Shaar Hamayim promotes Jewish learning as one path of integrating the breadth and depth of Jewish wisdom into our own j0urneys of walking humbly with, and within, the LORD. Shaar Hamayim will offer a Talmud Torah program for 5th/6th and 9th/10th graders which will both expose students to the foundational texts of Jewish culture and promote a Yiddishe kop by engaging in the critical thinking exercises of our ancestors but from a modern perspective.
Just as water is a source of life for the world, so is Torah a source of life for the world.
Song of Songs Rabbah 1:3
Shaar Hamayim will also inaugurate its Lehrhaus for adult learners through a series of noon-time seminars on kabbalah, ethics, midrash and Talmud.
Throughout the year, Shaar Hamayim will bring together families to celebrate our heritage within a community dedicated to sacred learning.
Shaar Hamayim, where Torah flows, is open.
What does the name mean?
The Water Gate, Shaar Hamayim, was one of 13 gates surrounding the courtyard of the Jerusalem Temple. In the biblical book of Nehemiah (Chapter 8), Ezra reads the Torah to men, women, and children at the gate upon their return from the Babylonian exile. He translates the Torah into Aramaic—since the returning refugees had forgotten Hebrew in the intervening years—and then he explains what the Torah means to this group of pioneers thirsty for Torah. Steven Fraade, a contemporary scholar at Yale University, describes Ezra as “double facing.” Ezra was facing the Torah at the same time he was facing his people. His task was to interpret the Torah in the face of his people's unique circumstances, challenges, and opportunities. That was 458 BCE—nearly 2500 years ago.
Five hundred year later, we hear again about Shaar Hamayim. The Mishnah, in tractate Sukkah (Chapter 5), describes the carnival atmosphere during Sukkot. "One who has never experienced the water-drawing festival of Sukkot, Simchat Beit HaShoeva," says the ancient text, "has never experienced joy." In preparation for the water offering at sunrise, the leaders of the Jewish community would join in all night celebrations including music, dance, gymnastics and juggling torches! Water was drawn from a well outside Shaar Hamayim, brought through the Water Gate accompanied by the blasts of the shofar, and then poured for libations beseeching God for rain and a bountiful harvest.
Shaar Hamayim aspires to double face Torah and today's generation of thirsty Jews by blending education with celebration as we reclaim our inheritance.
How can I possibly consider trusting anyone who doesn't know that מים is spelled with only one yod?!
I thought you would never ask! The Zohar understands that water flows with the pulse of the divine, יי, and spells מים as מיים in the phrase מיים חיים living waters or enlivening waters when citing the verse from the Song of Songs 4:15.
What's the symbolism behind the logo?
Karin Wilson of Wild Woman Design LLC contributed her significant talent to the Shaar Hamayim logo. Karin captured both the children's eager participation and the water libations of the Sukkot festival, Simchat Beit HaShoeva, which occurred during the days of the second Jerusalem Temple just inside Shaar Hamayim. Karin also drew down the divinity, יי, from המיים and lovingly infused the living waters.
Although the logo focuses on the children's activity, we embrace our communal (עם) responsibility to fill our children's vessels with love and song (שר) as we all sing to the LORD, יי, a new song (Psalm 149).
For more information contact Rav Shai at: RavShai@ShaarHamayim.com.