New Midrasha to Open in Shlomi Despite Tensions on the Border

The "Tachlit-Shlomi" midrasha will open next year under the leadership of Rabbi Bat-El Kosovsky, the sister of Maj. Benaya Rein, of blessed memory. The "Tachlit-Shlomi" midrasha will open next year under the leadership of Rabbi Bat-El Kosovsky, the sister of Maj. Benaya Rein, of blessed memory. The midrasha will open with about 35 students who have already completed the registration process for the new institution in the community of Shlomi. The initiative to establish the midrasha was born after community leaders and residents approached the midrasha in Acre, asking it to open an additional branch for girls before and after national service in Shlomi. The community, which underwent prolonged upheaval over two and a half years of evacuation to hotels across the country and rocket, UAV, and drone attacks, is now in the midst of community rehabilitation efforts. According to the project leaders, the midrasha is intended to serve as a spiritual and social anchor that will help strengthen the civic resilience of residents returning to their homes. "We feel there needs to be a strong home front there. If we have the ability to come as a strong family, and also with a group of girls who will add strength, a positive atmosphere, and be part of the community, then 'here I am,'" Rabbi Kosovsky said.

For Rabbi Kosovsky, the decision to leave the center of the country, with the family sacrifices and the geographic distance from her parents, carries historical and family significance. Kosovsky is the daughter of Hagit and Shimon Rein, and the sister of Maj. Benaya Rein, of blessed memory, commander of the "Koch Benaya" armored force, who was killed in combat in Lebanon in 2006. "My last connection with Benaya was on his way to base," Kosovsky recalls of the meeting held twenty years ago. "We spoke about the mission before him, defending the residents of the north. Those were the exact words we said when we parted. For me, moving to Shlomi and establishing the midrasha at this point in time are a direct continuation of what he began, and closing a circle of responsibility for this region."

It appears that the situation on the ground and the responsibility for rebuilding the north are deeply felt by the girls who recently enrolled in the midrasha. Security assessments have already affected the midrasha's early activity, when the official introductory day with the students, which was scheduled to take place in Shlomi, was moved at the last minute to Acre because of severe gathering restrictions. Even so, demand from students remained steady, showing the seriousness and sense of mission among those who registered. The midrasha describes its approach as "Torah that leads to action," combining theoretical study with active involvement in local community life in Shlomi. Alongside taking in the girls, the midrasha is also calling on additional families to move to the Western Galilee, in an effort to create a broad civic core that will join the efforts to rebuild the home front in the north.