B'YY YY CCCC AAAA B'Yachad YY YY CC AA AA Together YYYY AAAA CC HH HH AA AA DDDDD YY AA AA CC HH HH AAAAAAAA DD DD The Electronic YY AA AA CC HHHHHHH AA AA DD DD Alumni YY AAAAAAAA CCCC HHHHHHH AA AA DD DD Newsletter AA AA HH HH DD DD of AA AA HH HH DDDDD Ohr Somayach --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 'Hinei ma tov u'ma na'im sheves achim gam 'Yachad' How good and pleasant it is for brothers to be 'Together' --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Issue #11 Adar 5757 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ->SPOTLIGHT on an ALUMNUS Paul Laster Ohr Somayach alumni come from all over the world, and their influence can rarely be measured. Paul Laster for example, whose family has been in Richmond, Virginia since 1890, and in Israel since 1967, has made an indelible mark in the history of Ohr Somayach as well as the Nation of Israel itself. After graduating from the University of Virginia and the University of Richmond Law School, Paul opted for a year of community service and soul-searching before beginning legal practice. He joined a program in Israel, teaching English to children of immigrant North Africans, and at the end of the year decided he couldn't leave. After making aliyah in 1969 Paul was recruited by the Jewish Agency Youth Department to be a madrich for the same program, a liaison and guide for the incoming teachers. A year later, after two months of Basic Training in the Israeli Army, Paul became the Education Coordinator for the Institute for Israeli Shlichim. His job was to prepare Israeli emissaries to go abroad to youth groups in English-speaking countries, to spread Israeli pride and Zionist idealism. In 1972, Paul himself went to Boston for two years on full scholarship to earn a Masters degree in Contemporary Jewish Education from Brandeis University. Upon Paul's return to Israel, his increasingly recognized talents were snatched up by the Israeli military - the Midrasha Hatzvait L'Hinuch, or Senior Seminar Center for Non-Military Ideological Education. After the traumatic failures of the Yom Kippur War of 1973, the Army created an inspirational corps of trainers to offset the loss of the officers' esprit-de-corps, with Paul at the helm. Realizing that the officers had a basic lack of appreciation of the reasons for a Jewish state, Captain Laster set about re-instilling them with pride in their heritage. Interested by a newspaper article about Ohr Somayach, he met with Rabbi Schiller and Rabbi Weinbach, and a "shidduch" was made. During the following three and a half years, thousands of Israeli officers came to Ohr Somayach for meetings, classes and Shabbatonim, where the "electric" mix of officers, students and staff charged and invigorated all of them with renewed Jewish pride. The program was marvelously successful in boosting morale, and in leading many of the soldiers to become observant. So successful was it, that the Army eventually canceled the program, fired Paul, and would not even let him back on the base during his severance period! Paul took the opportunity to learn at Ohr Somayach. Most of his time, however, was spent organizing an outreach program, putting his copious talents into teaching and inspiring Jews. The program brought in over two thousand people per year and introduced them to Jewish tradition, thought, and philosophy, as well as to the observant Jewish community. Today, Paul learns full time at Chafetz Chaim Yeshiva, and works closely with the students in their preparation and review. His Shabbos table is still one of the first stops for new boys at Ohr Somayach, where his wife's delicious challah and Paul's innate ability for kiruv continue to inspire and enliven returning Jewish neshamos. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ->Bounce Us with your Best `Pshat'! Got something to say? Just bounce this message back to us with your comments, announcements, divrei Torah, or whatever! Thousands of Ohr Somayach Alumni are waiting to hear from you! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ->A New Service! Ohr Somayach Alumni Directory On Line http://www.ohr.org.il/web/alumni If you have an email address send us your information to sign up for this service. Send your name & spouse's name, address, phone, fax, email & URL, years at OS and any additional comments to: levs@virtual.co.il --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ->Messages from Alumni Ken Friedman writes: Shalom Aleichem! I would very much like your help in locating two former students: Aaron Tendler, whose father was a well-known Rabbi in NJ, and Moshe Kirshner, who taught me `trope' in 1983. I will be reading a parsha in two weeks and would like to thank him again for his tape which I've been using for the Akeidah. Apparently, he was bal korei for the yeshiva back in 1983. With best wishes. Ken Frieden Professor of Judaic Studies, Syracuse University Stanley Nachamie (JLE, '88) writes: I just want people to be notified that they should write me at my new address --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chopped Liver(r) created by Rabbi Mordechai Becher An Ohr Somayach Feature Now available on the Web at http://www.ohr.org.il/judaism/cartoons/cartoons.htm --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ->Simchas & Announcements Mr. and Mrs. Zalman Robbins on the birth of their son. Mr. and Mrs. Chaim Green on the birth of their daughter. Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Mintz on the birth of their son. Mr. and Mrs. Michael Fuerst on the birth of their daughter. Aharon & Shaina Subar on their birth of their son. Alan & Odelia Cooper on their wedding. Levi Yitzhak & Oshra Steele on the birth of their son. Paltiel (Brian) & Sharon Brodsky on the birth of their son. Joel and Melinda Klein on the birth of their daughter. Arthur & Evelyn Jacobs on the birth of their granddaughter Mr. and Ms. Daveed Artzi on the birth of their son. Mr. & Mrs. Gedalia Epstein on their wedding. Yochanan Meisler & Naomi Rosenstein on their wedding. Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Rose on their wedding. Shimon Cobersby and Melanie Goldstein on their wedding. Mr. and Mrs. Yossie Blalock on their wedding Irwin Goldman on his engagement. Yaakov Yirmisch on his engagement. Yechiel Berkowitz on his engagement. Alan Levy on his engagement. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Let's Share Our Simchas TOGETHER with B'Yachad The only way we can have up-to-date information is if you provide it. Please send us your comments, suggestions, announcements, and ideas via one of the following methods: E-Mail: address your message to: ohr@virtual.co.il set the subject to "B'YACHAD" Fax: 972-2-581-2890, Attn.: B'YACHAD Post: Yeshiva Ohr Somayach, ATTN.: B'YACHAD 22 Shimon Hatzadik Street,POB 18103, Jerusalem 91180 ISRAEL Don't forget to submit your name and address for the Ohr Somayach Alumni Directory! You'll find the directory at http://www.ohr.org.il/web/alumni Submissions should be sent to levs@virtual.co.il =========================================================================== Ohr Somayach Representatives Worldwide: Jerusalem, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Miami, Monsey, London, Toronto, Montreal, Johannesburg. For information about contacting your regional representative see the Ohr Somayach Web Page or E-Mail us your request. =========================================================================== SUBSCRIBE! to one of the many weekly "lists" published by Ohr Somayach Institutions: weekly - Summary of the weekly Torah portion dafyomi - Rav Mendel Weinbach's insights into the Daf Yomi ask - The Rabbi answers YOUR questions on Judaism parasha-qa - Challenging questions on the weekly Torah portion os-special - All the SPECIAL publications produced by Ohr Somayach os-alum - "B'Yachad" - the Ohr Somayach Electronic Alumni Newsletter judaismo - Spanish-Language newsletter on the Parsha & Judaism month - Seasons of the Moon - The Jewish Year through its months Ohr Somayach NEVER charges for any of the above lists. To subscribe, send the message: subscribe {listname} {your full name} to: listproc@virtual.co.il =========================================================================== Produced by the Office of Communications, Director: Rabbi Eliezer Shapiro General Editor: Rabbi Moshe Newman Contributing Editor: Raphael S. Leban Web Design & Production: Rabbi Robin Lauffer Production Design: Lev Seltzer =========================================================================== Jewish L EEEEEEEE Prepared by the Jewish Learning Exchange of J L E Ohr Somayach International J L E 22 Shimon Hatzadik Street, POB 18103 J L Exchange Jerusalem 91180, Israel J L E Tel: 972-2-581-0315 Fax: 972-2-581-2890 J J L E Internet: ohr@virtual.co.il JJJJ Learning EEEEEEEE Web: www.ohr.org.il =========================================================================== (C) 1997 Ohr Somayach International - All rights reserved. This publication may be distributed to another person intact without prior permission. We also encourage you to include this material in other publications, such as synagogue newsletters. However, we ask that you contact us beforehand for permission, and then send us a sample issue.