Chovevei's Chutzpah, or YCTorah's Beautiful Aura?

On March 27th, Just a little while ago, while I was busy working on my application for Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, the school was busy welcoming a group of Cardinals and Bishops, part of a World Jewish Congress led-delegation. This was an event that did not go unnoticed as a look at the picture above clearly displays the press who covered the event. As such it was also not without controversy. As I was not there myself, and only recently found out about it, I am ill prepared to attempt to cover it in any fashion, rather I would direct the reader to follow any or all of the links below. They cover a spectrum of opinion from the official position of the Yeshiva to the position of its critics and a range of casual blog commenters and their opinions for good measure.

Now, in my case, I know next to nothing about the issues involved and certainly do not qualify to weigh in on the halachic debate. I can only have an open mind and try to gauge the impact that events like this have on me personally as I prepare myself to IM"H attend the school in the fall. Kach Li B'Yadecha Tati, G-d should take me in his hand. I'm following the path that he lays out for me and in the process can only hope that I don't miss read his signs. For now I do the best that I can and have faith that Hashem will take care of the rest. Regardless, I know that next year is going to be a huge year for me in terms of Torah growth, and a real period of formation for me as I solidify the direction that I will most likely be following for the rest of my life. For now, the best I can do is daven and keep on plugging.

Links to Other Blogs and Articles on the Subject:

YCT Chevre - The Official Blog of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah
Drew Kaplan's Blog - A Student at YCT
Drew Kaplan's Follow Up to Editorial in Jewish Press
Article from the Forward
On The Main Line - A Blog
Hirhurim Musings - Links to Responces of YU's Similar Event
Cross-Currents - Blogged by Yitzchok Adlerstein
The Lonely Man of Mechqar - Musings and Mutterings of a Maybe Musmakh
Editorial in Jewish Press
Canonist - Blog of Steven I. Weiss
Canonist - Responce to Cross-Currents

Shabbat Shalom Indeed!

Shalom comes from the root Shalem, Shleimut, Completeness, Settled. This Shabbat brings for me a true Shleimut for the first time in a while. No longer do I have applictions hanging over my head, or interviews to prepare for. I've closed that chapter and after shabbos will begin the next. But this Shabbat, this shabbat I am B'Shleimut. I'm settled. This is going to be a true Shabbat Shalom.

Good Thing Pesach is Coming Because I Need Some Seder in My Live

As I plan for my remaining time in Rochester, and look toward Pesach, and the plans that I'm making, I recall fondly the beach at Boombamella during Chol HaMoed of my year in Israel. This Chol Hamoed I'll be spending one day in class, maybe doing one event with my NCSY'ers and spending the rest of the time cracking the whip over my head getting ready for yeshiva. A far cry from the beach. Now that the realization that I'll be spending an extended period in the states has begun to set in a dull sadness is beginning to set in as well. Homesickness you might call it. I waited two long years, anxious to go back, and as soon as the time arrived, and my excitement built up, plans changed. Men Trachet un Gaut Lacht (Men Plan and G-d Laughs... - a famous Yiddish expression...)

Anyway, I can go for short periods of time though on my breaks and what not, the issue becomes funding, so if anyone wants to fund a round trip ticket for me this summer I'll gladly jump at the opportunity. Or if your a group looking for a Birthright Madrich, or other group leader, and willing to pay my way to Israel, I'll gladly take you. But at this point I guess I'm dreaming. My summer is going to be spent looking for an apartment in Manhattan, trying to make some money somewhere, hopefully doing Keshet again this summer at the Wildrose Moshava. (That office is starting to drive me crazy with their disorganization and poor communication, you'd think I'd be used to it after 6 years, but I'm not...) And looking for a place to learn/pump up my textual abilities before I start Mechina in the fall. So I guess if you know a good summer yeshiva program that's free, or better yet pays you to learn, I'm in...

I also have to figure out how to deal with the hassle of moving. I can't rent a truck because I'm under 25, and it's really expensive to move just about any other way. Maybe I can borrow a van or something, I have to get on that though, my lease is up in 2 months... But, I guess I'm getting ahead of myself. First and for most, I need to finish my Chovevei application and mail it out tomorrow, then I have Pesach to worry about, and finals, then moving out, then apartment hunting, then summer program... I guess that's the order. Really, I've just got to get myself organized and get on the ball, I can't just coast any more the way I have for the last 2 years. You just can't coast through transition periods, and this is probably the biggest transition I'm going to experience as a single individual.

Who Am I Anyway?

For those of you who know me, you've already realized the clown picture is just some random picture off the web that had the word Purim, and really has nothing to do with me. To you guys, this South Park'ified image of me will seem pretty familiar and either bring you to laugh or at least feelings of nostalgia. To the rest of you who don't know who I am, mostly because I've chosen to keep this persona as an anonymous forum, this picture will hopefully give you some image to attach to me. It was made during my sophomore year of college while I was living at the Drama House on my campus. Everyone had one. Basically, non of us made our own, so what you see is someone else's South Park impersonation of me. Apparently I'm a softy with a big heart or something...

Anyway, if any of you think I should replace the scary clown with this image, let me know, I can photoshop in the word Purim easily enough, I could probably even do that with Microsoft Paint.

On to the Future...

This is the point of transition for me. Today was my last day working at my campus job. From now on I will be focusing that time towards preparing for Chovevei next year. Before, everything was planning, and relegated to the sphear of theory. Now, tangible steps and practicle changes are taking place in my schedual. It's moved out of imagination and into action, out of dream and into reality. It's becoming concreate, it's becomeing real.

Truthfully, it hasn't set in yet. The day is ending, sleep is coming, and Tuesdays don't change for me, I still have class and Jr. NCSY on my schedual, and don't begin my altered schedual until Wendsday. But there is a paradime shift non the less. I've got a major presentation in class tomorrow, but aside from that all that's left for me to do is finish my formal application and mail it. Thursday is my first Chavruta with Lev, and the coming week is the first full week on my new schedual. Your not going to be able to read it, and I need to sleep so I'm not going to transfer it now, but to give a glimps, above is the screen shot from the outlook calender. The green are independent learning, the blue are chavrutas and class (there are only 3 classes). If you expand the image you can kind of make it out. I'd love feedback from those who've tried setting up independent seder lilmud before, and any tips for success and self disipline.

Anyway, there's a lot ahead of me, and chapters left to process behind me. But right now, all that is in the present is my bed. G'night