By COLlive reporter
Photos by Y. Belinko
Over 650 people attended a gala banquet in the Ramada hotel in Jerusalem on Thursday that was described as nothing less than historic.
Guests came to mark the 100th anniversary of the institutions of Yeshivas Toras Emes in Israel’s capital which include a kindergarden, cheder, yeshiva ketana, yeshiva gedolah, smicha program and the Tzemach Tzedek kollel and shul in the Old City.
Past and present were blended with memories being recalled and the future being secured, thanks to the honorees Akiva Brewnmaster of Australia and Shlomo Markowitz of Mexico.
Rabbi Shea Uzevitz, the long-time director, said he does not see himself as merely a CEO of an institution, but rather “a Shliach of the Rebbe to manage Toras Emes as he wanted it to be.”
He proudly pointed out that Toras Emes was the only institution in Israel that the Rebbe agreed to be its President. “My wish is that the holy institution will grow and prosper,” he said.
The celebration was a personal one for many dignitaries. The guest speaker, Rabbi Leibel Groner, Mazkir of the Rebbe, told of his father who raised funds for Toras Emes.
Another example was Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Segal, head of the Tzemach Tzedek Kollel alongside Mashpia Rabbi Chaim Sholom Deitsch.
“My father, R’ Shlomo Yehuda Segal OBM, was one of the first students when the Yeshiva was founded in Chevron in 5672 (1911-12). The impression that was left on my father from the years he spent there has influenced him for many years.
Rabbi Segal, who leads farbrengens in chassidic communities around the world, has himself learned in Toras Emes and later taught as a maggid shiur and Mashpia. Today, his son is a maggid shiur there.
Speakers at the evening, among them acclaimed Talmud commentator Rabbi Adin Even Israel (Steinsaltz), extolled the quality education given in Toras Emes.
“Our teachers instilled in us a chassidic ‘geshmak’ and wisely connected the young ones to ‘live’ with 770 and Rebbe,” recalled R’ Mendel Wilhelm, an alumnus who teaches in the Oholei Menachem Talmud Torah in Postville, Iowa.
Wilhelm was one of the dozens of educators, rabbis and Shluchim who wrote in to the tribute journal, showing how Toras Emes has raised and propelled them to dedicate their lives to connect others to Torah and Mitzvos.
Music superstar Lipa Schmeltzer sang Chabad niggunim with the Toras Emes Boys Choir. The dinner was produced by Yoni Kahana of YKG.
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The dinner was beautiful, run by an amazing staff. There were many women in attendance just not shown in pictures. Not all alumni were mentioned, only those that contributed to the yeshiva;
there was a womens section
Why was there not a section for women,surely the wives of the teachers and rosh yeshivas played an important role in insuring the success of the yeshiva for 100 years?
My brother learnt in toras emmes for the better part of 6 years why was he not notified and there are loads of others who learnt my not as long as him but WHY werent they also notified only the so called important ones were
I learnt in Toras Emes for many years yet he was not notified of this event. Why?