Parashat Pinchas
This week we read the Torah portion of Pinchas. We recall that in last week’s portion, entitled “Balak,” Bilaam was hired by the King of Moav to curse the Jewish people. Bilaam was unsuccessful. Nevertheless, at the conclusion of the portion he comes up with an alternative plan. He advises Balak to tell all the […]
The Aardvark Monthly – June 2023
Shalom Parents, Students, Partners, and Staff, Wow, here we meet again! June is nearly over and we are patiently waiting for our new students to arrive in late August. In the meantime, let’s focus on our students’ most recent adventures during our summer Plus add-on program! These students spent more than a week in Washington, […]
Parshat Balak
This week we read the Torah portion of Balak. At the conclusion of the last Torah portion, Israel sent out messengers to the Amorite nation asking for permission to pass through their land. They swore that they would not put the Amorites out in the slightest by using any of the Amorites’ resources. Not only […]
Parashat Chukat
This week in Israel we read the Torah portion of Chukat. We are taught of the parah adumah, the red heifer. Should an individual or group be impure due to exposure to a corpse, the Torah species a special ritual by which the priest would take a “perfectly red unblemished cow, upon which no yoke […]
Parshat Korach
This week in Israel we read the Torah portion of Korach. In it, Korach arises with 250 of the most exalted leaders of the time to challenge the leadership of Moses and his brother Aaron. Korach argues that all of the assembly of the Jewish nation are equally holy and that it is not fair […]
The Aardvark Monthly – May 2023
Shalom Parents, Students, Partners, and Staff, Wow, the last month of the semester flew by so fast! So much happened in just one month. How about we start telling you about it? ⬇️ Two of our international trips took place in early May, to Poland and Germany! Our Poland trip focused on the Shoa (Holocaust), […]
My semester in Israel – Simon Lagrange
My name is Simon Lagrange, I’m from San Diego, California, and I completed a semester of the Masa Year of Service program as a volunteer at Ichilov Hospital in central Tel Aviv. Before arriving in Israel, I felt a bit lost in my life. After just graduating high school, I truly wasn’t certain about what […]
Parashat Shlach
This week in Israel we read the Torah portion of Shlach. As the Jewish people encamp outside of what will eventually be their new home in the Land of Israel, Moses, as any good Commander-and-Chief would do, decides to send spies on a reconnaissance mission. He deems it important to ascertain what kind of land […]
My Semester in Israel – Gabriella Ben Zvy
It really is so bittersweet being here with everyone for one last time before we all go our separate ways. Now that we’re at the end, I feel like it’s only fitting to start from the beginning. Before Aardvark, I had only ever been here to visit family, my mom dragged my brother and me […]
Our Year in Israel – Leeyam Ohayon and Lily Waldman
When I think of Aardvark, I don’t think of how Faces of Israel shaped our perception and understanding of the country, or how Fun Nights built our communities, or how Tuesday Tiyuls let us experience the entire length of Israel. When I think of Aardvark, I think of people. I think of roommates, madrichim, communities, […]