Bostoner Rebbe |
Yahya Mahamid |
Bruriah had a special visit from Rav Mayer Alter Horowitz, The Bostoner Rebbe. As soon as he walked into the Ballroom, the murmuring of 350 excited students quieted and the students stood up for the Rebbe. His dvar Torah about Yaakov led into tips and lessons for succeeding in life. His bracha to us is that we should do well in life. It was truly a gift to hear him talk.
The rebbe explained about us being Nashim Tzidkaniot and the impressions we as Jewish women leave on the world, emphasizing the need to understand the power we have to teach the next generation and that our work will bring the redemption. The girls were in awe of the Rebbe's presence. Many wanted an opportunity to speak with Rabbi Horowitz individually and get a bracha. The rebbe's visit was an uplifting and inspiring opportunity for the girls to hear from a true gadol in today's world. |
Yahya Mahamid, an Israeli-Arab shunned by his family and friends for doing the right thing, stood up for what he believed in and changed his way of thinking.
Mahamid, a young Israeli Arab, was taught that Jews are horrid. Today he is an educator at the international Israel education organization StandWithUs. Recently, Mahamid was a guest speaker at Bruriah. Born in Umm Al Fahm, an Arab city in northern Israel, Mahamid had a typical Arab upbringing. He was indoctrinated from childhood to hate Jews and deny Israel's statehood. He began having regular interactions with “everyday” Israelis which challenged the negative views he had been encouraged to develop. Mahamid realized Israel's struggle for co-existence and desire for a peaceful future despite being surrounded by many strategic threats. After realizing that he had been intentionally misled, Mahamid decided to do everything within his power to combat the negative stereotypes and demonization of Israel. After Bruriah junior, Gila Allen (Edison) heard Mahamid tell his story to her group on a recent Israel summer program, she suggested to Bruriah that he speak at the school. Gila says, “Hearing Yahaya Mahamed’s inspirational story solidified what it truly means to be the power of one. He stood up for what he believed in at times when it was anything but easy. He inspires me to stand up for what I believe in and speak out against the lies about Israel.” When Mahamid spoke to us, he gave a detailed report on his past and his life in Israel. The most striking part of his talk was when he spoke about the #Bringbackourboys campaign and showed us a picture appeared of himself with an Israeli flag supporting his country. He spoke about fearing for his life. |