F. MORGANO
ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, THE STUDENTS AND FACULTY OF MAGEN DAVID YESHIVAH WERE PRIVILEGED TO RECEIVE A VISIT FROM THE ESTEEMED HACHAM, RABBI YAAKOV HILLEL, THE ROSH YESHIVAH OF AHAVAT SHALOM IN ISRAEL.
The rabbi was welcomed to our yeshivah by our kindergartners, first and second graders. The third and fourth graders lined the lobby as Rabbi Mustacchi’s MDY Boy’s Choir sang a warm and beautiful rendition of Yahid El Dagul. The hacham was then led by a procession of rabbis, faculty members, and Principal Rabbi Ezra Cohen-Saban to the stage in our auditorium to address the fifth through eighth graders. The rabbi’s message to the over 400 students and faculty was to remember, honor, and respect our heritage and not to forget where we came from and to let Torah into all aspects of our lives.
“The children of the community are the future of the community. Knowing where you came from will help lead you to where you are going,” were the words at the heart of Rabbi Hillel’s message. The visit was an inspiration to our students. “The Rabbi’s visit put everything into perspective for me,” commented Nate Ben-Zken, an 8th grade student. Aaron Cohen added, “From the moment the Rabbi walked into the room, our eyes lit up like diamonds!” His visit was truly impactful on our students; they will remember this day for years to come.
At the end of his address to the elementary school students, Rabbi Hillel was joined on stage by the entire rabbanim of our school to capture this memorable and historic moment. He left the building with a throng of students and teachers surrounding him, eagerly awaiting his greetings and blessings.
This special and memorable morning at MDY came on the heels of the hacham’s visit to Magen David Yeshivah High School the day before. Rabbinical Leader Rabbi Eli J. Mansour ushered Rabbi Hillel into the midrash where the young men of the yeshivah greeted him with song before hearing his inspirational words of having patience with Torah and letting it affect all aspects of who you are, not just intellectually, but spiritually as well.
Before leaving, Rabbi Hillel spent a little time with the young ladies of the yeshivah and gave them a ‘Blessing for Queens,’ expressing how important women are for the continuation of our beautiful community and heritage.
There are great things happening at Magen David!
Frank Morgano is a veteran English Language Arts teacher of middle school students in grades 6-8 at Magen David Yeshivah Elementary School. He has over 25 years experience teaching students of all ages and levels. He also contributes articles to local publications about the happenings in and around Magen David.
