Milestone Marked in Tzfas

Tzeirei HaShluchim’s 13 years of success and the marking of 60 years of the passing of the Rebbe’s brother, Yisrael Aryeh Leib, were honored Tuesday night at a dinner and farbrengen event attended by rabbis, Shluchim and Anash members.

The evening began with a gathering of guests and current students for the recitation of Tehillim at the Tzfat gravesite of Reb Yisrael Aryeh Leib Schneerson OBM, before continuing with the formal program at the yeshiva’s campus named in his honor.

Participants from around the world followed the program live via webcast on the yeshiva’s website.

Rabbi Chaim Kaplan – successor to his father, the Shliach and founder of the yeshiva, Rabbi Aryeh Leib Kaplan OBM – opened the event by telling the history of the yeshiva’s establishment.

“After creating a kolel in Tzfat according to the Rebbe’s directive, the first agency my father created in Tzfat was a gemach which he received permission from the Rebbe to name ‘Keren Yisrael Aryeh Leib,'” he said. “And the last he created was Yeshivas Tzeirei HaShluchim, which eventually acquired its current campus that is also named for the Rebbe’s brother.”

In honor of the yahrtzeit, current student Yisrael Aryeh Leib Kievman conducted a siyum on tractate Pesachim, which he and several other talmidim learned baal peh as part of the yeshiva’s learning mivtza. Kievman grew up on Shlichus in Liverpool, England, where R’ Yisrael Aryeh Leib lived and passed away.

Clarinetist Rabbi Chaim Kumer then dazzled the audience with a musical performance.

The event’s Dvar Malchus featured a pirsom rishon from JEM and its director Rabbi Elkana Shmotkin prepared specially for the event and on behalf of the dinner’s honoree, R’ Hillel Dovid Krinsky, a businessman and supporter of the yeshiva.

The video presented a sicha said on motzei Yud-Gimmel Iyar, 1987, in which the Rebbe teaches a lesson to be learned from his brother’s name.

Speaking in praise of the yeshiva’s accomplishments, growth, and efforts, Rabbi Mordechai Bistritzky, Rov of Chabad’s Tzfat community, reminisced about his time teaching in the yeshiva prior to succeeding his father as mara d’asra.

Additional words were heard from across the atlantic, via video link-up, from Merkos Chairman Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, Vice Merkos Chairman Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, Colel Chabad Director Rabbi Sholom Duchman (who participated in acquiring and developing the yeshiva’s campus) and NCFJE Chairman Rabbi Shea Hecht, a member of the yeshiva’s Vaad HaShluchim.

“Due to my personal experience with and knowledge of the yeshiva from when my son attended, I have no doubt that this is the absolute best place for today’s young shluchim, begashimus and beruchnius,” stated Hecht.

The multimedia experience continued with a showing of “The Yeshiva that Reached the Summit,” a dynamic video presentation on the yeshiva’s history.

Deputy Minister of Education R’ Menachem Eliezar Moses spoke next about the importance of the yeshiva based on his personal knowledge of Chabad activities around the world.

“Close to 40 years ago I personally was on this very spot as an attendant to the Vishnitzer Rebbe, the Divrei Chaim, when he stayed in the Pisgat Hotel that used to be here, before being transformed into the beautiful campus it is today,” shared Moses.

Yisrael Aryeh Leib’s yahrtzeit was further honored by Rabbi Mordechai Shmuel Ashkenazi, Kfar Chabad’s mara d’asra, who as a child knew the Rebbe’s brother and merited to hear many stories about him from elder members of Anash through the years.

The evening also featured 6 students testing baal peh on Pesachim by the Yesod HaMalah Rabbi Yacov Reitzes, and was followed by Rosh HaYeshiva Rabbi Sholom Ber Hertzel‘s description of the yeshiva’s high level of learning, and innovative and caring methods for helping students overcome challenges and achieve their greatest potential.

Honoree R’ Hillel Dovid Krinsky received a Founders Award and blessed the yeshiva with continued success. Renowned educator and Shliach Rabbi Shmuel Lew of London, England (a Vaad HaShluchim member) shared from his vast experiences as an educator as well as his family’s personal connection with Yisrael Aryeh Leib’s family.

Rabbi Sholmo Azeraf, Menahel Ruchi of the yeshiva, ended the event by presenting awards to all students who completed Pesachim baal peh.

With musical accompaniment, the hall broke out in joyful dancing and then regrouped for a full zal farbrengen until the morning.

Yeshiva Tzeirei HaShluchim wishes to thank all the participants, and expresses its gratitude for the efforts of administrator Rabbi Menachem Traxler and Fleischman Productions.