A BBQ, a bonfire, a Shabbaton, and an important sicha highlighted yet another great week at Shvilei.

The Litz family graciously allowed us to use their apartment near the Tayelet – overlooking the Old City – as the site of the Lag b'Omer BBQ. After classes Monday morning, we gave the talmidim a few hours off, before we met to walk from the Yeshiva to the Litz's apartment. Most of us arrived to find Joey already cooking up a storm – something he excels at – while the rest of us enjoyed the view and the time to hang out while eating a lot, and I mean a lot, of meat.

After we finished the BBQ, we walked back towards the Yeshiva. stopping midway to visit Rachamim, the owner of the nursery on the corner of Emek Refaim and Pierre Koenig, who hosted us. In the shadow of the British Mandate pillbox next to the road, we had a massive bonfire. While we sang , danced, listened to stories of Eretz Yisrael and roasted marshmallows , we had a great time watching the embers fly up into the air.

Tuesday, we headed off on a short tiyul to Nachal Tamar, near Ein Gedi and finished off the Lag b'Omer celebrations there.

Wednesday's sicha featured R'Ari Shames who came to speak to us about going up to Har HaBayit. It was an important sicha, not only for those guys who will go up with him in the near future, but also as a way to remind us of what we are missing when we go to the Kotel. Rav Shames , using the words of the Rambam and diagrams of the site, detailed the visit, its purpose and the frame of mind that one must have to participate in this unique opportunity. It is an opportunity for tefilla on the holiest site available to us in the world. We go as olim to daven to Hashem and not as tourists.

This Shabbat is a shabbaton in Chevron, where we will be davening kabbalat Shabbat in Maarat HaMachpelah and touring parts of the Jewish quarter during Shabbat. Rav Mann and Avinoam's families will be joining us on our excursion there. We look forward to a very , very meanuingful and emotional Shabbat.

Shabbat shalom !