Mishmar Attendance is Through the Roof!

Mishmar is brought to a whole new level this year with the change to weekly meetings and teachings from our very own North Shore Rabbiem. Last Thursday, Rabbi Kahana hosted Mishmar, during which he discussed Parashat Vayera. It was a great experience for the large number of students that attended.

The focus of the Mishmar was dedicated to the idea of laughter, and it related back to how Sarah laughed at the idea that she, as a 90-year old, could bear a child. Depending on the interpretation, Avraham also laughed at this idea because the concept of Sarah conceiving at her age was so crazy to him, and G-d believed he deserved to be rebuked. According to other commentators, Avraham’s belief was so strong that he did not need to be rebuked and his faith in G-d overpowered all else. However, Sarah ended up having a child and was proven wrong; Therefore, she named her child Yitzchak, as we are know.

Both concepts relate back to the resilience of the Jews through proving to other nations that do not believe in G-d that we are not something to laugh at, despite what they may believe. As Mark Twain points out, Jews are such a small portion of the population, yet we have outlived many of our enemies that were once much larger in size. The advancements Jews have made in literature and science are astronomical. The Jews should not be fazed by the laughter of other nations because, at the end of the day, we will have the last laugh. Mayah Rosenzweig states, “It was a very inspiring and moving lecture that allowed students to truly connect with the issues the Jews are currently facing.” Rabbi Kahana’s theme brings an important message back to our community: despite everything Hamas is forcing Israel to endure, and whoever may laugh at us, the Jewish people will persevere.