Ohr Torah Stone | Features | Newsletter Winter 2002

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OTS Newsletter - Winter 2002

"I love Gemara"

saya Nechama Leah Rakover. "It is my passion." Nothing surprising about that statement, coming as it does from a Bruria Scholar. What makes it surprising is that Nechama's upbringing could not have been further removed from the Beit Midrash at Midreshet Lindenbaum, in every way.
Nechama was born in the Czech Republic into a Gentile family which had no links to Judaism. And yet, for as long as she can remember, she was interested in Jewish culture. "Every Czech child knows about the Maharal of Prague and the Golem," she remembers. "But with me it ignited a spark."

While at university in Prague, she began reading voraciously about Judaism. Finally, in 1995, she converted; soon after, she moved to Israel. In Israel, Nechama studied at a number of institutions, reaching a remarkable level of erudition in a relatively short time.

"I came to Bruria because I wanted to devote myself to full-time study," she says. "This is the most challenging program I could find."
Nechama is married to Mordechai Rackover, a Canadian immigrant who is a graduate of OTS's Yeshivat Hamivtar - Orot Lev. Together, the couple intends to spend several years abroad, where they plan to devote themselves to inspiring others through Jewish education. "Having come so far myself," she says, "I have a tremendous desire to encourage others."

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