family members who had gathered for the Melave Malka. With confidence and typical British tongue-in-cheek humor he shared:
“I come from London and you can tell from my face, that I am Amy’s brother. Thank you for looking after my annoying sister. I can tell that my sister is really enjoying it here and has learnt a lot. Whenever I need a question to be answered, Amy knows who to ask and occasionally she knows it herself. My sister has made a lot of good memories in school. She has met awesome people and she loves the classes.”
Liron even had an opportunity to pose a few of his own questions at he “Stump the Rabbi” with Rabbi Yitzchok Dubov and Rabbi Yisroel Glick that closed the evening. But they weren’t confounded even by his question, “Who created G-d.”
Allison from California spoke on behalf of the students.
“I’ve only been in Machon L’Yahadas for five months but it’s already become my home away from home. I’ve grown and learned so much and made so many amazing and deep connections and friendships that I know will last forever. Each teacher is so unique and special and you can tell how much they truly care about every one of us girls. I feel so lucky to be taught by such honorable, intelligent, and wise rabbis and women teachers. Each one teaches with so much care and passion. It’s such a beautiful community to be a part of. Not only do we get to experience our teachers in school, but they invite us to their homes for Shabbos meals where we get to see what we learn in action.
“Shabbos here is probably my favorite part. It’s so much fun going to different families each week and being able to learn from each one. Dorm life also is such an amazing part. It feels like having the most fun, ongoing sleepover with all my best friends every day! This dorm has truly become my home and these girls my sisters. I want to thank Hashem for putting me here in exactly the right time and for guiding me through it. A huge thank you to Rabbi Majeski and Mrs. Cohen for helping me get here and for all your hard work for us girls. And a thank you to all our staff and our teachers for strengthening our connection with our Judaism and Hashem in such a beautiful way. A big thank you to Mrs Goldstein for all your hard work and care for us. Thank you Mrs. Rodal, our dorm mother, and our amazing dorm counselors, for working so hard to organize the best activities for us and for being there for us for whatever we need. And thank you Sheina, our beautiful chef who spoils us with the most delicious food. Thank you to my parents for helping me get here and for all your love and support. I am beyond grateful for having you all in my life!”
The backdrop to all of these young women’s stories is Machon L’Yahadus, a school that empowers and inspires young Jewish women to learn Torah, live Jewishly, and share generously. Machon L’Yahadus and its devoted staff work tirelessly to educate, support, and inspire young women like Shuli, Zeesy, Allison and Amy.
Machon L’Yahadus invites everyone to partner with them in raising $380,000 at https://raisethon.com/machonly/col2 Machon L’Yahadus is under the auspices of NCFJE
