Choref zman ended with Rosh Chodesh Nissan, and Pesach break has begun. Although choref zman has been a personally transformative period, I would be dishonest if I did not admit to having some regrets over the trips and experiences I did not have this year due to the war. Notably, I missed the Yeshivat Hakotel version of the March of Living, where life in the shtetl is celebrated and the horrors of European antisemitism explored. I was looking forward to going to Hebron for Parashat Chayei Sarah and hiking the traditional pre-Pesach tiyul of Northern Israel. After Pesach I longed to test my mettle on the arduous two-day Yam L’Yam hike, which stretches from the Golan Heights to the Kinneret Sea. These, and many other events, had to be canceled.
However, I try not to dwell on questions of “what might have been” and look for the positive in every situation. The last eight months in yeshiva changed me. Rigorous Torah study has matured my thinking and improved my ability to analyze complex texts. I discovered that I enjoy working collaboratively with my chavrutot as we wrestle with challenging sugyot. I learned how to prepare sophisticated shiurim and deliver them in an engaging manner, and find great satisfaction when they are well received.
And despite the war, I have had many incredible experiences. Some were fun, like my chol ha’moed Sukkot trip with friends to Teveria, in the more innocent world that existed before the 10/7 attacks. Others were somber, as when I watched our rosh yeshiva, Rav Baruch Wieder, shlita, give each chayal a berachah and kiss on the head before they hurriedly departed for battle on Simchat Torah. Our Shabbaton at the Hispin Moshav provided a much-needed refuge from those frightening early days of the war and visiting Gaza border communities proved that the Jewish spirit remains as resilient as ever.
Yes, things were missed, but inspiration and joy are ever-present. Nothing symbolizes this more than when the rosh yeshiva insisted on Simchat Torah day, during the height of the chaos and death wrought by Hamas, that those of us not serving in the IDF had a responsibility to maintain the simcha of the chag, albeit in a muted manner. And we did, dancing together at various shuls in the Rova. With an optimistic attitude, I began my last day of choref zman.
Monday, April 8, was moving day. The building I roomed in would be closed and remain shuttered for the rest of the school year. (This is done every year, because Hakotel is a hesder yeshiva and many talmidim draft into the IDF. Other students go home for Pesach and do not return after the chag. Thus, the yeshiva consolidates the remaining, smaller student body into fewer buildings.) After moving into a new room in another building, I was informed that this room would be locked until after Pesach. I packed up whatever I needed for the entire bein hazmanim period and moved to a third room. Finally, after many hours, and a lot of schlepping, I was done. Exhausted, I went to the beit midrash for the last mishmar of choref zman.
The next morning, now officially on break, I woke and davened Shacharit early. With our scheduled yeshiva hike to Masada called off, my friends Elan Berner, Jack Radinsky, Simcha Schachter, Ezra Wiener, and I made plans to spend the day at Herzliya Beach, getting some much-needed R&R. We had a great time. Afterward, we went to visit a sick friend in the hospital.
I will be spending the remainder of this largely unstructured week with friends, doing my best to experience as much of Israel as I can before returning home for Pesach. I cannot wait to be reunited with my family, especially my sister Reema, who I have not seen since I left for yeshiva in August. But even six thousand miles away, my thoughts won’t be far from yeshiva and Israel. Before I know it, I will be back in the beis midrash, happily burning the candle at both ends. I pray, as we all do, that by then Hashem will have blessed Klal Yisrael with shalom. Chag sameach.
Josiah N. Gampel graduated from DRS Yeshiva High School and is now learning at Yeshivat Hakotel. Josiah was chosen to receive the 5TJT Student Journalism Award in 2023.