Photos: Dov Ber Hechtman/COLlive
In addition to a beautiful dinner in Crown Heights, Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch Queens, held a gala dinner in Queens, for members of the greater Queens community and supporters of the Yeshiva.
As guests arrived, they were warmly welcomed by the beautiful melodies sung by the talented Yossi Cohen.
Rabbi Kalman Weinfeld began the evening by expressing his tremendous gratitude to the Yeshiva for all they have done for his own children. He mentioned that it was precisely this gratitude that motivated him to spend hours waiting in the airport for a stand-by-ticket out of Chicago, where he had gone for a family wedding, just so could make it to the dinner!
A video of the Rebbe was then played, describing the unbelievable Zechus and brachos one receives for supporting the Yeshivos of Tomchei Tmimim.
The video was followed by Rabbi Menachem Baruch, director of the Yeshiva, who spoke of his passion and his life’s mission – to build a beautiful building for the Yeshiva students. He was then joined by one of Yeshiva’s supporters, Mr. Refael Zakinov, who flew in from Florida just for this event. He spoke of the tremendous impact Rabbi Baruch has on himself and his family, and as a token of appreciation, he would be donating $320,000 towards the building!
Following these heartwarming reflections, the Bukharian Children’s Choir serenaded the crowd with their angelic voices. Their singing of Sefaradic classics and some Jewish songs in Bukharian, got the whole crowd singing and clapping along!
Rabbi Shlomo Amar, Rishon Le’zion and Chief Sefaradi Rabbi of Yerushalayim, joined the dinner via video, highlighting some of the outstanding reports he received about this Yeshiva. He concluded by encouraging all attendees to support the Yeshiva in every way they can.
After remarks from Rabbi Amar, the Rosh Yeshiva and Menahel, Rabbi Mendel Scharf, captivated the crowd with extraordinary stories of the Yeshiva students and their powerful impact on the local Queens community. “This Yeshiva”, he went on to explain, “is not only outstanding in its outreach to the local communities, but most importantly, the students excel in their Torah studies.” So much so, that some of their students have actually finished learning the entire Shas!! This perfect balance of caring for the community coupled with high standards of academic excellence, is what creates future leaders of the Jewish people.
The keynote speaker, Rabbi Mordechai Kanelsky, Shliach of the Rebbe in New Jersey, passionately shared his personal story of the Mesirus Nefesh he underwent living in the Soviet Union. When it came time for him to send his own son to Yeshiva, he looked for a yeshiva that was founded on the same type of education, principles and values he received hiding in a cellar in an underground yeshiva. A yeshiva that instills in their students the concept of self-sacrifice, to the point that they will be willing and ready to successfully face all the challenges they will encounter. All this, he described, is what is ingrained in the students of Tomchei Tmimim of Queens. He then went on to speak of the impact this Yeshiva has made on his children that learned there. So much so that a second generation – his grandson, is now learning there as well.
At the conclusion of his speech, his grandson made a surprise appearance, expressing the impact that Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim Queens has had on him.
The crowd was then shown a beautiful video where students of the Yeshiva articulated how Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim changed their life by providing them not only with a physical home, but also a spiritual home. A place where they feel loved, cared about, and are educated in the ways of the Rebbe.
Rabbi Yaakov Nasirov, Congregation Bet-el Sefaradic Center, blessed the crowd, promising them, “however much you give to the Yeshiva, Hashem will repay you many times more.”
Boruch Hashem, the guests were incredibly inspired by the work of the Yeshiva and its students. Many contributions were pledged which will be fulfilled in the course of the two-week campaign.
Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch Queens will be holding their “Build The Future” campaign for the next two weeks. Please partner with them, in providing a spiritual and physical home for their students, by purchasing a brick or make a general donation at https://www.charidy.com/ttlq.
VIDEO: Bukharian Kids Choir Special Performance – “Build The Future” Dinner in Queens
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