by LechuVnelcha | Jan 29, 2015 | Boro Park, LVN Events, North America
Although I have been exceptionally blessed to know Rebbetzin Fink personally, I had never been privileged to attend a LVN event myself, though I had certainly heard enough about it. I wanted the opportunity to actually experience LVN in Boro Park, so I decided go to the Chanukah mesibah, and I am so very glad that I did. Entering Rebbetzin Fink’s home on 60th street, the venue of the weekly shiur in Boro Park, as well as the location of the Chanukah program, gives you a peek into the hub of LVN itself. When you walk into her dining room, which I have done many times, you automatically feel enveloped in its warmth, which definitely reflects on the hostess herself. Tonight, there was a delightful spread laid out on the table to celebrate the Chag; doughnuts, latkes, salads, fruit and candy to tempt any palate. And yet as the girls poured in through the front door it was obvious that they had not come to satisfy their culinary appetite; they had come to feed their souls. And they were not disappointed.
The program began with a shiur, given of course by Rebbetzin Fink herself. She spoke about the ideal way to connect to Hashem, the very human emotions of love which should be directed to the Creator. She expounded on the azus d’kedushah of the Chashmona’im, the fierce spiritual brazenness which enabled them to conquer the Yevanim who are symbolized by the leopard, known for its boldness in the animal kingdom. And she gave the girls a lesson to take with them on the 7th night of Chanukah. Never give up in your quest to serve Hashem. Keep trying to succeed in your struggles, because the fight itself reflects on your sincere desire to overcome the yetzer hara and grow ever closer to the Ribbono shel Olam. The girls were intently focused on every word, drinking in the inspiration that was sure to keep them focused on the goal in the challenges of their lives.
The girls were then privileged to see an audio-visual presentation that featured Harav Mattisyahu Solomon shlita, one of the Gedolei Hador and the Mashgiach of Bais Medrash Gevoha in Lakewood. In measured words that signified how important he felt the message was, he spoke about how vital it was for girls to attend LVN shiurim. He emphasized how LVN enables them to continue to be inspired and hold close their ideals regarding their roles as the future mothers of Klal Yisrael. It was a message that resonated with the audience.
There followed another video which automatically drew in the crowd who responded with exclamations of delight – a video of the very recent LVN Shabbaton. From the responses of the girls, quite a few who had obviously been at the Shabbaton and who were seeing themselves in the video, it was obvious that it had been a remarkable weekend to remember. I myself was quite amazed at the footage shown. It gave off such vibes of camaraderie, optimism and amazing inspiration. I wish I could have been there myself.
The next scheduled activity was the hachnasas kallah package party, a great way to integrate the mitzvah of tzedakah with some good-natured bidding over prettily wrapped packages. The prizes were meant to entice the girls to give their hard-earned cash to kallos in need and it was quite a success. The girls responded very generously, enjoying themselves while raising well over $2,000 for the Hachnasas Kallah Fund.
And then the climax of the evening; the kumzitz led by none other than Malky Giniger, the highly acclaimed and very talented singer. I don’t know if I can adequately describe the emotionally charged atmosphere felt in the room, as the girls poured out their hearts in song after song, attempting to draw ever closer to the Borei Olam through the music of the soul. Their voices harmonized so beautifully as they sang the words of tefillah, words of Tanach and words of Tehillim, each song a reflection of the yearning of the neshamah to make an ever-greater connection to our Father in heaven. It was touching and inspiring to see the girls so emotionally invested in the moment.
There is no doubt that everyone who came to the LVN Chanukah mesibah that evening took something very special home with them that night. The feeling that they are so fortunate to be part of something uniquely exceptional; to belong to a group that recognizes that we are gifted with a sacred mission; a mission that Rebbetzin Fink emphasizes at every opportunity. “You are part of the Am Hanivchar – realize how lucky you are that you were chosen and make the most of every opportunity for growth, to constantly strive to develop a stronger connection with He who gave you this gift.” Which perfectly encapsulates LVN’s mission statement – to go forth and carry on in life, while focusing on the goal of making every minute count in the life Hashem has given you.
Tzippy Zager
by LechuVnelcha | Jan 29, 2015 | Boston, General branch info, New LVN Branch, North America
The story of how Lechu V’Nelcha Boston began is one of such hashgachah pratis that it deserves special mention. Last July, Rebbetzin Fink’s cousin, who lives in Boston, gave birth to a little baby boy. However due to the baby’s early birth, the bris was postponed. At the age of nine weeks, the baby was finally able to come home, baruch Hashem. In planning the bris the parents were told that in the case of a postponed bris, the date of the bris is calculated as 7 full days after the day the baby was brought home. Since the baby came home on a Friday, this would mean that the bris would be held on the following Friday.
Rebbetzin Fink knew that her presence at this bris would mean a lot to her cousins, since they don’t have family in Boston. But driving to Boston for the bris on Friday, and then getting back home to Brooklyn in time for Shabbos, was just not doable. There seemed to be no way for her to participate in this simchah. And then the baby caught a slight cold. Nothing serious, baruch Hashem, but enough of a reason for the mohel to say that he would be more comfortable with performing the bris on Sunday. Rebbetzin Fink happily made plans to drive up to Boston that Motzoei Shabbos and her trip went so smoothly that she was even able to catch some of the Selichos in the shul in Boston. The bris went as planned and Rebbetzin Fink was thrilled to be able to share in the joy of the baby’s bris with her family.
Now, here is where things got interesting. There was a Rav at the bris by the name of Rabbi Levin. Rabbi Levin’s daughters had gone to Bais Yaakov seminary and had been fortunate enough to have had Rebbetzin Fink as their teacher. When Rabbi Levin was approached by Rebbetzin Fink regarding the possibility of starting a branch of LVN in Boston, his interest was piqued since he recognized her name because of his daughters’ experiences in seminary. “Coincidentally”, he was giving a shiur that very evening to the post-seminary Bais Yaakov girls in Boston, and he was excited about presenting the idea of LVN to them at the shiur. Had the bris not been held on Sunday, Rebbetzin Fink would not have been able to go. Because she was able to attend the bris, she met Rabbi Levin. And, as the saying goes, the rest is history. The girls in Boston can now claim with pride that they too are part of the network of ruchniyus called Lechu V’Nelcha.
Tzippy Zager
by LechuVnelcha | Oct 21, 2014 | Alumni testimonial, LVN participant testimonials, LVN Retreats, Testimonials
What began as a weekly shiur given by Rebbetzin Dinah Fink in Brooklyn, slowly evolved into a global program including, Shabbatonim, Chol Hamoed trips, and retreats, offering post – seminary girls of all ages and all walks of life an opportunity to come together to change and grow.
‘’I’ve been part of this program for several years,’’ says Liba.* ‘’It’s for girls who are seeking to remain inspired. Not everyone is teaching, and it is difficult to remain spiritually connected while working day in and day out.’’
Rebbetzin Fink has created a calendar of meaningful and fulfilling activities, such as the delivery of food packages for Oneg Shabbos, evening trips to places like the Living Torah Museum, and shiurim. The highlight of the programs is the annual summer retreat.
‘’This past summer was my third retreat,’’ says Rivka Leah.* ‘’I met Rebbetzin Fink three years ago, and she encouraged me to join. She said, ‘It could really change your life.’ It sounded ridiculous to me. How could ten days change your life? But it really did. When I look at the before and after of each retreat, there’s a stark difference in the way I think and act.’’
The days begin and end with a shiur by Rabbi Todros Miller, vice principal of Gateshead Seminary. The focus of the last two retreats were the thirteen Ikrei Emunah (principals of faith). ‘’The shiurim are brilliant,’’ says Shainy,* originally of London and now a madrichah in Israel. ‘’Rabbi Miller dispels many kindergarten myths about our relationship with Hashem. I used to believe in Hashem now I know there’s a G-d.’’
‘’You feel that you come to your own conclusions with the shiurim. You’re not being told something in a preachy style, which is very thrilling, ‘’ explains Michal,* who is an active participant and has attended two summer retreats. ‘’The Ani Maamins now have a whole different meaning for me. It gave us foundation in emunah, which no one gets in school, because it’s geared to us-mature young women. And it’s something we can hold onto the entire year.’’
Following the shiur and breakfast, the group hikes in obscure mountainous regions where they do their fair share of singing, learning and enjoying good old-fashioned camaraderie. Other days there are outdoor activities such as boating. On each hike or bus ride, Rebbetzin Fink gives a short shiur.
‘’This year many of them were focused on preparing for marriage,’’ Shainy says. ‘’We would sit on a mountain near the Kinneret and she’d share these beautiful thoughts. …It’s sophisticated stuff. Things come up and we discuss them and learn so much.
‘’Looking over the Kinneret, singing ‘Tzama Lecha Nafshi,’ running down the mountain trails singing – the combination of nature and incredible shiurim while you are between heaven and earth is an ethereal experience.’’
Each evening Rabbi Miller’s shiur is followed by supper and a light and enjoyable night activity such a laughter therapy or a talent show.
‘’Shabbos is amazing,’’ Shainy continues. ‘’We sing the most beautiful zemiros. Rebbetzin Fink explains the background and beauty of each zemer in a nutshell. For example, she gave us a deeper understanding of ‘Yonah Matz’ah Bo Mano’ach’ and how the neshamah seeks menuchah on Shabbos. After last year’s retreat in the Alps, I returned on a high and went back to work. I thought, ‘How can I still be that person I became?’ So each Shabbos I sang the same tunes for zemiros and had in mind the lessons from them that Rebbetzin Fink had taught.’’
‘’Shabbos became a different experience for us,’’ explains Rivka Leah. ‘’I took upon myself not to read any fiction on Shabbos because of it. More than that, though, for those of us living away from family, Shabbos is the hardest day of the week. Since going on the retreats, where Shabbos is the most beautiful experience, every Shabbos when I’m feeling lonely, I can tap into those special Shabbosos, and then I’m no longer alone.’’
There is tremendous achdus,’’ says Liba. ‘’There are girls from Brooklyn, Monsey, Canada, Brazil Switzerland, France, England, and Eretz Yisrael. I was in my mid thirtees and much older than most girls when I went on the retreat two years ago, but we were all in it together. All of us want to move forward, onward, and upward, the mantra of Lechu V’Nelcha, what those words actually mean.’’
‘’It felt nice to form a new circle of friends because we no longer have the same relationships with our old friends, who are married and have moved on in life,’’ agreed Michal. ‘’We stay in touch all year even though we’re from all over the globe. I met girls I never would have met any other way.’’
I can say that now my closet friends are girls I met on the retreat,’’ says Shainy. ‘’Many of us get together throughout the year.’’
‘’Everyone has their personal challenges,’’ remarks Rivka Leah, ‘’but on the retreat everything is placed in a positive light because we’re no longer going through our nisayon on our own. We have a network of friends, and we can support each other.’’
‘’One of the most positive aspects of the retreat is the chance to get away from everything,’’ says Michal. ‘’We’re on a different planet where we can recharge our batteries. When you look back at those pictures, sitting on a mountain with no-one around, you can put yourself right back there. The inspiration lasts for months afterward.’’
‘’Just as Shabbos is an oasis during the week,’’ Shainy adds, ‘’we try to recreate that concept during our entire retreat. We don’t bring work along. Just as there are things we can’t speak about on Shabbos, there are certain topics, like shidduchim, that we avoid; we like to joke, ‘Nisht oif Lechu V’Nelcha geredt.’ Everyone is very open to each other, though. We are not embarrassed to speak about anything that is on our hearts and minds.
‘’The French Alps are really beautiful. On one hike, we were walking through a forest on the mountain. All of a sudden, we saw light streaming through the trees. We followed it and came to a clearing. I had never seen such a beautiful sight in my life.
‘’There was such emotion and such a strong connection to Hashem at that moment, that I spontaneously raised my arms and sang a song. A friend crept up and snapped a photo. I keep it in my siddur, and every time I look at it, it evokes that same strong connection to Hashem in me.’’
‘’Are you who you are during the retreat – the growing, inspired, connected girl? Or are you who you are at work?’’
Questions like this stoke many a fiery discussion during the retreats. ‘’Rebbetzin Fink explained to us that this is a glimpse into your potential, who you could become,’’ says Shainy. ‘’After each retreat, we try to change small things for the long term. This made me a different person. I want to serve Hashem and have such clarity.’’
‘’Lechu V’Nelcha and particularly the retreat, gives continuity to my Bais Yaakov education,’’ says Michal. ‘’The shiurim are geared toward us, women who are out of school, in the work force, dealing with what we deal with. It gives us solid hashkafah, and it has kept me grounded and moving in the right direction.’’
‘’After the retreat, Rebbetzin Fink gives us a weekly teleconference shiur on emunah that keeps the retreat alive, notes Rivka Leah. ‘’For example, during a recent shiur Rebbetzin Fink stressed that Hashem’s love for us is infinite and unconditional. She said:
‘’We must strengthen ourselves in that knowledge because when we experience a challenge, we tend to feel that the nisayon is indicative of Hashem’s rejection of us. The yetzer hara makes us reflect that feeling of rejection by encouraging us to reject Hashem. We should rather introspect during times of challenge, because that process brings us closer to Him and His love for us.’’
For many participants, the changes they make after the retreat are simply manifestations of the inner transformations that have taken place. One participant came to realize that living in an apartment on her own was not spiritually proactive for her, and she now wants to become a madrichah and do something more meaningful.
Shira* came to the realization that her job was not suited to her and actually hindered her growth. The retreat gave her the resolve to leave the job and find more suitable employment.
‘’My entire outlook on life has changed,’’ says Rivka Leah. ‘’I always remember how we were sitting on the French Alps – it was so quiet, no one was around, and we were singing ‘Yedid Nefesh.’ At that moment we felt so clearly that Hashem is our true Yedid Nefesh.
‘’These moments stay with you forever. We don’t feel the same despair that used to weigh us down because we can now remember those times and feel that Hashem is our loving father, our Yedid Nefesh.’’
‘’The experience is life-altering,’’ affirms Liba, ‘’because it also allows us to maintain a connection with mechanchos whom we have the opportunity to meet. To me, being part of Lechu V’Nelcha, I can clearly see the difference in my hashkafah and dress code.
‘’Even though I am now married with a baby, baruch Hashem, I still think of myself as a Lechu V’Nelcha girl. My husband who is about my age, says he saw the difference between me and many girls he met who weren’t connected and focused and had no anchor.
‘’I think of the Rabbi Miller’s and Rebbetzin Fink’s shiurim all the time. They come back to you in flashes of inspiration. The retreats helped create uplifting moments, and I tap into them even now, three years later.
Lechu V’Nelcha has opened doors of opportunity and transformation. It offers a new mindset, a strong social network, the ability to stay connected to your true ratzon and life-goals and the opportunity for connections to mentors such as Mrs. Chani Juravel, Mrs. Debbie Greenblatt and more.
As Rebbetzin Fink says poignantly, ‘’Instead of life being a waiting game, fore these young women it’s become a living game.’’
*Not their real names
Write up based on an article written for the Binah magazine.
by LechuVnelcha | Aug 28, 2014 | LVN Retreats
It’s a break from routine. It’s a getaway to green hills, blue skies and mountain air. A whirlwind of good times, good learning, and good friends. It’s a trip of connection. It’s a journey to a world of harmony, striving, and joy. It’s a chance to just be. It’s a Lechu V’Nelcha retreat.
Memories from G. S.
It is with a sense of yearning that I remember waking up in that quaint little cottage set, in Sdei Chermon, at the tip of the mountain. Davening with the panorama of the North spread before me. A delicious breakfast of Tenuva’s finest and Rabbi Miller’s morning shiur. His deep voice thundering the question, “Why is Hakadosh Baruch Hu called Makom?” And another question, and another source, all coming together to this conclusion: “Without Makom, there is no existence…when we call Hashem Makom, we are saying “I do not have feet to stand on my own. You are my Makom.” It captures our minds and penetrates our souls and rides with us throughout our day.
I remember Motzoei Shabbos, this delicious pool on a nearby moshav. And sitting afterwards in a circle and singing “Al tira avdi Yaakov.” I remember the shores of the Kinneret, and these colorful fish swimming at the bottom that you could see straight through the clear waters.
I remember climbing up this very tall and very narrow bird tower, hundreds of steps, and then sitting there on the top, with all the world laid out before us, and listening to Rebbetzin Fink ask: “What comes first, thought or emotion? How do you know?” And the answer: “מח שולט על הלב”.
I remember this sweltering hike, culminating in a waterfall, which we stood under and let the cold waters flow over us and renew us. I remember biking at Rosh Hanikra and sitting by the rocks at the Mediterranean and listening to the Rambam’s Shemone Perokim.
Oh, how sweet were those days. Is there a group like a Lechu V’Nelcha group? Girls of such refinement, such intelligence, such consideration for each other? And Rebbetzin Fink at the helm of it all, our beloved teacher, laughing with us and joining in the fun and yet always gently guiding, setting an example, unobtrusively teaching wrong from right.
If there’s one word that comes to mind, it is connection. Connection with each other and connection to our Father above. All my friends, all the girls from that trip, even if I would not recall their name, if I would meet them today, I would feel a kinship. A kinship of the soul that says: “We were at a Lechu V’Nelcha retreat together.”
Writing this now, I feel like I’d just like to grab my little black Lechu V’Nelcha backpack (which I still have!), and run up to the hills of the Galil, and sit on the green grass, and be a part of Lechu V’Nelcha again!
by LechuVnelcha | Aug 1, 2009 | LVN Retreats
Dear Retreat Member,
It is with excitement and anticipation that we eagerly welcome you to our upcoming LVN Summer Retreat in the French Alps. In a matter of days, you’ll be on your way to meet girls from Brooklyn, Baltimore, London, Yerushalayim, and Europe, as we all join together for the same purpose: to relax and rejuvenate through an enriching and meaningful vacation in La Plagne.
La Plagne, a famous ski-resort area is a gorgeous chain of mountains in the Northern Alps of France. In the summer, lush green meadows appear below the white snow-capped mountains and the clear blue skies, creating truly stunning surroundings. We will be staying in the Hotel “Les Rhododendrons”, a Club Hotel designed in a Youth Hostel style which is quaint and cozy to suit our needs. You will come to enjoy the peace and quiet and drink in the breathtaking scenery. Great mountain trails, endless hiking routes and stunning scenery make La Plagne a summer paradise which is why we chose this specific mountain area.
This summer experience will be spiritually rejuvenating, socially enriching, and physically invigorating! A fantastic program has been prepared, combining outstanding shiurim and invigorating outdoor activities daily.
Following a scrumptious breakfast and ‘packing lunch sandwiches’, our day will begin with a morning shiur at 9:30-11:00 given by Rabbi Todros Miller on the topic of the 13 Ikrim of Emunah. We will then set out on our outdoor excursions spending most of the day outdoors amidst the gorgeous Alps. The daily trips will include boating, gondolas, biking, hiking, adventure trails, chairlifts, cable cars, scenic walks and much more. A hot, delicious supper will await you when you return to the hotel, (all food is under the hashgacha of Rav Padova from Switzerland), which will be followed by an evening shiur at 8:30, for about an hour, given by Rabbi Miller, on various perakim of Tehillim. In addition, Rebbetzin Dinah Fink will be giving shiurim on Shemonah Perakim L’Rambam whilst we’re on our daily outings.
Our hikes will lead us to breathtaking views, where you will feel small and big at the same time as you stand at the top of the majestic world in front of you – feeling that you’re in the lap of Hashem Himself. You will find hiking in the Alps to be the most enjoyable and exhilarating experience.
We look forward to spending an inspiring and relaxing two weeks together with you. As always, with LVN, we’ll soar ONWARD and UPWARD as we unite for two spectacular weeks of spiritual growth and physical rejuvenation, in the perfect surroundings!
Wishing you a safe journey and eagerly awaiting your arrival,
Lechu V’Nelcha
See pictures of Lechu V’Nelcha summer retreat in La Plagna, France
