A festive and uplifting atmosphere pervaded the Chassidic Technological Institute in Tzefat; it was otherwise an ordinary weekday, but the occasion was anything but ordinary. Forty-five students and shluchim of the institute reached a major milestone in their lives: receiving their semichah rabbinical ordination.
This annual event, known in the institute as Chag HaSemichah, was held with great fanfare and splendor, and was attended by the students, faculty members, rabbis, and mashpi’im of the Institute, along with a number of special guests.
The event was emceed by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Chamu, third-year Ram (Talmud instructor), who opened his speech by emphasizing the significance of the moment and the greatness of the students who dedicate themselves to Torah study, reaching the goal of le’asukei shemateta aliba dehilchata — studying in a way that leads to practical halachic application. He then invited the institute’s CEO, Rabbi Shneor Lipsker, to read the Rebbe’s letter for the Semichah celebration, along with the Rebbe’s chapter of Tehillim.
Rabbi Chaim Eliezer Wilshansky, head of the “Chanoch Lanaar” yeshiva network, delivered a heartfelt address highlighting the unique quality of a tamim who receives Semichah — as being not just a rabbi who knows halachah, but someone infused with the fear of Heaven, the cornerstone of true halachic decision-making.
The institute’s educational director, Rabbi Shlomo Azaraf, shared fascinating insights about the historical connection between the city of Tzefat and the renewal of Semichah, dating back to the days of Rabbi Yosef Karo’s teacher, Rabbi Ya’akov Beirav — establishing Tzefat as a city inherently bound with the tradition of rabbinical ordination.
The highlight of the evening was the presence of the esteemed Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, Chief Rabbi of Tzefat, who honored the event with his participation. In his remarks, he praised the students for their diligence in Torah study and offered strong words of encouragement to the institute’s leadership for their sacred mission: to raise students who are deeply engaged in Torah and immersed in halachic learning.
Special recognition is due to the dedicated rabbis who invest their time and energy throughout the year to guide the students toward deep, structured learning and broad halachic knowledge:
Rabbi Shlomo Azaraf – Educational Director and the visionary behind the Institute’s “Heichal Shlomo” Semichah program.
Rabbi Menachem Mendel Doron – Deputy Director and Academic Coordinator.
Rabbi Nissim Toledano – Dayan and lecturer in the Institute’s “Heichal Shlomo” Semichah program.
Rabbi Aryeh Levi – Fourth-year Ram at the institute.
Rabbi Pinchas Stazgovsky – Third-year Ram at the institute.
Rabbi Menachem Mendel Chamu – Third-year Ram at the institute.
Photography by Levi Croomi
