My name is Marna Lew and I received a MASA scholarship from December 2006-September 2007.

First of all, I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to study at Shearim College of Jewish for Women in Har Nof and Midreshet Rachel V’Chaya College of Jewish Studies for Women in Kiryat Moshe. As a result of my learning experience here in Israel, I believe that my knowledge of Judaism has increased greatly and my commitment to our people has grown considerably.

While studying at Shearim and Midreshet Rachel, I have been welcomed into Israel with open arms. I have had new experiences in Israel daily.  I wanted to tell you about some of my experiences to acknowledge your efforts to help students like me. I also wanted to inform you that the institutions that you support are doing their best to help their students by giving them an educational and informative experience life and culture here in Israel.

My favorite activities since coming to Israel included being involved in life cycle events and the chagim while in seminary. This was particularly important for those of us with little or no family in Israel. One particularly memorable holiday excursion included walking to the Kotel on the evening of Shavuot, after having stayed up all night learning at Shearim. Standing there at the Kotel at sunrise with so many others was breathtaking and very meaningful to me as a student from a small Jewish community in the United States. For Tisha B’Av, I attended the annual Yarchei Kallah which was organized by Darche Noam/Shapell’s College and Midreshet Rachel V’Chaya for both their own students as well as for members of the community at large.
What was particularly meaningful to me was the love and commitment to Eretz Yisrael that was demonstrated by the two institutions I attended while living here in Israel. In this same vain, the religious institutions that I attended put an extraordinary emphasis on creating educational programs with Zionism as their focus. While at Shearim, I attended a lecture by the director of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, Mr. David Olesker. I also attended a well-rounded lecture by Rebbetzin Holly Pavlov, the Rosha Midrasha of Shearim, on Yom HaZikaron. This was particularly significant to me because I am friends with the sister of Michael Levin, z”l who was the first American-born soldier to die in the most recent war with Lebanon. While at Midreshet Rachel V’Chaya, I took a class each week based on the works of Rav Avraham HaCohen Kook that was taught by the incomparable Rabbi Benny Eisner, who is also a well known instructor at Yeshivah Mercaz HaRav Kook in Kiryat Moshe.

I wanted to note that at this year’s event about the life of Rav Kook, I helped the MASA staff get to the location of the event and also helped to get the venue ready. I was offered a position to work at another MASA event in Tel Aviv as well, but was unable to get there due to illness.

My year at seminary has been memorable and has given me a greater sense of who I am and what my mission in life entails as a Jewish woman. Please continue to support the institutions which I have attended to the best of your organization’s ability. They are helping to reintegrate so many strong, dynamic Jewish women from chutz l’aretz who are looking for a meaningful, long term relationship with Israel and its people.

 
Kindest Regards,
Marna R. Lew
2006-2007 MASA Participant