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The Ateres Yaakov Star

January 2015

The Israel Effect
By: Benjy Terebelo-12th Grade
Going to Israel is a time
for adolescents to find themselves
in spiritual matters as well as to
grasp a deeper understanding of
life. When teenagers spend the
year (or years) after high school in
Israel, they are able to enjoy tremendous growth in Ruchniyus due
to the unique opportunities being
in the Holy Land provides.
First of all, students are
faced with the unique experience
of total independence. This independence helps young adults mold
who they are going to be later on
in life. One MAY alumni, Mo Safer,
stated that, "after having the freedom and independence of going
to Israel, my perception and values
of life have been shifted in a positive way. The silly things that I once

believed to be important now
seem irrelevant compared to the
timeless and crucial lessons I
gained from being in Eretz Yisrael".
In MAY, the 12th Grade
Rebbeim, Rabbi Sandler and Rabbi Orlansky do a tremendous job

of pairing each talmid with the
perfect yeshiva for their individual
needs and skills. MAY currently
has alumni in more than 20 yeshivos which is a testament to how far

the Rebbeim will go to find a perfect fit. Once in Israel, freed from
the distractions and concerns of
high school, teens are free to focus
solely on spiritual growth and advancement in learning.
A nice ancillary benefit is
the tiyulim (trips) that many Yeshivos bring their talmidim on
thr