Monday night, the 113th birthday of the Rebbe, saw a beautiful Farbrengen take place in Ohel Chana Seminary in Melbourne, Australia.
The seminary remains open for the entire month of Nissan. Joining the students who remained in Melbourne for Pesach were many other girls who are back home for Pesach from other seminaries as well as many post-seminary girls looking for pre-Pesach inspiration.
The atmosphere was beautiful and all were inspired by special guest speaker Rabbi Aryeh Citron, Rosh Yeshiva L’Smicha in Miami, Florida, and the seminary’s dean Rabbi Levy Tenenbaum who came to Fabreng.
Many stories of the Rebbe were shared, focusing on how one must keep the seminary inspiration going even when out of the regular seminary seder atmosphere, during Bein Hazemanim. Many interesting and practical ideas were shared by the older post seminary student on how those currently in seminary can make the most of every opportunity they have.
Rabbi Citron spoke about the Rebbe’s new Kapital and how we can apply some of its messages in our lives as Chassidim and Bnos Chabad. He also related a story he had heard recently from his father of a Yechidus the Rebbe had with a non Lubavitch bochur in the early years and to whom the Rebbe was so sensitive to his issue. Rabbi Citron also shared how one must be so careful when asked by another person for a favour as that might be the Shlichus of your lifetime and how sensitive we must be to every Yid.
Rabbi Tenenbaum emphasised that Yud Aleph Nissan is Mazolo Goiver for all Chassisidim and how the Rebbe always appreciates a Hosafa B’limud Hatorah as a birthday Matana and that should be a main emphasis of ours on such an auspicious day.
The Farbrengen went on for a good few hours and all walked away charged and inspired to make the most of Yom Habhair Yud Aleph Nissan and for the rest of the year, whether that will be in Ohel Chana, in Melbourne or any other location around the world
The farbrengen was part of an Ohel Chana initiative known as the Shana Bais+ Program, facilitating shiurim and farbrengens for girls who have already returned from seminaries overseas and are currently living in Melbourne.
Bais Channa tzfas is also open to it’s students all nissan.
What a comforting feeling I had when my daugher was there, never having to worry that she had to make her own plans for Shabbosim.
this is long overdue for all seminaries. Girls pay tuition for a full year, and then they’re forced out of seminary for a month and have to pay an additional ticket to fly home. There’s no reason why all seminaries shouldn’t do this. Forward thinking, Ohel Chana!
Now maybe this will start a new trend. BT yeshivos and seminaries should also stay open so the bochurim/girls will be able to experience a seder. Many of them don’t have where to go for pesach so they end up helping shluchim or working in hotels and then when they get married, have never seen what a seder looks like that isn’t a chabad house seder or made crouching in the back of a hotel kitchen.
From you know who- gedalyah! Wait- where’s zecharyah?! 🙂
Jk…..so good to see you nech!