By COLlive reporter
Photos: Menush Amit/COLlive
A large crowd of 300 people gathered in Crown Heights Monday evening for an event marking a Siyum on the daily Gemara Shiur, having completed Mesichta Yuma and beginning Mesichta Sukah.
Whereas in the past, each class or Shul with a daily Shiur would have made a private Siyum at their Shul, and individuals learning at home or with Chavrusos would also have done a private Siyum, this year, as the Siyum was in close proximity to the Nine Days in which the Rebbe requests large public Siyumim, a collective Siyum was held.
The uplifting and inspiring event gave recognition to the hundreds of individuals who learn a daily daf, and especially to the Magidei Shiurim who spend several hours a day preparing to give these classes. The Siyum honored Rabbis Alex Heppenheimer, Shlomo Holtzberg, Hirshel Lustig, Fishel Oster, Mordechai Rosenstein, Zalman Shanowitz and Shea Werner, who were seated at the front of the room as guests of honor.
The event also paid tribute to the many private Chavrusos and Shiurim which take place daily around Crown Heights.
During the event, participants enjoyed a lavish Pareve meal catered by Mayer Cohen caterers along with live entertainment by the world-renowned Chazan Aryeh Leib Hurwitz accompanied by the Shira Choir.
Rabbi Mendel Yusevitz, Principal of Ohr Menachem Cheder in Crown Heights, served as the event’s MC, who spoke about the beautiful achdus on display, with so many Shuls and Shiurim participating in the celebration.
Rabbi Beryl Junik, a co-sponsor of the event along with his partners in the Unity Torah campaign Rabbi Shloimy Greenwald and R’ Zalmy Cohen, spoke about his grandfather Rabbi Naftali Junik obm, who was one of the founders of the Daf Yomi Shiur in Montreal. He related how the Rebbe gave special brachos and chizuk for that Shiur, and the many brachos which are received by those who participate.
Rabbi Hershel Lustig, who gives a daily Shiur at Bais Eliezer Yitzchok in Crown Heights, gave the hadran and made the siyum on the Masechta.
Rabbi Fishel Oster, also a Crown Heights magid Shiur who is now teaching in a summer camp, gave an address on video on how learning Torah changes a person’s life and brings a beautiful atmosphere into the home.
Rabbi Zushe Wilhelm, founder of L’maan Yilmedu Semicha program in Crown Heights, spoke about how the learning of Torah serves as a protection and brings blessings into ones’ life.
Rabbi Avrohom Yehoshua Kenig of Tzeirei Hadaf, an organization that helps facilitate the daily learning, and who co-sponsored the evening, presented new Gemaras on Mesechta Sukah to all those who are learning the daily daf. He spoke about how amazing it is for him to be able to bring this to the Crown Heights community, and the unity the Torah learning is bringing to many communities.
Mr. Avrohom Berkowitz, a donor from Boro Park who sponsored the Gemaras that were distributed, spoke about Parshas Pinchas and how one must take the lead in doing good.
Rabbi Avrohom Rotban of Irgun Torah, which organizes dozens of Shiurim and farbrengens throughout the Crown Heights neighborhood on a regular basis, spoke as well. He spoke about the great importance of learning Rambam, Chitas, and other Shiurim on a daily basis.
The event was organized by Rabbi Lazer Avtzon of the Association of Crown Heights Shuls along with Rabbi Rotban. Special thanks to Berri Spitetzki for arranging the Shira Choir.
This Siyum is לזכות הרה”ח הרה”ת ישעי-ה זוסיא בן חנה רבקה לרפו”ש מהרה וקרובה.
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It was a beautiful event!
Thank you to the amazing dedicated organizers of the event
Limud Hatorah will hasten the coming of Moshiach! Thank You to the organizers and sponsors of this event.
Thanks for such an even that was long needed. This is just the beginning