Rabbonim, families, and friends, gathered together on Sunday, 17 Sivan, to celebrate with the musmachim of Achei Tmimim in Crown Heights, and to witness them receiving their smicha certificates. Full of nachas and excitement, a crowd joined together in the Chovevei Torah Zal to watch as a new cadre of young rabbis received their smicha.
The bochurim of Achei Tmimim spent the past two years learning smicha, were regularly tested by their teachers, and were farhered by prominent rabbis such as Rabbi Yossi Barber of the Manhattan and Lemaan Yilmedu Smicha Program, and Rabbi Tuvya Kasimov of the Crown Heights Beis Din.
At the Chag Hasmicha, the crowd heard from faculty, parents, and bochurim of Achei. Staff members Rabbi Shloimy Ceitlin and Rabbi Boruch Kalmenson opened the event by wishing the musmachim mazal tov and sharing divrei Torah; and Rabbi Shmuly Kesselman, director of the Smicha program in Achei Tmimim, addressed the new rabbis charging them to commit to living up to what it means to have smicha.
Then, one of the graduates, Rabbi Leibel Zwiebel, addressed the crowd and discussed Chassidus’s explanation behind a halachah in Hilchos Shabbos studied as part of Smicha. Rabbi S. Deitch, of Virgnia, shared some thoughts and appreciation from a parent’s perspective.
Rabbi Levi Tzukernik, Menahel of Achei Tmimim, then spoke about the uniqueness of each of the musmachim, and presented them their certificates.
Staff members in attendance included Rabbi Dovid Losh, Rabbi Yehuda Fenton, Rabbi Yossi Paltiel, Rabbi Yaakov Weiss, Rabbi Ben Bursk, Rabbi Menachem Cunin, and Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Geisinsky.
