Excitement and Anticipation in Advance of Dirshu Far Rockaway/Five Towns Evening of Chizuk and Celebration

Rav Reuven Feinstein, Rav Shimon Galei, Rav Moshe Tuvia Lieff to Speak. Musical Accompaniment by Baruch Levine

By Chaim Gold

HaRav Eytan Feiner

The Dirshu revolution is coming to the Far Rockaway/Five Towns community! Dirshu already has had a presence in the community for many years, with numerous Amud HaYomi and Daf HaYomi B’Halacha shiurimheld in a number of battei midrash, and many participants who learn on their own and take monthly tests. On Sunday, 16 Teves/January 4, that relationship will be elevated to a new level, with a beautiful evening of Chizuk and Celebration for men that will feature something for everyone.

First and foremost, the event will be graced by leading senior Gedolei Yisrael, led by HaGaon HaRav Reuven Feinstein, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Mesivta Yerushalayim/The Staten Island Yeshiva. Rav Reuven will be making a siyum on Mishnah Berurah Chelek Gimmel that was recently completed in Dirshu’s popular Daf HaYomi B’Halacha program.

Another illustrious guest who will be attending and addressing the crowd is the great tzaddik and mashpia, HaGaon HaRav Shimon Galei, shlita, who is coming special from Eretz Yisrael for the event. Rav Shimon, who is known for his profound tzidkus and the potency of his berachos, will be available for private meetings in advance of the event.

In addition, Rav Moshe Tuvia Lieff, shlita, the dynamic Rav of the Agudas Yisrael Bais Binyomin of Flatbush, will be the special guest speaker. The siyum will also be attended by the Nasi of Dirshu, Rav Dovid Hofstedter, shlita, who will deliver a personal message. The event is scheduled to be held at the Hall of The White Shul (Kehillas Knesses Yisrael) whose Rav, Rabbi Eytan Feiner, will open the evening with divreipesicha.

In general, Dirshu’s events offer Torah inspiration from remarkable, inspiring speakers and illustrious Gedolim but they don’t stop there. No Dirshu siyum can be complete without singing to Hashem and thanking Him for the zechus to learn His Torah. That part of the siyum—replete with music, singing, and dancing—will be led by the well-known, deeply inspiring, R’ Baruch Levine and choir. This “food for the spirit” will also be complemented by a fully catered meal as befits such a showing of kavod haTorah.

More than everything else, the hallmark of all Dirshu’s events is the tremendous effort and resources invested to honor the Torah and the talmidei chachamim who invest their time and effort daily to learn and be tested on Hashem’s Torah.

Dirshu’s leadership led by Rav Hofstedter believes that Torah learning and Torah knowledge is the inheritance of every Jew, whether he is a Rav, in kollel, a yeshiva student or someone who spends most of his day working. Their programs are tailored for Jews from all walks of life and ensure that even those who cannot commit to doing more, with a relatively small investment of time each day, can achieve so much.

Numerous rabbanim from the Far Rockaway and Five Towns community plan to participate.

What was the impetus behind this first ever Dirshu event specifically for the Far Rockaway/Five Towns community?

According to Dirshu’s Far Rockaway and Five Towns coordinator, R’ Meir Avracen, “There is a daily Daf HaYomi B’Halacha Mishnah Berurah shiur at Congregation Anshei Chessed in Woodmere. The Rav of Anshei Chessed, Rabbi Isaac Rice, reached out to Dirshu, wondering if any siyum was being held to celebrate the completion of the milestone accomplishment of completing Chelek Gimmel.

“Dirshu’s leadership saw this as an opportunity to create an evening of chizuk open to the entire community, celebrating the completion of Chelek Gimmel while enabling everyone to participate and be inspired by live messages from numerous Gedolim and world-class speakers.”

“In truth,” R’ Meir continued, “Dirshu is no stranger to Far Rockaway and the Five Towns. There are numerous shiurim in Dirshu’s Amud HaYomi Gemara program including four daily shiurim at Congregation Yismach Moshe given by Rabbi Heshy Blumstein; a daily shiur given in Congregation Bais Ephraim Yitzchok given by Rabbi Jay Nathanson; and a popular shiur given at Beis Medrash Ostrov Kalushin by Rabbi Yosef Spiegel. In addition to the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha shiur held at Anshei Chessed, there are shiurim in Daf HaYomi B’Halacha at the Young Israel of Bayswater given by Rabbi Yanky Levitin and at the Agudas Yisrael of Bayswater given by Rabbi Avraham Berg.”

The entire community, even those who are not yet participants in any of Dirshu’s programs, are invited to attend and join those already learning in Dirshu in this beautiful evening of chizuk and celebration.

It is notable that the venerated senior sage, Rav Reuven Feinstein, shlita, has enthusiastically agreed to participate and address the event. Despite the difficulty of travelling, Rav Reuven, who has seen firsthand the impact made both on the people who learn in Dirshu programs and their families, felt compelled to make the trip.

Rav Reuven’s connection with Dirshu includes Rav Reuven’s special open shailos and teshuvos halachapanel, one of the most popular events of Dirshu’s biennial convention where over 1,500 participants listen with bated breath. A variety of questions in all four orders of Shulchan Aruch regarding halacha and hashkafa are posed to Rav Reuven and he answers in his inimitable way, down-to-earth and straight to the point!

The tzaddik, Rav Shimon Galei, shlita, is also no stranger to Dirshu events. Rav Shimon has been a keynote speaker at major Dirshu stadium siyumim both in America, England, and Eretz Yisrael and has graced Dirshu Conventions. Rav Shimon, despite his exalted stature and other-worldly tzidkus has a profound human touch. He understands people from all walks of life, what they are going through and the difficulties that people suffer in our generation. His advice, the fact that he understands and identifies with every person, enables him to deeply empathize with each person who seeks his berachah and counsel.

He is also very dynamic! Who can ever forget how, at the Amud HaYomi siyum held at the last Dirshu Convention, Rav Shimon Galei got up and grabbed the microphone?! It was totally spontaneous and left tears of emotion in the eyes of the thousands in attendance, as he exclaimed, “Rabbosai! I want to tell you something very important. A siyum masechta is a time when there is a great eis ratzon in shamayim. If this is said about any siyum, how much more so, a siyum being made by thousands! Now is the time for all of us to daven for KlalYisrael who are undergoing great difficulty and for all our personal tefillos as well.”

Rav Shimon then began singing, “Shaarei shomayim pesach,” a song wherein we beg Hashem to open the gates of heaven and shower us with berachah from His infinite otzar, treasure house of berachah. The tangible emotion and feeling of Rav Shimon reverberated throughout the hall and the crowd joined in, raising their voices in song. Soon, everyone was on their feet singing, davening. The emotion reached a crescendo and it was clear to anyone there that they were indeed tapping into a unique eis ratzon. The emotion, the tefillos, the tears that were shed, defy description.

If you want to experience that kind of inspiration, if you want to hear the words of Gedolim and sing with R’ Baruch Levine, then you belong at the upcoming Dirshu Far Rockaway/Five Towns evening of chizuk and celebration!

When you leave, you won’t be the same person as when you came in!

RSVP is required, DafHalacha.com/event or email, [email protected]. you can also call 732-987-3948 ext. 112.