The Kollel Beis HaTalmud Yehudah Fishman Institute in
Melbourne, Australia, recently celebrated the twentieth
anniversary of its founding. The Kollel was founded in 1981
by a core-group from Lakewood, NJ, of ten yungerleit
and their families led by the roshei hakollel,
HaRav Dovid Nojowitz and HaRav Binyomin Ze'ev Wurtzburger.
From this small beginning the Kollel has developed into a
vibrant beis hamedrash comprised of nearly thirty full-
time yungerleit. Some five hundred people pass through
the Kollel each week, either to learn bechavrusa with
the yungerleit or to attend the wide array of
shiurim offered to the community.
Amongst its other activities the Kollel also engages in
outreach and in youth groups, and it runs very popular
weekend seminars in country locations. It recently
established Hamayan -- a center for university students to be
able to learn more about their heritage.
The large number of people who attended the gala dinner
marking the event represented a cross-section of the entire
local community.
The atmosphere at the dinner was one of excitement and of
great accomplishment. Rabbi Amos Bunim, Chairman of the Board
of Governors of Beis Medrash Govoha Yeshiva in Lakewood, New
Jersey USA, was the guest speaker.
Rabbi Bunim praised the massive work done in the community by
the Kollel and spoke of the inspiration which had come from
HaRav Aharon Kotler zt"l who is regarded as the father
of the yeshiva movement in America.
Rosh Hakollel HaRav Binyomin Wurtzburger also addressed the
gathering outlining the significance of its work spreading
Torah throughout the community.
Managing director of ANZ Corporate and International Banking
Dr. Bob Edgar, who sponsored the dinner, told the guests that
the bank was proud to be involved in the educational programs
of the Kollel. Both he and Rabbi Bunim praised the Kollel for
its plans to establish a foundation to help finance its
activities.
As a thank-you to the bank, dinner chairman Robert Fixler
presented Dr. Edgar with a silver menorah.
A video entitled "Torah Without Borders" by Chaim Mehlman
looked at the role of the Kollel in the community and
included interviews with former students and members of the
Kollel who are currently serving as dayanim, rosh
yeshivas, and maggidei shiurim around the globe. This
was one of the highlights of the evening.
To mark this auspicious occasion a new sefer Ovos
Menachem (375 pages) on Zevochim was published and
given to each guest together with a dinner journal and the
latest edition of the Kollel's regular publication Moadim
UZmanim.
The sefer edited by Rabbi Yeshayahu Stengel, a member
of the Kollel, contains chidushei Torah compiled by
Kollel members who are now studying Zevochim. It also
contains many chidushei Torah from leading rabbonim of
the world who contributed to this important sefer. The
sefer was dedicated to the memory of the Reb Menachem
Herzog z'l a noted Torah scholar and teacher in the
Melbourne Jewish Community before he retired to the U.S.A.
Many rabbonim came specifically from Sydney for the event as
well as many prominent askonim who wished the Kollel
further hatzlochoh in its tremendous avodas
hakodesh.
