The Jewish educational world has had to adapt to our uncertain COVID-19 reality and Yeshivat Har Etzion and sister school, The Stella K. Abraham Beit Midrash for Women at Migdal Oz, in Gush Etzion, have become trailblazers as a result of their “the show must go on” attitude.
Eli Weber, director of the Dr. William Major Overseas Program at Yeshivat Har Etzion (“Gush”), took charge of operations. “We really invest in our students and this has been exemplified during COVID-19. We built a tremendous sense of partnership and trust with our parents and students—they saw Gush as their ‘safe place.’”
But, as Eli described, despite going overboard in following procedures, they still had to deal with the unexpected—three students from the U.S. were held at Ben-Gurion, as regulations changed mid-flight.
“We used every contact we had, from the rosh yeshiva, HaRav Medan, to the Speaker of the Knesset, Yuli Edelstein. Our CEO, Yoni Holzer, even drove to the airport.” Eventually, the boys were permitted to enter the country and stayed at a quarantine hotel in Jerusalem.
Kovi Smith from Sydney, left Israel at the end of March, just a month after having started Gush. Due to his determination, he came back on June 17, after a 60-hour flight.
“Coming back to yeshiva was difficult, as I had already started at university. It felt weird leaving a ‘corona-safe’ country and coming to Israel.
“That feeling of being immersed in Torah, in this uncertain time period is special,” Kovi said.
The yeshiva has continued to enlist soldiers into the IDF, including 13 lone soldiers. Tzadok Cohen, a second-year student, was meant to go back to Chicago for Pesach, but as he had already been drafted, his leave was cancelled, and he stayed in Israel.
“The capsule model in the yeshiva enabled me to build friendships with Israelis who I’m now in the IDF with. The fact that we were able to have some sort of routine when there was no real one, was amazing,” Tzadok said.
Yaakov Grunsfield, from Brooklyn, had no problem in reintegrating into yeshiva routine when he came back for his second year in July. “I quarantined in the luxurious family suites and over Shabbat, there were minyanim and shiurim outside our rooms. After quarantine, we sat in the same groups divided by plastic barriers—in the beit midrash, dining room, and auditorium.”
Yossi Nadel, from Michigan, who has just drafted into the IDF, stayed in Israel throughout and made a siyum with his chavruta, Rafi Schlager. “When we restarted learning in the yeshiva, the capsule structure helped create a meaningful atmosphere.”
Batya Sarna arrived mid-August from New York for her first year at Migdal Oz. “I knew I wouldn’t be able to hug friends, visit the beit midrash, or meet teachers for two weeks. However, my stress was abated as soon as I entered Migdal Oz.
“One of the most gratifying parts of quarantine was seeing how supportive and caring the staff were—from shlepping our things to rooms and delivering meals to bringing us flavored tea and talking to us from a distance outside.”
Second year student at Migdal Oz, Maayan Hirschkorn, from New Jersey, stayed in Israel throughout COVID-19. “Before corona, I was friends with Israelis, but always felt there was something different between us. All of a sudden we were equalized—we were in this together and became one big family.”
That special pioneering spirit at Yeshivat Har Etzion and Migdal Oz has meant that even in these challenging times, learning is still going strong. Hopefully, COVID-19 will pass, and learning will return to normal soon—we wish all students a fruitful year.
The Etzion Foundation Dinner will take place online this year on Wednesday evening, September 9. For more information and to register, visit TheGushDinner.org or call 212-732-4874.
