My opportunity to spend a year immersed in Torat Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael was facilitated through the incredible generosity of the Rabbi Abaranok scholarship.  That year undoubtedly had a seminal impact on my life.  Learning at Yeshivat Har Etzion particularly afforded me exposure to remarkable personalities who helped shaped my identity and life long passion for learning whereas participation in a Bnei Akiva program and the associated Tiyulim, Shabbatot and experiences generally, similarly enabled me to deepen my love for and enduring connection with the State of Israel.  This would not have been possible without the generosity of the Rav Abaranok scholarship.  Following my year in Israel, I was fortunate to develop a very personal Talmid-Rav relationship with Rav Abaranok z”l and I learned in his home on a weekly basis for several years.  Rav Abaranok z”l was not only the quintessential paradigm of a Baal Derech Eretz, a Torah Jew and a Lamdan, but he also offered a window into a bygone era of Jewish Europe and a direct link to centuries of rich Jewish life and commitment.  It was one of my life’s most profound privileges to know him.  Yehi Zichro Baruch.

It could be argued that the most formative year of one’s life is post-VCE. For me, learning in Yeshiva in Israel was without a doubt the most fitting way to spend it. Being able to live in the heart of it all in Jerusalem, enveloped in the history of our nation and its’ land, unforgettable. Pushing myself to limits I never thought I could reach, under the guidance of Rebbeim and mentors who’re dedicated solely to the growth of their students. Imbuing in them a great passion for Torah and Yiddishkeit.  I most definitely would not be where I am today without the help and encouragement I received from them. Thanks to the Rabbi Abaronok scholarship I was able to spend a year in a small Yeshiva called Pisga, with 11 others from Australia/South Africa. The relationships we built and experiences we shared together will most definitely remain with us forever. The Torah we learned there was unbelievable, I don’t believe any of us could’ve imagined the amount we would be able to push ourselves in our learning, day and night. Let’s not forget all the tiyulim (trips) through the land of Israel, meeting the people, living the culture.

For me, the skills I gained there were imperative for the future I decided to build for myself. At present still in learning, hoping to be able to share the knowledge I’ve gained through teaching. I can’t imagine I would have been able to get there without the scholarship. The understandably high price tag of a packed year, never a dull moment. It relieved the stress of that hurdle and allowed me like so many others to merit the incredible gift of learning Torah in the Holy Land! An unforgettable experience, which I would highly recommend to everyone.

A year and a half ago, I never would have imagined sitting where I am now, in an apartment in Jerusalem, typing this for the scholarship committee. I was a recipient of the Abaranok Scholarship in 2019, before life as we knew it and the world were turned upside-down. The ability to leave Australia for the first time in my life, and experience life in Israel; and not only experience the wonderful land and culture, but learn in a seminary for a year, was a formative experience for me and an absolute blessing. Because of the aid of the Scholarship and other wonderful benefactors, I was able to learn Torah intensely for a year in Israel. My eyes were opened to a world of scholarship, and my mind expanded in so many ways. Each moment of learning was the ultimate pleasure for my soul – combined with the exceptional teachers and mentors I had the privilege from which to learn, I was gifted an opportunity like no other, which has impacted me so deeply that I can confidently say that I am a changed person. There is a special holiness to the learning in the Holy Land, and especially in the city of Jerusalem, as if there is access to a higher level of G-dliness. Despite almost constant lockdown throughout my seminary year, the vibrancy of the land is so apparent, and the deep and impactful relationships I was able to form make up for the lockdowns tenfold. My entry into the world of Torah scholarship was so impactful that I decided to stay in Israel and continue to learn at a different seminary – the myriad ways in which to understand G-d’s wisdom, as well as the opportunity to develop an independent identity in my most formative years in the land of Israel is both a miracle and a gift. Because of this opportunity, the Abaranok Scholarship and its organisers and donors receive the merit for my learning, my love of Torah, and my Jewish observance, and that of my children and all of their subsequent generations.