My Happy Place, Even When I’m Not There

By Miriam Zirdok – Mexico City, Mexico

Machon L’Yahadus is the happiest place on earth and I will explain to you why through my life journey.

I was born and raised in Mexico City. I come from a beautiful, traditional Jewish family of Syrian background. I grew up with love above all. My amazing parents always nurtured us with patience, happiness and tenderness and showed us the importance of being Jewish as a way of life.

I grew up spending a lot of time in my grandparents’ house, with all of my extended family around the table eating my grandmother’s delicious Sephardic food. They are my inspiration and my guidance.

My sister and I went to Hebrew School and Talmud Torah. My family goes to synagogue on all of the Jewish holidays. We make kiddush every Friday night. Any time we travelled, we always visited the historic synagogues to see how Jews live in different parts of the world.

Our Tanya teacher at Machon L’Yahadus, Rabbi Dovid Sholom Pape, commented in class that we have to live Torah, look like Torah, be walking Torahs. My parents did all that in the way they raised us with eternal Jewish values.

Four years ago, I found how extraordinary is Judaism and creating a strong bond with G-d. Together with my sister, I was on an airplane that was in danger of crashing. The pilot informed us that we would have to do an emergency landing. I promised G-d at that moment that if He saved my sister and me, I would keep Shabbat and eat only kosher.

I held on to my card that had the words of the special traveler’s prayer, crying and praying. I remember there was a Jewish woman on the airplane behind me and when I asked her to pray too, she said to me: “Do you think your G-d is going to save you?” And in that moment I realized that yes, He is going to save me! I kept on praying and crying but filled with the certainty that we would land safely. And with G-d’s help we did!

I decided to keep my promise and also to find ways to fill my life with Judaism in every way. It was a slow process, very slow.

While my hobby is dance, my degree is in journalism. I was writing for well-known publications like Seventeen Magazine (Seventeen en Español), National Geographic en Español and National Geographic Traveler Latinoamérica. But I realized that while I was advancing in my career I wasn’t taking off time for Shabbat, or I was missing Jewish events because I was working so hard. I also wanted to be in a work environment that was more conducive to my new religious sensitivities. I didn’t have an explanation for my friends and family, but I knew my neshama (soul) was crying.

One year ago I decided to pause my career. I started to study Torah and I made the decision to give Zumba classes to women only.

For the past nine months I have been studying full-time at Machon L’Yahadus. It has taken me four years to realize that I wanted to devote myself to studying Torah and living a fully Torah observant life.
One of our teachers told me recently that the Holy Land wasn’t conquered in one day. She was urging me to take things slowly, one step at a time. I know that from experience everything takes time. For right now, G-d has directed me to Machon L’Yahadus, a place where you can be the best version of yourself, study Torah, have a sisterhood and experience magic in every single detail.

In all these months, I returned home a couple of times because my aunt is, unfortunately, sick and I needed to help take care of her, may she have a soon and complete Refua Shelema (Rosa Bat Maria Miriam). I also went home to attend some family simchas BH!

But the time that I was away didn’t make me grow apart from the girls of the dorm. On the contrary, our connection continued to flourish.

But then, I got stuck in Mexico because of the Coronavirus. I couldn’t return to my second home in Crown Heights, the Machon L’Yahadus dorm, even though the dorm is open. So from Mexico City, every day I’m taking my seminary classes via Zoom from 8:30 am till 3:00 pm. I talk to my dorm sisters on a daily basis and our hearts remain open to each other. And I attend all the evening programs through Zoom or telephone. I am the luckiest girl on the planet because I’m living with Chassidus! It doesn’t matter in what part of the world I am or might be, my heart is dancing with joy! I’m getting all the knowledge I need and strengthening my close bonds with my friends and teachers. We live in an era that if you really want to learn, you can!! And to study Judaism is truly an honor.

Being a Jewish woman is the most amazing gift that G-d gave us, and as my friend Chavah said, to be Jewish is to have a superpower and sometimes we don’t even see it.

We have the power to change the world, starting with ourselves and our future families. Machon L’Yahadus strengthens your soul and guides you to become the best person while still staying true to yourself.

To be a student here means to receive the right tools to share your light with the world. This environment is warm, loving and caring just as my home was growing up.

This is the perfect place to raise righteous Jewish women who will bring the redemption and Moshiach!
Thank you to Rabbi Shloma Majeski our devoted principal, Mrs. Cohen our beloved teacher and figurehead and Mrs. Shterna Rodal our dearest dorm mother. Also to each and every one of the teachers in school for guiding us in our most important task in life: To change the world in our own, unique Jewish way.
Support Machon L’Yahadus in their #OpenDoorOpenHearts Campaign to offset the deficit from keeping their door open during these unique times. https://www.rayze.it/opendooropenhearts

Machon L’Yahadus is accepting applications for the upcoming school year. If you or someone you know is interested in attending visit womensyeshiva.org or email [email protected]