Dozens of gedolei Yisroel including HaRav Aharon
Yehuda Leib Shteinman and three prominent roshei yeshivos
from the US participated in the annual Lev L'Achim convention
in Bnei Brak last Monday along with an overflow crowd of
thousands of avreichim from around the country who
sacrifice valuable hours of their time to disseminate Torah,
educate yaldei Yisroel and engage in outreach.
On Sunday, rosh yeshivas Philadelphia HaRav Shmuel
Kamenetsky, rosh yeshivas Rabbenu Chaim Berlin HaRav Aharon
Shechter and rosh yeshivas Telz-Chicago HaRav Avrohom Chaim
Levine flew in to take part in the convention. Lev L'Achim
board members, including Director HaRav Eliezer Sorotzkin,
met them on the tarmac and then escorted the roshei yeshivos
to a brief reception at the airport's VIP hall.
From there they drove straight to the home of posek
hador, Maran HaRav Yosef Sholom Eliashiv shlita,
where a throng of bnei Torah, including their
talmidim living in Eretz Hakodesh, was on hand to
greet them.
HaRav Eliashiv greeted the roshei yeshivos warmly, praising
Lev L'Achim's work and thanking the roshei yeshivos for
strengthening the organization by traveling to Eretz Hakodesh
to participate in the large event. Maran told them about
problems with education in Eretz Hakodesh, about the
possibility of enrolling more students in Chinuch Atzmai
institutions and about the difficulty involved in bussing
them, which limits the ability to accept additional
students.
After tefillas Ma'ariv at the Kosel Hama'arovi
the roshei yeshivos took part in a closed meeting of Lev
Shomei'a -- a subdivision of Lev L'Achim devoted to Torah
study and outreach for religious youths facing spiritual
crises and for other religious Jews in need -- attended by
rabbonim and avreichim from all parts of Eretz Yisroel. Lev
Shomei'a heads presented a detailed report on their
activities followed by a question-and-answer session.
Monday morning the roshei yeshivos observed Lev L'Achim's
work firsthand in Rechovot, Ashdod and Kiryat Gat and then
visited the homes of HaRav Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz and HaRav
Chaim Kanievsky.
The roshei yeshivos spent the afternoon with HaRav Aharon
Leib Shteinman discussing current problems then drove
together to the convention, where a reception was waiting for
them at Heichalei Malchus in Bnei Brak.
The convention began hours earlier with shiurim and
talks about the work the avreichim are engaged in
throughout the year. HaRav Menachem Cohen began the major
event by welcoming the avreichim streaming in from
dozens of towns and cities.
The opening speaker was HaRav Nachum Diamant, one of the
roshei yeshivos at Yeshivas Netivot Olam of Bnei Brak, who
spoke about kiruv work among Jews who are very distant
from Jewish tradition and are sometimes very hard to reach.
HaRav Mordechai Gross, av beis din of Chanichei
Hayeshivos of Bnei Brak, on the impact Torah learning and
mitzvah observance have on Jews drawing closer to the light
of Torah.
HaRav Yitzchok Zilberstein, rov of Bnei Brak's Ramat Elchanan
neighborhood, then addressed halachic questions that often
arise in outreach work.
Lev L'Achim Board Member HaRav Tzvi Eliach greeted the
distinguished guests from the US upon their arrival, thanking
them for making a special effort to attend the convention.
HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, rosh yeshivas Slobodka, then
welcomed a number of prominent roshei yeshivos from Eretz
Yisroel.
At 6:30, the time scheduled for gedolei Yisroel to
arrive, the hall was so packed that organizers were forced to
lock the doors to prevent more people from pressing their way
in. As maranan verabonon stepped into the large hall
and took their seats at the long tables of honor set up
behind the speaker's podium the enormous audience rose to its
feet, singing Yomim al yemei Melech.
HaRav Sorotzkin, who introduced the speakers, began by
inviting to the podium the moro d'asro HaRav Shmuel
Halevi Wosner, shlita, who offered his praise for the
holy work performed through mesirus nefesh for the
sake of "the pure souls of yaldei Yisroel born to
secular parents whose souls weep and beg to be removed from
captivity."
Afterwards HaRav Ezriel Auerbach read a special letter of
blessing his father-in-law, Maran HaRav Eliashiv,
shlita, sent to the convention. Next speeches were
given by HaRav Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz, HaRav Shlomo Wolbe,
HaRav Shmuel Kamenetsky, HaRav Aharon Shechter and HaRav
Avrohom Chaim Levine. (Due to the pressures of deadlines we
were not able to translate the letters.)
Afterwards a letter sent by HaRav Moshe Shmuel Shapira was
read by HaRav Moshe Dovid Lefkowitz and a letter by HaRav
Chaim Kanievsky was read by Lev L'Achim Board Member HaRav
Boruch Shapira.
Later HaRav Shteinman addressed the avreichim, citing
a passage in the gemora (Kesuvos 103b) about the importance
Chazal attached to teaching Torah to every Jewish child. (See
separate article in the Opinion section.)
In addition to the speakers other rabbonim in attendance
included HaRav Nissim Karelitz, HaRav Gershon Eidelstein,
HaRav Shmuel Auerbach, HaRav Meir Tzvi Bergman and HaRav
Nosson Tzvi Finkel.
The convention continued with a talk by HaRav Chizkiyohu
Mishkovsky on the "big war ahead of us" and then HaRav Uri
Zohar led a discussion on enrolling students in Torah
institutions through the education hotline (tel. 1-800-550-
300).
A convention for women volunteers was held simultaneously in
an adjoining hall, where the speakers at the men's convention
were projected onto large screens.
