The 34th European Yarchei Kalloh held at the Normandie
Hotel in Bournemouth closed on Monday 2 Teves-January 2,
after a rousing appeal by the Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Boruch Dov
Povarsky, rosh yeshivas Ponovezh, for an ever increasing
level of limud haTorah among the chareidi communities
throughout the world.
"Yarchei Kalloh is an enormous achievement," he said,
"but it is not an aim in itself. It should give impetus to
its participants to spend more of their time during the year
in limud and harbotzas haTorah."
The Normandie Hotel was packed throughout the week-long
proceedings. The shiurim were extremely well attended,
and the lights in the large beth hamedrash were rarely
extinguished during the week-long study program.
The participants were greeted at the opening session on the
first day of Chanukah by Mr. Eli Rosengarten of Switzerland.
Divrei brochoh were expressed by Dayan Dovid Grynhaus
of the Union Beth Din, who also gave an early morning Daf
Hayomi Shiur, Rabbi Dovid Heller of Lugano and New York
who gave a late night Halocho shiur, Rabbi Boruch
Pinnes of Bnei Brak who gave a daily Blat shiur, and
finally by the Rosh Yeshiva, HaRav Boruch Dov Povarsky.
All speakers praised the participants for setting aside the
entire Chanukah week for limud haTorah.
The guest speaker Rabbi YM Rosenbaum, the Gerrer Rosh
Yeshiva, addressed the gathering after Kabbolas
Shabbos and during Melave DeMalke.
At the midday Shabbos seuda, the speaker was Rabbi
Aryeh Dunner of Bnei Brak who also gave a popular daily
Daf shiur.
Among the highlights of the Yarchei Kalloh week was
the hadlokas neiros Chanukah in the hotel
succah which was followed by lively dancing.
At the Neilah of Yarchei Kalloh, Reb Isy Wilk of
Antwerp, who had attended all previous 33 Yarchei
Kallohs — the earlier ones in Lugano, Switzerland,
and the last 18 in Bournemouth — spoke on behalf of the
participants and expressed profound thanks to the Rosh
Yeshiva and maggidei shiurim, as well as to the main
organizer of the event Mr. Michoel Lobenstein, and to Mr.
Yanki Schonberg for his untiring assistance.
In his concluding remarks the Rosh Yeshiva paid tribute to
Mr. Alex Lewenstein, the founder of the European Yarchei
Kalloh who, due to ill health, was regretfully unable to
attend.
The Rosh Yeshiva also announced that next year's Yarchei
Kalloh will iy"h be learning the sugyos of
Tzitzis and Tefillin in maseches
Menochos, and the Halochoh Shiur will be learning
Hilchos Chol Hamoed.
