A visit to the Kosel is almost always the highlight of
anyone's visit to Eretz Yisroel, but this time, it was more
than just uplifting and inspiring. It was a celebration of
the success of Shuvu Chazon Avrohom and its 13 years of
providing an authentic Torah education to thousands of
immigrants from the former Soviet Union.
As mission participants from the US arrived at the Kosel
plaza, they were greeted by more than a thousand enthusiastic
Shuvu students, who formed a giant reception line for their
visitors to walk through. The children smiled and cheered,
holding up banners from their respective Shuvu schools. In
the background, Shlomie Dachs and the children could be heard
singing, along with the melodious clapping of hands.
The mission guests, many of whom are longstanding Shuvu
supporters, smiled broadly, shaking hands with the children
and hearing 'thank you' over and over again. The hakoras
hatov they received from the students was worth more than
anyone could imagine as they shepped nachas from
seeing that their efforts and support were indeed bearing
beautiful luscious fruit.
Mission Co-Chairman, Mr. Yossi Hoch looked out at the crowd
of children and blessed Shuvu for bringing them back to
Yiddishkeit.
It All Begins In Kindergarten
More than 50 supporters of Shuvu came from the US to Eretz
Yisroel for the three-day mission, which included visits to
several Shuvu schools including Rebbetzin Pam and two of her
sons, HaRav Aron Pam and HaRav Dovid Pam, as well as Mission
Chairmen Yosef Davis of Chicago and Yossi Hoch of New York
and Shuvu Chairman, Abraham Biderman.
The mission's first day began with a dedication ceremony at
Shuvu's Yerushalayim boys school, which recently moved to the
Schocken Villa, unique due to its location next door to the
prime minister's official residence in Rechavia. The new
school houses several of Shuvu's schools that were located
throughout the city.
Rabbi Elias Schwartz, a long-time Shuvu supporter, presided
over the ceremony held in a kindergarten classroom. Rabbi
Schwartz unveiled a plaque on the wall in memory of his
wife.
Class Is In Session
After the day's first dedication, the US mission split up to
peek into different classes. Members of the group were
visibly impressed with what they had witnessed. "Imagine New
York if we had these teachers," one said as he walked out of
the classroom.
After a short time, the group gathered again for Rabbi Yosef
Eisen's dedication ceremony for a new third-grade classroom.
Rabbi Eisen said he was proud help fulfill Rav Pam's vision
of a Torahdik Eretz Yisroel.
The group then filed into the school's new computer lab,
dedicated by Dr. Paul and Lorrie Fein. After watching the
children demonstrate their impressive skills with the
computers -- which have earned Shuvu its reputation as a top
school for computer studies in Eretz Yisroel, the group left
the villa, filled with energy and excitement from all they
had witnessed, and hopped aboard the bus for the Negev city
of Arad.
Making The Desert Bloom -- With Yiddishkeit
The bus pulled into Shuvu Arad, one of the latest additions
to Shuvu's ever-growing network and all of the children
appeared from seemingly out of nowhere to greet the mission
participants.
Shuvu's director in Eretz Yisroel, Rabbi Chaim Michoel
Guttermann, asked Dima Nestetsky, one of the school's star
pupils, to come to the podium. Dima told the group, in
excellent English which he learned at Shuvu, he had convinced
his parents to let him come to Shuvu after spending two years
in a standard Israeli government school.
"I told them I wanted a higher level of education, like we
have here at Shuvu," he said. He also said he wanted to learn
about being a Jew. "I'm proud to put on tefillin every day,"
he concluded.
HaRav Dovid Pam addressed the audience and noted how
especially fitting it was for this school to be dedicated in
memory of his father in the month of Cheshvan, the month that
based on Kaballah, the geula is to occur.
Next, a student stepped up to the podium to recite the first
mishna of maseches Brochos -- in memory of Rav
Pam, z"tl. Interestingly enough, this was the same
mishna that Rav Pam taught to 70,000 people attending
the last Siyum HaShas.
Mr. Aaron Elbogen, dedicated the brand-new school building,
the first one built especially for Shuvu. Mr. Elbogen's
family were next door neighbors of Rav Pam for many years,
the Elbogen family graciously provided the funds to dedicate
the new school in memory of Rav Pam, zt"l.
A Multi-bar Mitzva
That evening, there was a seudas mitzvah that served a
dual purpose, according to Rabbi Guttermann.
"We decided that the best way to celebrate Shuvu's Bar
Mitzvah with our friends and supporters was to also invite 11
Shuvu students from around the country who are about to
become Bar Mitzvah," said Rabbi Guttermann.
On hand were Israeli dignitaries, including: MK Rabbi Yaakov
Litzman, Mayor Menachem Ariav from Nazeret Illit, Mayor
Yitzchok Ochayon of Petach Tikva, Mayor Rabbi Uri Lupoliansky
of Jerusalem, MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni and Israel's former Chief
Rabbi Yisroel Meir Lau.
And The Shechina Will Dwell In It
Among the guests at the seuda was one dignitary who
has seen firsthand all that Shuvu is doing to strengthen
Yiddishkeit -- the Mayor of Nazeret Illit, Menachem
Ariav.
Mayor Ariav recalled the almost prophetic words that Rav Pam
from several years ago: "There will be a school in Nazeret
Illit. And the Shechina will dwell in it."
Mayor Ariav expressed his appreciation of the school now,
though he hadn't been as supportive of it when it began.
"Now," he said, "I should say vidui."
Although he had recently allocated a large building for
Shuvu's use in Nazeret, nevertheless, Shuvu activists in
Israel were shocked to hear the mayor speak in such glowing
terms about Shuvu. History was definitely being rewritten
that night.
A Gift Of Gold
At the climax of the evening, each Bar Mitzvah boy received
two very special gifts -- his own pair of tefillin and
a becher, testaments to his growth in and commitment
to Torah.
Rabbi Guttermann then paid tribute to Rabbi Binyamin Drew, of
the Kesher Tefillin program, who has arranged for 1,000 pairs
of tefillin to be sponsored by boys in the US and to
be donated to young men just like these.
Then came the big surprise. To rousing chasunah tunes,
Eliezer Feldman was carried in on the shoulders of a Shuvu
supporter. The dancing and singing grew even livelier, as Mr.
Yosef Davis, of Chicago, and Mission Co-Chair, announced that
this bochur just got married the week before.
This chosson represented Shuvu's unique
accomplishments of building Torah observant families. For
Shuvu is not only engaged in teaching small children the
basics of Yiddishkeit, but actually follows through with them
until they build families of their own. Eliezer had started
with Shuvu many years ago and has progressed beautifully,
with his entire family becoming observant. He was
mainstreamed into the yeshiva of HaRav Boruch Mordechai
Ezrachi, one of the finest yeshivas in Eretz Yisroel, and is
now building a bayis ne'eman beYisroel. He plans to
learn in Kollel for many years to come!
With The Light You Can See On Their Faces
There was hardly enough time to recover from jetlag when the
mission's third and final day arrived.
A very impressive stop was at Shuvu's Ohalei Brochoh Girls
High School in Yerushalayim, where girls dorm from all over
the country.
The group soon boarded the buses and headed to Lod, stopping
on the way at Shuvu's Yeshiva Gedola and Kollel in Har Nof.
The yeshiva is also home to several younger students who
decided they wanted to enter the world of full-time learning
after only two years of high school.
So They Should Know What Came Before Them
When the group arrived in Lod later that morning, they were
again greeted with a rousing welcome from the students,
teachers, and special friends who came to celebrate the
dedication of the Kleinman family building.
The Shuvu school in Lod was able to open thanks to a pivotal
parlor meeting in Lakewood at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Leizer
Rosenthal, which raised the initial funds for the school. At
that extraordinary parlor meeting, addressed by the
Novominsker Rebbe, over 600 members of the Lakewood
community, including many kollel yungerleit, donated
generously to ensure that the urgent request of the parents
of Lod to open a Shuvu school in their neighborhood would not
go unanswered.
Mr. and Mrs. Elly Kleinman of New York then provided the
additional funds needed and dedicated the school in memory of
their respective fathers.
HaRav Simcha Hacohen Kook, chief rabbi of Rechovot, was among
the speakers at the ceremony. He noted how pleasant it is to
hear the sound of Russian children learning mishnayos
after being denied the right to learn Torah in Russia for so
many years.
Together In Tefilloh
Following the visit to Lod, mission participants made their
way to the Kosel plaza, where, on a special stage set up for
the event, Rabbi Aron Pam lamented the fact that his father
could not be here to share the nachas of seeing so
many children being mekabel ol malchus Shomayim.
Afterwards, the children and mission participants walked
together to the Kosel to daven mincha and recite
Tehillim. It was an awe-inspiring moment -- to see so
many children, from kindergarten to high school, approach
those enormous stones that signify the survival of
Yiddishkeit, that have stood there waiting for these
children to come back to their roots.
The final leg of the mission was a visit to the leaders of
Klal Yisroel. Mission participants had a private
audience with HaRav Yosef Sholom Eliashiv in Yerushalayim and
then proceeded to Bnei Brak to meet with HaRav Aharon Leib
Shteinman, HaRav Chaim Kanievsky and the Gerrer Rebbe.
