For the second consecutive year, bochurim from
Riverdale Yeshiva (USA) under HaRav Osband spent their summer
vacation in Melbourne, Australia. They came to enhance the
ruach of the local Lakewood Kollel and joined the
morning learning seder in Sanhedrin. In
Australia, it is the middle of the winter.
"We came to be mashpi'ah but in the end Melbourne was
mashpi'ah on us," said Shlomi Cohen of Riverdale.
The bochurim's schedule was packed almost to the
minute for the entire duration. Every day at the end of
seder the bochurim got packed lunches that they
ate as they went touring by van to spectacular Melbourne
sites.
The first night they celebrated a siyum by a 12 year
old boy and sang together led by well-known Chazan Mitteleman
from Yerushalayim. The rosh kollel Rabbi Nojowitz
spoke and said that although the Seed programs are good
because they mechazeik others, how much greater is
this yeshiva program to mechazeik one's own
learning.
The Kollel holds regular out-of-town seminars in the Emerald
Country Estate. The bochurim spent a Shabbos and a
long weekend in the 30 acre forest. They enjoyed motor bike
and tractor driving and were able to see and hear the
Australian Kookabara bird laugh whilst they learned in the
Estate's beis medrash. Motzei Shabbos was spent with
Dayan Yonoson Wiener of Shearis Yisroel in Ramot Yerushalayim
followed by Australia's musician Yumi Rosenbaum.
Dr. Lanzer, the organizer of the program, said "The mere
presence of the bochurim added life, and enhanced the
Torah atmosphere in town."
He said that bochurim are special in that their real
enjoyment and simcha is in learning. The kol Torah was
vibrant.
Shlomi Hoffman of Cleveland said, "To tell you the truth, it
seemed like such an outlandish idea. So far away, so removed
from our consciousness. What would we find there already?
However I must tell you that I was pleasantly surprised. The
moment we stepped off the plane, completing our tiring
journey, we were greeted by the happy faces of our hosts. The
hospitality that we received from them and the entire
community at large boggles the mind. The warm greetings from
every member of the community that we met, the joy they have
in welcoming people in the town, the endless invitations to
come join them for meals — and the list goes on and
on.
"Learning in the Kollel was an amazing experience. The
ruach and the dedication of the avreichim to
their studies and community was amazing. It's hard to
believe, but we had to come to the end of the world to find
families with the most pure Torah hashkofos, families
that every single act is determined by what will be most
Torahdik, and what will produce the most chesed and
kovod Hatorah. It seems that the slower pace of
Australia is an environment particularly favorable for Torah
Lishmoh.
"The entire group felt that we experienced something which
will change our lives; the impression on our hearts will stay
forever. The communal warmth, the Kollel, its vibrancy, and
the "life shmuessen" of Dr. Lanzer will never be
forgotten. We came to give — but in the end we got!"
