Tamar, (fake name) the wife of one of the avreichim in the “outstanding avreichim” project run by the Echad l’Echad Foundation, participated in a high school reunion.
Exactly one year ago I participated in something really fun which I highly recommend – a reunion with my high school class!
More than a decade has passed since we all parted ways throughout the country – to sheirut leumi, higher education, dating, weddings etc. and during these years so much has changed… head coverings, pregnancies, children, degrees, careers, new jobs and yet it’s like we never parted ways. The same jokes, same silliness as if we were spending a late night in school.
The afternoon of the reunion I entered Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) heading towards the reunion with Meirav and Rivka, two friends from our days at high school. After having a cup of coffee, Meirav (married to a past revered youth group counselor and who today works in hi tech) and Rivka (married to my cousin and I was the shadchan! And today is the assistant principal of a school,) proposed an interesting suggestion… we have 2 hours until the reunion, let’s go treat ourselves to a short shopping excursion! The excitement was felt in the air and I… didn’t know which hole to bury myself into. Just yesterday I sat with my husband Moshe and we decided that for the upcoming two years he will continue learning in Yeshiva and I, who pushed for the decision, said that I could make do with buying new things only once or twice a year…
We went out for our shopping spree, they shopped while I enjoyed their company but not the situation I was in. When I had a moment alone many thoughts ran through my head –
I’m already 29 years old and my husband is still sitting and learning? Is it really worth it? Why isn’t my husband like everyone else’s? Maybe it’s worth it to just give it all up?
What was meant to be a fun day turned out to be a day full of deep thought. What I didn’t know was that I would receive my answer to all of these questions only a few hours later…
The reunion was well worth it and when we finished eating all of the quiches and cakes we started discussing topic after topic, (obviously, kids and pregnancy were at the top of the list,) till we hit a subject which brought me back to the same feelings I had felt only a few short hours earlier – which vacation was the best one you’ve taken over the past couple of years?
I immediately entered quietly into myself… vacation? The most I’ve done was a vacation when my in laws took us up North with the whole clan in the summer.
And then Sara, one of the top girls from our class, who is married to Gadi, a 6th year medical student, called out without any shame: “We don’t have money for vacations! Gadi’s been a medical student for six years already and it doesn’t bother me. I know that I am giving up many things but we came to the conclusion that this is Gadi’s dream! When Gadi becomes a doctor, that will be our contribution to Am Yisrael!”
A year has passed since that reunion and throughout this year a lot has changed for us… Moshe announced that out of his entire yeshiva he was chosen to receive the 3 year stipend of 3,000 shekel a month which Echad l’Echad gives out just to sit and grow in his Torah learning! How proud I felt to hear that! My parents were so excited to hear the news! And how much easier financially it’s become for us since!
And most importantly, the feelings in my heart have changed completely – yes! Moshe’s mission is no less than that of Gadi’s, the doctor. I won't be going on hopping sprees and vacations in the upcoming years but I have much more than that… Moshe’s sweat is due to the fact that this is his mission in the world – to become a talmid chacham and a Gadol for the Jewish people!
And truthfully, today, in my eyes that is worth a ton more than most other things!
Today, י"ט כסלו, on the yarzheit of Rav Moshe Tzvi Neriya, Echad l’Echad is holding a 30 hour fundraising campaign.
Please, visit our site and donate to support the religious Zionist world of Torah.