Mazal Tov Michla!

Mazal Tov to Michla Goldsmith (08-10) on her engagement to Naftali Gidon. The L'chaim was last week in Israel. Thank you to Pesha Rubin (Tomer Devorah Alumnus and Madricha Extrordinaire) for sending in the picture!

Pesha Rubin (07-09), Sarie Levey (08-10), Michla Goldsmith (08-10), Dina Auerbach (09-present), Shoshana Hershkop (08-09), and adorable little girl.

Pidyon Haben...

Mazel Tov to Tova Walder (Ehrlich 06-08) on the Pidyon Haben of her son! Thank you Sarie Levey for sending in the picture.

Tova Walder, Pesha Rubin (07-09), Chanie Rudman and Sarie Levey (08-10).

Mechanechet Reunion

On her recent trip to Israel, Mrs. Aviva Feiner and Miss Sarah Kesler had a Mechanechet Reunion with Shaya Feiner. They reminiced about the good old days when they were Mechanchot together at Tomer Devorah (06-08). Enjoy!

Mazal Tov Libi

A big Mazal Tov to Libi Frager (Efron 06-07) on the birth of her daughter last Shabbos. Her name is Esther Tzophia and her parents love her very much!

Chanukah ooVoo Shiur

The ooVoo Chanukah shiur with Rabbi Rosenstein was a big success. On the lefthand side there is Julia Seni with a friend. Next to that is the Touro group, Rachel Minkin, Carol Kritzman, Carly Miller, Liza Souroujon, Atara Kaufman and Meira Pearl. Next is the Stern group with Channah Yudkowsky (who gets a big thank you for arranging all of this), Lisa Hecker, Orah Jooyandeh and Sarah Rivkah Heller (Leora Lax was there too, she's just off screen) and of course there is Rabbi Rosesntein on the right.

Mazel Tov Batya!

Mazel Tov Batya (08-09) on her recent marriage to Reuven Menzelefsky! Loads of Tomer Devorah girls were there to share (and bring) in the simcha!

Top Row: Sarah Hassan, Valerie Dahan, Kellie Kravitz, Reva Woodrow, Bari Dolinger, Kim Hazan, Gila Polatoff.

Bottom Row: Alyssa Ebrani, Karen Abramowitz, Tova Lazarus, Chasida Shicker.

Kiruv Classes, Bris and Visiting Alumnae

Hey there alumnae I was just scrolling through my inbox (always a dangerous activity) and I realized how many pictures I had just sitting there. So instead of keeping them all to myself I've decided to share them with YOU.

Here it goes:

Tova Walder (Ehrlich 06-08) has recently given birth to a baby boy (MAZAL TOV!) the bris turned out to be a bit of a Tomer Devorah event. The babies name is Elazar Menachem Man (named after Rav Shach).

Mrs. Rivkah Wieniger, Esther Amster, Dena Lichtman, Leah Kasten, Lani Pearl, Pesha Rubin, Mrs. Chaya Rochel Satt (Weinstock), Tova Walder (Ehrlich), Sara Orlan (madricha), Julie Wasserman, Sarie Levey, Naomi Markovic (Abrams), Adrienne Rosenthal, Reena Fried, Ariana Goldwasser and Miss Sarah Kesler.

First up... this past Motzei Shabbos Rachel Minkin hosted a kiruv class in her home. A woman from Project Inspired came to give a class to the alumnae, they gained a lot from it! Thank you Carol for sending in the picture and keep on learning!

Atara Kaufman (08-09), Carol Kritzman, Seffi Millstein, Leora Lax, Chelsea Shulman, Pearly Guttman, Rinat Liberman, Rachel Minkin, Esti Cohen and Aliza Abilevitz (09-10)

And lastly (but not leastly :) Hadassah Efros (06-07) recently took a trip to Toronto and had a visit with Lila (Simon/Grafstein 06-07), they kindly took a picture to share with us.

The Annual Tomer Devorah Alumnae Reunion has hardly ended and Alyssa Ebrani (08-10) has sent me pictures already! I don't even have much to post because I haven't had time to to talk to anyone about it but I wanted to get the pictures up so those of us who couldn't make it could enjoy them. Thank you so much Alyssa and thank you to all the attendees who made it out and to the Rabbis, of course, for all the work they put into the reunion.

I'll put a post up about the reunion as soon as I can.

Shavua Tov!

Alyssa Ebrani (08-10) and Chaya Gitty Smith (Stulberger, madricha 08-09)

Alex Levy (Kent 06-07), Tanya Barak(Wainhuas 06-08), Sara Leah Jaffee (Portnoy 06-08) and Zahava Markovic (06-08)

Lisa Hecker, Daniella Casper, Tamar Barak , Channah Yudkowsky , Sammy Greenstein (Cudeck), Meira Pearl, Yali Kay, Sima Polatoff, Esther Snyder, Sarah Siegel, Estie Petrushka, Stephanie Lepolstat (Chiert), Tali Brody and Amy Feder 2007-2008.

Alyssa Ebrani, Penina Ben-Yosef, Atara Kaufman, Karen Abramowitz and Carly Miller, Shana Bet 2009-2010

Tomer Devorah 2009-2010: Alyssa Ebrani, Sarah Rivkah Heller, Pearly Gutman, Seffi Milstein, Esti Cohen, Liza Souroujon, Neda Shayestehpour, Rinat Liberman, Chelsea Berman, Masha Kishkina, Tamar Barak, Sima Polatoff, Carly Miller, Aliza Abilevitz, Ahuva Blau, Rachel Minkin, Carol Kritzman, Atara Kaufman, Penina Ben-Yosef and Karen Abramowitz.

Rachelli Struass, Esther Katz, Shani Goldstein and Atara Kaufman 2008-2009

Esther Snyder, Stephanie Lepolstat (Chiert), Sammy Greenstein (Cudeck), Amy Feder and Esti Petrushka 2007-2008

Wednesday Nights ooVoo Shiur

Last night there was a well attended ooVoo shiur in... all over the place! Reports are coming in that the shiur was incredible and alumnae can't wait for the next one. Thank you to all of the hosts and of course to Rabbi Rosenstein for his time (especially at 5:00 AM!).

Top Left: Channah Yudkowsky (07-09), Sarah Rivkah Heller (09-10), Leora Lax (09-10) and Alyssa Ebrani (08-10). Top Middle, Sima Polatoff (07-09) and Gila Polatoff (08-09). Top Right, Daniella Casper (Lee 07-08). Bottom Left: Rachel Minkin, Pearly Guttman and Ahuva Blau (09-10). Bottom Middle: Carol Krtizman (09-10), Atara Kaufman and Carly Miller (08-10) Bottom Right, Rabbi Rosenstein in Ramot, Israel.

Inspirational Lunch at Touro

A recent email from Liza Souroujon (09-10)... Yashar Koach to all of you and of course a thank you to Liza.

Hi again!

During lunch in Touro a bunch of TD girls were sitting at a table and Margalit (Schwartz) walked by so we asked if we could have an impromptu shiur about what we should be working on during the next month of Cheshvan. Hope the picture can go on the blog.

-Liza Souroujon

Chelsea Berman, Liza Souroujon, Carol Kritzman, Margalit Schwartz (madricha), Neda Shayestehpour and Pearly Guttman (09-10).

Rabbi Brown and The Feiners

We hope all of our alumnae had an uplifiting, meaningful and spiritually cleansing Yom Kippur. Here is a picture of Rabbi Brown with Rabbi Eytan Feiner and Shaya Feiner at a shiur at Rabbi Feiner's shul ["The White Shul"] in Far Rockaway. Rabbi Brown addressed the community with an inspiring Aseres Yemei Teshuva shiur.

Good Yom Tov to all!

Aseres Yemei Teshuva Online Shiur

On Monday night, Tomer Devorah alumnae "got together" for an Aseres Yemei Teshuva shiur with Rabbi Rosenstein. The 6-way video conversation on ooVoo worked out for everyone (or, almost everyone...).

The shiur was recorded and will hopefully be made avilable online.

Top row left to right: Daniella (Lee) Casper (07-08), Bari Dolinger (08-09), [at Stern College] Channah Yudkowsky (07-09), Lisa Hecker (07-08), Sarah Seigel (07-08) and Elyssa Ebrani (08-10).

Bottom row: [at one Touro location] Amy Feder (07-09), Carly Miller (08-10), Rachel Minkin (09-10), Carol Kritzman (09-10), Ahuva Blau (09-10) and Rena Lunzer (09-10). [At another Touro location] Atara Kaufman (08-10), Shani Goldstein (08-09), Margalit Schwartz (Madricha 09ish-10), Chelsea Berman (09-10). [In Yerushalayim] Rabbi Rosenstein.

As soon as the next shiur is scheduled, we will let you know. Rabbi Rosenstein's name on ooVoo is mosherosenstein.

Gmar chasima tovah!

Mazal Tov Sima!

Mazal Tov to Sima Mittman (07-08) on her marriage to Moshe Gleicher in Chicago this past week. Sima will be moving to Eretz Yisroel with her husband.

Sima with Channah Yudkowsky (07-09)

Mazal Tov Devorah Berkowitz

Mazal Tov Devorah on her recent marriage to Avrumi Pollak!

Kellie Kravitz (08-09) with Devorah

Alumnae 2010 Meet Up in Manhatan

This past week a handful of our most recent alumnae got together for an afternoon in New York City. The Tomer Devorah 2010 alumnae had a great time together reminiscing and catching up. Those in attendance were Pearly Gutman, Masha Kishkina, Aliza Abilevitz, Rachel Minkin, Rena Lunzer, Seffi Millstein, Reena Fried, Liza Souroujon, Leah Kasten, Neda Shayestehpour and Tamar Barak. Reena Michelle Fried passed on the photos for all of us to share. Thank you Reena.

Enjoy the pictures and your summer!

Shiur on the Halachos of Tisha B'Av

Here is another shiur from Rabbi Rosenstein - this time on the Halachos of Tisha B'Av. May will all celebrate a Yom Tov together this Sunday!

To listen to the shiur, please click HERE.

To download the shiur for your iPod, right click HERE. When the options come up, select "Save Target As..." That will allow you to give the file a new name if you want (make sure that the filename ends with .MP3) and save it to your computer.

The shiur is also available on the Tomer Devorah website on the Updates Page.

Shiur on the Nine Days by Rabbi Rosenstein

We have posted an audio shiur of Rabbi Rosenstein discussing the halachos of the Nine Days. The recording is from a shiur to women in Passaic, NJ around 10 years ago (you will be able to tell from the difference in Rabbi Rosenstein's voice!). The quality is not great (it was recorded on something called a "cassette tape" that you may have heard about from your grand parents), but it is audible.

May Klal Yisroel know no more tzaros and may we be zocheh together to see the coming of Moshiach Tzidkeinu bimheira biyameinu, amein.

To listen to the shiur, please click HERE.

To download the shiur for your iPod, right click HERE. When the options come up, select "Save Target As..." That will allow you to give the file a new name if you want (make sure that the filename ends with .MP3) and save it to your computer.

The shiur is also available on the Tomer Devorah website on the Updates Page.

Chicago Goes Skype

Here is a picture of the recent Chicago skype shiur with Rabbi Rosenstein. The shiur was hosted in the home of Channah Yudkowsky (07-09). Thank you Yael Cohen (Richtman 06-08) for the picture.Chasida Shicker, Carly Miller, Pesha Rubin, Yael Cohen (Richtman), Amy Feder, Channah Yudkowsky and Daniella Bajtner.

Happy Birthday Rena Lunzer

Since I value hard work and determination I have decided that it is only fair that I post Rena Lunzer a birthday sign. You see, for the past year Rena has been begging (and I mean BEGGING) me for a birthday sign. Her birthday is in the summer and since I don't make birthday signs for summer birthdays Rena was very disturbed that she wouldn't be getting one. As a result she launched an attack at the office window nearly every day for nine months. Rena even went as far as emailing me backgrounds that she liked so I wouldn't have to do so much work. Each time though I politely refused saying that I would have to make everyone a sign if I made one for her. But I changed my mind thinking that all of our alumnae would agree that if it meant so much to Rena to put in so much effort that she deserves it...right? So here it is, a birthday sign for Rena Lunzer. Happy Birthday Rena!
Sincerely,
Chava

Mazal Tov Chana

Tomer Devorah wishes a big mazal tov to Chana Sharaby (08-09) on her marriage this past Thursday to Moshe Dovid Artman! Thank you Tova Lazarus (08-09) for sending in the beautiful pictures.

Mazal Tov Aliza!

Mazal Tov Aliza Fried (06-08) on her marriage to Moshe Zirkind this past Sunday, June 13th! A big thank you, and a mazal tov, to her sister Reena for being the first 2009-2010 alumnae contributor to the Beyond Your Year Blog.

Shana Bet Banquet

Shana Bet 2009/2010 had their farewell banquet on May 31st. As it turns out, they were so busy making it such a special event that they forgot to take pictures. Catered by Miss Sarah Kesler and attended by Rabbi Fix, Rabbi Rosenstein, Mrs. Peled and Chaya Rochel the banquet was a beautiful affair. Carly Miller made each staff member a gift on behalf of shana bet, check them out below. Each one was lamenated and made into an attendance folder cover. The staff loved them and will miss shana bet dearly. A special congratulations to Michla Goldsmith, Sarie Levey and Carly Miller for completing the full year shana bet program, we wish them much hatzlacha and simcha on their journey beyond TD!

Rabbi Brown NY Alumna Brunch

This past Wednesday (June 2) the Petrushka family hosted a brunch for the alumnae with Rabbi Brown. The brunch was well attended and enjoyed! Those who were there had a great time catching up with each other and Rabbi Brown, eating some wonderful food and hearing a shiur by the Menahel Ruchani. Thank you to Atara Kaufman for providing the picture (once again), to the Petrushka family for hosting, to Kellie Kravitz for the feedback and of course Rabbi Brown for being Rabbi Brown!

Sticking Together

Our most recent alumnae (the half-year shana bet students) recently had a reunion in New York. Okay, they all happen to be living in New York at the moment anyways, but it's nice that they got together! Although they miss TD terribly the girls are staying strong and doing well in their new environments!

Penina Ben-Yosef, Chasida Shicker, Karen Abramowitz, Atara Kaufman and Alyssa Ebrani in their Shana Bet Sweatshirts
(FOGO [Fear of Going Out] is a play on the term FOMO [Fear of Missing Out] coined by Miss Chanie Rudman and now a popular TD "word")

Meet Meira Schwartz

Tomer Devorah would like to wish a huge mazal tov to Mrs. Chava (Rosenberg) Schwartz on the birth of her daughter Meira. Meira was born this past Friday morning in Yerushalayim, her and her mother are doing well. Enjoy the pictures!

Meira at 12 hours old!

Meira with her Abba

First Bath (at home)!