Banquet Series Part II

The Best Medicine ...

As always, to balance out the seriousness, the BTI Banquet is resplendent with humor. This year was no exception. The sister tag team of Miri & Liba Loeb kept up a lineup of humor that had us rolling out of our seats and into the aisles !
Pictured here is Liba getting some last minute advice from Rabbi Kahane on exactly how the upcoming jokes would affect the kabbalsitic powers of spirituality in the room.


The skits were a rousing success - as you can see !


The real challenge, however, was for Rabbi Sharfman to try to keep a straight face while Shoshi Goldstein returned for an encore of her arab cabdriver routine ( with Rabbi Borinstien portraying a shana alef'er ). We were all pleased to see Rabbi Borinstein's character give up on her several boyfriends and in general mature. The cabbie, though, seemd to be getting worse - he actually sold a wife ( Sara Manasseh ) and made it onto the CIA's most wanted list, again.

And so we wish the cabdriver the best of luck and bid continued hatzlacha to all.

Still to come - banquet part III, IV and beyond !

in the meantime ...

- regards from BTI

Banquet Series Part I

Flash, Work, Transcendence.

Those were the ringing words of inspiration from our very own Leiku Perles. In an emotionally charged speech, Leiku postulated that life is a series of challenges that take this pattern. Flash - the initial inspiration and motivation behind any project that we choose to undertake. Work - the day-in-and-day-out grind that has to happen before our dream can become reality; the actual making it happen. Finally, Transcendence- the incorporation of this accomplishment into ourselves. A moving on, if you will, without leaving it all behind.

"Our year in Israel", she said, "takes this form."
"The flash was when we decided to come here, to Sharfman's".
"Mine took place when speaking to a friend. I challenged her, 'What do I have to lose by not going to Israel - nothing!' "
"You have everything to lose", she replied, "you have yourself to lose"
"Then the work."
"The months of classes, projects and Beis Medrash that forced us to live up to that flash.
Finally, the transcendence. Taking this year and re-creating ourselves to include all we've gained."

"However, we can also see the greater cycle. This whole year is a great big flash. We have made a decision to live a certain type of life, the life of an eved Hashem. The work comes when we get off that plane and move on with life. And the transcendence, that is the final transcendence from this world."

Inspiring words ... a challenge for all of us to take to heart.

- Regards from BTI

It's the end of world as we know it ....

The last day of classes is upon us ! Aieeeeeeeeeeee !

End of the year sentiments are always tearful. We've had reports of students crying (unsubstantiated - but probably true) even teachers (Rabbi Borinstein, you're just a big softie!)


In particular, Mrs Haymann ( BTI '90-'07) was seen dabbing several tears off her face while saying "I just want to teach them all summer, is that so wrong ?".

[editor's note - In reality, when approached for a quote Mrs. Haymann said "whoohoo" but we thought that the aforementioned was nicer to put in]

I think the real feeling of the day was best expressed by Sarah Bain ( BTI '05 - '07 ) and Tamar Gafni ( BTI '05-'07 ) "There are some alumni out there who have really made it - they were able to really stay strong" "I really hope I can be one of those people".

[editor's note - "really"]

- Regards from BTI

New Shiur !

Rav Orloweck - Feeling the Pain Of Others

On the sidebar ( thataway --> )
just click to listen

- Regards from BTI

My Shavuos

By Tzippy Kay

Yom tov started out with a meal at the Sharfman household where something fun and exciting is always going on. (It just gets a bit embarrassing when 7 year old Ezzy knows more answers to the Shavuos questions than you do).
The holiday continued with some learning in the Beis Medrash, followed by three inspirational speakers. Rabbi Kahane, in particular, impacted us with his message of the cyclical nature of the Jewish calendar. He said that on Shavuos we are actually reliving the receiving of the Torah - and just like the occasion at Har Sinai - Hashem goes around and asks us if we want to accept the Torah. The question in our times, therefore, is whether we are willing to give up all of the follies and other things that interfere with us truly connecting to Hashem? This definitely lead to some soul searching in all of us.

By 4:30 am we started walking to the Kotel. The scene was indescribable! The closer you got to the Old City the bigger the crowd swelled. Streams of people became rivers of Jews all heading for one spot - it reminded me of Aliyah L'regel. You really felt like you were part of a bigger picture. When I saw the crowd at the Kotel - filling the plaza all the way back and up into the stairs - I really felt as if I, personally, was accepting the Torah again - it was the perfect culmination to a night of learning and preparation. I will cherish the memory always.

(picture not taken on Yom Tov - duh !)

- Regards from BTI

Greatness !

The BTI Blog has received over 150 visitors in the past 5 days !! You guys are great !!!

I know it seems backwards ...

I know it seems backwards that a symposium on tzniyus should be publicized ... but we'll do it with subtlety and taste.
This annual event here at BTI is an in depth look at a topic that focuses on the shallow ( or rather on how to avoid shallowness in our personal conduct ).
A highlight of the symposium ( or "yom iyun" as we call it ) is the panel that is addressed with all sorts of questions.
We caught up with Mrs. Chana Silver, the event's organizer, while drinking her second cup of coffee ( "only two so far", she mentioned, before sheepishly adding "it's only 10:30, though.").
"This yom iyun is fantastic !" she said " it's really enlightening to discover the many different dimensions of tzniyus - it's really a way of life as opposed to a dress code."
Mati Buchsbaum ( BTI '05-'06, '06-'07 ) pondered aloud "I really appreciate the new self awareness I'm learning - the lectures are interesting and thought provoking." Whereupon a nearby student commented - "provoking ? I thought you were gonna say provocative - that would be totally against the point !"
Indeed.
Other common quotes by students were :
"great", "amazing", "incredible" and, of course, "Hey, Breakfast is great !"

ahhhh life at BTI goes on - just like you remember it ....

- Regards from BTI