Yeshivas Be'er Yaakov will soon be celebrating its fifty-year
anniversary with a gala dinner in its honor which is being
arranged by the Olam Hayeshivos organization. The view back
over half a century is sure to present quite a vista to the
audience.
The yeshiva was founded in 5709 (1949) by HaRav Moshe Shmuel
Shapira, who has served as rosh yeshiva ever since,
and HaRav Shlomo Wolbe, the renowned mashgiach. The
idea of founding a yeshiva in Be'er Yaakov originated with
none other than the Chazon Ish zt'l. When the idea was
brought before him, R' Moshe Shmuel Shapira's rebbe,
R' Yitzchok Ze'ev Soloveitchik of Brisk zt'l, gave his
blessing and his constant encouragement to the enterprise.
Over the years HaRav Shapira and HaRav Wolbe sought the
guidance of these two giants in connection with all the
yeshiva's affairs, and the two gedolim in turn
frequently expressed their delight in the yeshiva's
achievements. This unique closeness was well expressed when
R' Wolbe made a bris at the yeshiva for his son, R'
Avrohom Wolbe, and the Chazon Ish came to be the
sandek. Then again, frequent visitors at the Brisker
Rav's house remember with how much pleasure the great Rav
would welcome Be'er Yaakov students into his home to "talk in
learning" -- because, as he often said, "they knew how to
learn."
The Rosh Yeshiva and the mashgiach, in turn, built a
strong connection between their talmidim and the
gedolim of the previous generation by passing on to
them the sayings and ways of their own rebbes, R'
Yitzchok Ze'ev and R' Yeruchom Leibowitz, the Mirrer
mashgiach.
At its beginning the yeshiva was quite small. Living
conditions were not exactly palatial: for example, the dining
room (such as it was) had enough room for maybe half of the
bochurim.
In the beis midrash things were no better. Orange
crates were the nearest thing to shtenders that was
available. For that matter, the yeshiva had no proper
building and was forced to move its quarters frequently from
place to place within the village of Be'er Yaakov.
Once the roshei yeshiva came to the Chazon Ish and
told him how much they would prefer to move the yeshiva to a
city, where physical conditions would certainly be better.
The Rov, however, answered roundly, "Be'er Yaakov has been
granted the privilege of having a yeshiva, and it is
unthinkable to take that privilege away!"
Eventually HaKodosh Boruch Hu sent help. One day R'
Nota Holtzman arrived from America and was so impressed by
his visit to Yeshivas Be'er Yaakov that he deeded all his
wealth to its benefit. His only condition was that when they
built the permanent building it would include an apartment
where he himself could live, surrounded by Torah around the
clock.
Later on two brothers helped Yeshivas Be'er Yaakov further.
R' Shmuel Wolfson zt'l (whose son HaRav Aviezer was a
bochur there at the time) and his brother R' Eizik
z'l constructed several more badly-needed buildings,
in which the sound of Torah is heard to this day.
As the years went by the fame of the Rosh Yeshiva and the
mashgiach spread over the world. It was chiefly spread
by their talmidim and the talmidim of those
talmidim, who were by now serving as rabbonim,
roshei yeshiva, and mashgichim in many
yeshivos. In fact, the yeshiva itself is well served today by
a choice group of its own alumni, who were summoned back to
its halls by the Rosh Yeshiva to teach the new generation.
Over them all hovers the giant image of the Rosh Yeshiva
himself, whose personal example of geonus, tzidkus,
and middos tovos shows the way for everyone who learns
in the yeshiva, from the youngest bochur to the most
senior maggid shiur. To this day the Rosh Yeshiva
gives his daily shiur and weekly mussar
shmuess, besides his influence that can clearly be seen
in the yeshiva's maggidei shiur.
It is now more than fifty years that Yeshivas Be'er Yaakov
has been serving Am Yisroel. In honor of these
outstanding accomplishments, the well-known Olam Hayeshivos
organization has decided to hold a festive Jubilee dinner on
behalf of the yeshiva. This unique event will blend the
experience and expertise of Olam Hayeshivos in supporting the
"Torah world" with the enthusiastic direction of the
yeshiva's own most distinguished alumni.
The revered Rosh Yeshiva, HaRav Moshe Shmuel Shapira, and the
mashgiach, HaRav Shlomo Wolbe, have both given their
brocho to the occasion. The mashgiach has even
sent letters of support and encouragement to all those
involved. It is expected that several generations of
talmidim will arrive to take part in the joyous event,
from Eretz Yisroel and the Diaspora, as well as many others
who will doubtless want to seize hold of the Tree of Life on
this blessed occasion.
