A large crowd of talmidim and mokeirei zichro of
HaRav Moshe Soloveitchik zt"l gathered in Zurich on
motzei Shabbos parshas Mishpotim for a dinner in aid of
the mosdos he founded in Moscow eight years ago. The
Yeshiva Gedola which began with only a few students is now a
vibrant mokom Torah where the 80 bochurim sit and
study, and the traditional sounds of Abaye and Rovo can be
heard throughout the day. These same boys who only a few
months ago had no knowledge even of the alef-beis are
now full fledged yeshiva bochurim. Many ex-
talmidim are found in the best yeshivos in Eretz Yisroel
as well in Lakewood and other American yeshivos.
The Beis Yehudis girls' school caters to some 150 girls
between the ages of 4 and 18 giving them a traditional Jewish
education in the style of Beis Yaakov schools around the
world. The school boasts 200 graduates who have married and
built frum homes in Eretz Yisroel.
Emotions ran high as a film of the one and only time Reb
Moshe zt"l visited the yeshiva was shown. The scenes
included a hachnosas Sefer Torah in the streets of
Russia with flaming torches and chuppah as in all other
kehillos. Following the joyous hakofos in the
beis hamedrash, and together with Reb Moshe, the
talmidim were privileged to hear divrei chizuk
about tremendous the siyata deShmaya in that they were
zoche to have made such progress in such a short time.
Two of the leading askonim of the mosdos, Mr.
Alex Lewenstein -- founder of the Jewish school in Zurich --
and Mr. Yisroel Bronner of Antwerp addressed the crowd. As
regular visitors to the yeshiva, they gave details of the
tremendous growth they have witnessed as well as explaining
how further funding would enable even more of these
neshomos who had been deprived of an opportunity to do
the rotzon Hashem to return. They also mentioned the
dedicated work done by Mrs. Weisz of Russia who founded Beis
Yehudis without any of the appropriate/necessary facilities
and the great strides made there since their adoption by Reb
Moshe zt"l.
Mr. Lewenstein, together with Mr. Wolf Rosengarten, lifelong
president of Lucerne Yeshiva, were enlisted at the beginning
as the askonim for the yeshiva and have continued their
dedicated work ever since -- making numerous trips to Moscow
over the years and shouldering the entire burden since Reb
Moshe's petirah 4 years ago.
The highlight of the evening was a stirring address by Rav
Dischon, mashgiach of the Yeshiva Karlin Stolin in New
York, who also leads the Karliner institutions in the former-
U.S.S.R. and is a renowned expert on the Jewish situation in
Russia. He came from the U.S.A. specially for the occasion.
In his address he spoke of the terrible gezeira of
communism by means of which Yiddishkeit was uprooted
entirely from the 3 million Yidden of the U.S.S.R. Only a
very small number managed to observe even one or two mitzvos
and only with tremendous self-sacrifice. As a frequent
traveler to Kiev over the last 20 years he recalled a number
of examples he had seen personally. Quoting his Rebbe -- Reb
Yaakov Kamenetsky zt"l -- he explained that the tears
of the grandparents of those trapped in the Soviet Union were
what brought the Iron Curtain down, which is no surprise he
said, considering that some of them trace their lineage back
to the Chofetz Chaim, the Kedushas Levi as well as other
tzaddikim.
The golden opportunity to found a yeshiva was seized by Reb
Moshe who felt that this was the rotzon Hashem after so
many years of akiras hadas. Though already not a
youngster, he dedicated himself to returning the Russian
children to their Heavenly Father, guiding the Yeshiva from
afar at each and every stage. As an eyewitness he was able
to give a firsthand account of the success of the yeshiva in
developing true bnei Torah.
He ended with the assurance that Reb Moshe, who loved and
assisted each and every member of Klal Yisroel, will
definitely be a melitz yosher for all those who help
continue his wonderful work.
Musical entertainment was provided by Mr. Ezra Lubelsky and a
dedicated team of avreichim and young ladies served the
audience.
