By Rochel Spangenthal
A Seminary year is commonly referred to as a “Bubble Year.” “What is a Bubble?” you may ask. A Bubble is created when a girl departs from her normal location and social circle and enters into a structured environment that caters to the every need of the new Bubble-tenant. The girl is sheltered from the outside world by a thick screen of Torah learning, enjoyable activities, and ridiculously knowledgeable teachers.
Before you depart seminary, Rabbis spend weeks discussing with you how to maintain your newly developed chayus and excitement for Chassidus. The necessity of constant learning and chavrusas is drilled into your mind as you take a deep breath and exit.
When you leave the Bubble, you never expect to go back. Suddenly, “Real Life” begins and seminary fades into an oft thought-about alternate reality. Lines from farbrengens and ideas from sichos are fondly recalled throughout busy days as time passes.
Frequently (although mercifully, not always), schedules get so hectic that learning becomes a luxury that is reserved for required teaching preparations and a sporadic glance at a chabad.org article. Chitas is mumbled right before one crashes into an exhausted slumber and davening is done much in the same way the following morning.
And then one day it dawns upon you that, within whatever shlichus you may be doing, you are no longer just a part of The System – but you are creating The System. You realize that in order to continue giving to others, you must take a moment to recharge and recalibrate. Much like a person passing by her childhood home, you long to peek into the Bubble one again.
Former students of Beis Chana, Beis Chaya Mushka, Beis Rivka Montreal, Machon Shoshanat Yerushalyaim, and Kfar Chabad Seminary were drawn to IsraeLearn, a post-seminary program developed by Rabbi and Mrs. Rosenfeld and run by Rabbi Chaim Rosenfeld. We were told that the three-week program would include classes on Tanya, Maamarim, Jewish Home, and Halacha. We were told that there would be renowned teachers. We were told that we would be taken on a few trips and excursions. All of the above, we expected. But we were not warned about the degree to which this program would influence our lives.
Students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology often use a parable to describe the intensity of their courses. They say that trying to take notes during their lectures is like attempting to take a sip from water that is exploding out of a burst fire hydrant. You glean all that you can, and remain astounded by how much remains yet to learn. In a similar manner, I was – to say the least – stunned by the IsraeLearn program. A full day of classes was provided and free time was (by choice) filled with chavrusas with other participants or Machon Alte girls. I quickly filled my notebooks and rushed to buy more. The agenda furthermore included trips and tours of Chevron and Jerusalem that were both informative and exciting.
All of the above was amazing and wonderful. But what made the program one of a kind was not the mass of information learned, but the manner in which the classes were taught. Sometimes, we learn Torah but find that what we learn is difficult to live. It is easy to study what the words Mesiras Nefesh mean but it is even easier to leave that concept as a theoretical possibility rather than a day-to-day practical directive. The instructors endeavored to have us not only know the information and fill our minds with facts, but absorb and understand how the lessons could be applied to our mundane lives. Chapter 26 in Tanya was scheduled to be taught across a span of 3 classes. Due to requested background information, lively discussions, supplemental stories, and practical examples – we ended up spending 7 classes learning the chapter from the masterful Rabbi Eli Nosson Silberberg. And we departed the program not only having learned another chapter of Tanya but having gained an entirely new perspective on emotions according to Chassidus.
People are unable to work in their jobs 24/7. In order to be productive, a work year is composed partly of vacations; a work week includes a weekend; and a work day is interrupted by a lunch hour and closing. These breaks allow the worker to replenish his resources and tackle his mission with vigor. The same holds true in Judaism – Hashem has provided yomim tovim during the year, shabbos during the week, and davening during the day in order to supply the Jew with the ability to properly make a dwelling place for Hashem within our physical world.
But what about a chossid?
A chossid must also be wary of his energy store. Energy can be replenished during the month with a farbrengen, during the week with a chavrusa, and during the day with a chassidishe niggun or thought. And until IsraeLearn, I never dreamed that I would have the opportunity to once again subject myself to such an intense spiritual tune-up that will, please G-d, positively influence my life and the lives of all that I come into contact with.
As wonderful as they are, vacations and yomim tovim must end. We must all exit the Bubble because ultimately, our purpose in this world is not to vacation or live in isolated bliss but to reveal the G-dly life force hidden within the world at large. Realizing this reality, this program has provided my companions and me with a new supply of soapy water from which we will create our own small Bubbles and gain strength.
May we all merit to continuously grow and be strengthened in the ways of Torah and Chassidus and be blessed to enter the ultimate Bubble with the revelation of Moshiach immediately.
A big Thank to Rabbi & Mrs. Rosenfeld together with Rabbi Chaim Rosenfeld for providing this wonderful experience.
yeah! your article is awesome! i can’t believe i’m only reading it now! kol hakavod! -jill
I’m in machon alte studying this summer. The teacher’s are so caring and dedicated. i love it here!!! way beyond my expectations! it’s awesome!!!
As soon as I read this beautiful article I thought I knew who the author was!! Yasher Koyach to Rochel and to the wonderful teachers and organizers of this very important program.
there was an add for this program on COL for weeks…
רחל!!!! :-):-)
in the secular world, “bubble” has a negative connotation; the “real estate bubble” and the “college loans bubble,” etc. the implication is that there is something not real going on; and an ominous crash about to come, a “letting out of the air”. if i were to try to put it in context of a young women’s seminary, i would think it means, after the “non-real world experience” there is a hard crash – and in the secular world, these “hard crashes” are seen as a bad thing, something to try to avoid, thus to try to not be a… Read more »
amazingggg article!!! couldnt have said it better! BEST program in Israel!!
dev xx
Wrote the article!!!!!!!!!
was thered and had a fabulous time!!!!!
that is a terrible reason to spend over 14,000… To test your kid!? You obviously do not have children.
Seminary has the potental to be a powerful year – the student just needs to internalize the messages that she is being fed. Its great that programs like this serve as a refresher.
I will recommend findamahpia.info. You may find just the right person to talk to.
Yasher Koach to our outstanding and dedicated madricha! what a great article! this program was an amazing way to get re-inspired and get a refocus on life what it means to be a chosid. THANK YOU to the Rosenfelds extended and the Silberbergs and all the staff and teachers at Machon Alta for arranging and planning the amazing program down to the last detail. I’d highly recommend this for girls next summer!!
B.H.
This is beautiful. But how does one hold on to it?
What daily / weekly / monthly formal chavrusa and other learning programs, and what informal follow-up such as farbrengens and socials, are geared to post-seminary girls living in New York?
You forgot to mention the fabolous Madricha.
Really well written article. Sounds like a good program.
this program was really really amazing, I will never forget the things I learnt and they will stay with me my whole life !
the teacher are ALL amazing, theyre clear, they listen to us and answer all our questions in class and during fabrengens ! I learnt so much from every teacher and I recommend this program to every girl who finished seminary and wants to spend 3 weeks of her summer learning chassidus, halacha, tanach and be inspired by unbelievable fabrengens!
Thank you Rabbi and Mrs Rosenfeld and every single teacher !!
why is col posting this now??? i just spent this year in seminary, and the inspiration and growth is incredible. you feel like it will last forever. but it quickly evaporates as your 2 worlds collide, one of great amounts of kedusha and hiskashrus and one of old friends and old habits. now it is already late for me, i have experienced so much negativity already, this summer, while being away from sem. if only i had seen this article, i know it would have been a program i would have considered and my life would have been so different.… Read more »
Highly recommended! Its a refresher, great chance strengthen your learning and the Rosenfelds and the Silberbergs are just amazing. I would go again in a second (accepting donations :))
Awesome program everyone should go!! And rabbi silberberg is the greatest teacher ever!!!
As one of the attendees at the program, I highly recommend it as an investment for yourself and future family iyh. Each morning I’d awake excited for the awesome, inspiring day ahead. Each class was full of tochen, interesting and given over by exemplary teachers. Kal hakavod to the IsraeLearn staff for organizing such a fantastic program.
and very true! kol hakavod!
i wanna go!
Rabbi silberberg is the smartest and clearest teacher i ever had.
🙂
Loved this article! Soo true!
mod yafe!!!!!
shkoich
she le culam ihyu marchavot kaele
the most balanced and amazing sem out there. yasher koach to it’s writer… were rozzies and we know it;)
as a former seminary student, the bubble is in a fact a place where young woman can go and explore without having to look over their backs like they would at home, NOT the semi police state of learning this article describes.
the bubble is the ultimate test to see if your kid comes back frum or not frum. it is very unlikely that one comes back the exactly the same. you either come back more frum or less frum, because you are given ultimate tests in terms of just about everything in daily life, from kashrus to the dating.
wow!!