By COLlive reporter
A standing-room-only crowd packed into Yeshiva Temimei Darech in the holy city of Tzfas in Israel on Thursday night in honor of Chof Daled Teves, yartzeit of the Alter Rebbe.
The event incorporated an on-site Tanya printing, community siyum haShas, siyum in Likutei Sichos, an inspiring farbrengen with Head Shliach Rabbi Chaim Kaplan, and a surprise visit by Tzfas Mayor Yossi Kakon, who sent a ripple of joy through the audience upon referring to his job as a shlichus.
“The evening itself was fulfilling in so many ways with an incredible outpouring of support, not only from the local community but from our international community of supporters and alumni,” said Rabbi Shalom Pasternak, founder and rosh yeshiva which serves for baalei teshuva men in northern Israel.
Pasternak described the successful lead-up campaign to the event, which involved supporters pre-buying sponsorships and dedications in the Tanyas: “I must have received more than 200 emails and messages from people excited about the growth of the yeshiva.”
Excitement for the event led Pasternak’s brother and sister-in-law and Yeshiva supporters, Tzvi and Mitchi Pasternak, to increase the amount to 200 copies. Tanya devotees near and far can look forward to attending a new daily Tanya shiur to be added to the yeshiva seder taught by Rabbi Pasternak online and in person as announced during the festivities.
The evening combined inspiration with serious scholarship. YTD alum Rabbi Shmuel Crowe conducted a thorough siyum HaShas, student shliach Yochanan Gutnick—on his birthday—presented the siyum in Likutei Sichos, which he had learned in entirety himself, and yeshiva mashpia and teacher Rabbi Shamai Gozlan turned around and began Shas anew.
Learning program director, Rabbi Shmuel Kopel, stepped in to solicit commitments for individuals to learn tractates for a siyum planned for the following year.
For more, visit www.thewayinside.org
