When we arrived here, there was nothing but bare land.
Everyone was in favor of it, but no one was taking charge.
Itamar and I found ourselves
with a group of several dozen boys and girls, religious and secular,
taking up hammers, nails, saws, and building the Beit Midrash with our own hands,
We understood that we weren't just building walls
but building a certain path.
This is a place for Jewish renewal, for finding one's way,
asking questions,
delving deeply,
both in textual study and personally.
Men and women, religious and secular.
It's a place for dialogue.
I don't think I could study seriously
the way I'm learning here, anywhere else.
The bonds and friendships that I've built here.
The language, and so many things I've learned about myself and the world.
Suddenly you feel confident about the knowledge you're acquiring,
about your ability to express yourself in writing, in a broad range of areas.
I think that the ability to create a core place of curiosity
in a group that is committed to the process,
is one of the incredible things that takes place here.
It makes me very happy to see that there are both boys and girls here
who come here for higher studies, humanities,
Jewish studies.
It truly reflects our town's vision.
The goal of this campaign is to help us build a permanent Beit Midrash.
It will be unique, just like our path, our ideology.
The question isn't just whether we believe in God
and fulfill these dreams,
but also: "Does He believe in us?"
And: "Are we worthy of that belief?"
That's the question I ask myself each day.
We built this Beit Midrash with our own hands.
It's a beit midrash of togetherness and Ahavat Yisrael, love between Jews.
We will also build the next Beit Midrash together,
with a lot of love. And we need your help.