A second group of students at the new Machon Smicha in Buenos Aires, Argentina, were ordained at a community ceremony.
After a successful first year of the Machon Smicha, the Chag Hasmicha and completion for its second group of students at Colel Ohel Yosef Moshe was held during the eve of Hey Teves.
The second “Chag HaSmichah” of the smicha program in Buenos Aires, established by Rabbi Mendy Raijer, and under the guidance of Rabbi Mendel Gorowitz and Rabbi Efraim Halperin, took place during the eve of Hey Teves in the hall of Colel Ohel Yosef Moshe honoring 4 newly ordained rabbis for their achievement and kicking off 8 new Talmidim for the coming year.
A large crowd attended the ceremony which included parents, their families, local Rabbonim and members of the Chabad community of Buenos Aires.
Rabbi Zalman Yaruslavsky, Rav of the Lubavitch community in Elad, Israel, and Rosh Machon Smicha in Kiryat Gat, was designated as the “testing Rav” for the Smicha program together with the Moreh Horaah in Kehillas Anash Buenos Aires, Rabbi Efraim Halperin.
Many distinguished Rabbonim were present for the ceremony, and addressed the crowd with Divrei Torah, bringing out, among other things, a nice connection to the event with the date on which it is being celebrated, Hey Teves, and with the weekly Parsha, about Yaakov Avinu sending Yehuda to establish a Beis Midrash ‘Lehoraa’ (לתקן לו בית תלמוד שמשם שמשם תצא הוראה) in Goshen, Mitzrayim.
The Rabbonim highlighted the hard work of the musmachim and their achievement in successfully attaining Semicha. They encouraged the bochurim to use the knowledge and wisdom gained in learning Semicha to empower them in all their future life achievements. Among the Rabbonim, were present Rabbi Efraim Halperin, Rabbi Aharon Tawil, Rabbi Dovid Plotka, Rabbi Mordechai Bobek, Rabbi Osher Farkash and Rabbi Shmuel Schtroks.
An illustrious guest was Rabbi Abraham Serruya, Chief Rabbi of the important Sephardic community of Sucat David, who delivered Divrei Torah and showed his appreciation for the Colel and its activities for the sake of Torah learning.
As representatives from the students, Hatomim Efraim Moshe Sylberstein held a Siyum Masechet, making the beautiful meal served a true Seudas Mitzvah.
The pioneer Smicha graduates are rabbis Menachem Mendel Chab, Eitan Benoliel, Efraim Moshe (‘Sasha’) Sylberstein and Moshe Beigel.
