Montreal is First Chabad Yeshiva to Reopen in North America

By COLlive reporter

For 77 years, the Rabbinical College of Quebec has educated, elevated, and inspired the global Chabad community. Affectionately known as “Montreal Zal”, thousands of young men have experienced the realness of Chassidishkeit and Yiddishkeit within its hallowed walls.

From Australia to Israel to the Americas, Rabbonim, Shluchim, businessmen, activists, leaders, fathers, grandfathers, and a wide swath of chassidim are proud to call themselves alumni of this timeless institution.

All that came to a screeching halt when the coronavirus broke out and Canada ordered the closing of all educational institutions and strict isolation rules.

To date, Quebec has 54,054 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 5,242 people have died, according to the CBC news. Quebec was the first province in Canada to reopen schools since the start of the pandemic in March.

With the green light given, the Montreal Zal also announced it is resuming in-person learning becoming the first Lubavitch Yeshiva in North America to fully reopen.

Greeting the bochurim back after a long period of separation were the Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Leibel Kaplan and menahel Rabbi Mordechai Wenger.

All social distancing precautions and guidelines were in place for the return, a staff member told COLlive.com. “Shiurim continued online for the bochurim who are currently out of the country.”

Rabbi Kaplan himself was seen delivering the shiurim – both in-person and online – from behind a protection glass for his safety.

‏This past Thursday night, a farbrengen was led by Mashpia Rabbi Sholom Ber Cohen. The new normal didn’t stop it from continuing through the wee hours of the morning. “The bochurim were ecstatic to be back in Yeshiva…”