London and Gateshead Welcome Hanhalas Dirshu and its Nasi

In America, anticipation for Dirshu’s Amud Hayomi Siyum on Masechta Shabbos is mounting. Following the massive siyum at the Copper Box Arena in London with some 10,000 participants, Dirshu is making a unique celebration for American mesaymim of Masechta Shabbos in its popular Amud HaYomi program. Much like the siyum in London, it will be an event that celebrates the new journey upon which Amud HaYomi learners will be embarking, the journey through Masechta Eruvin that began on Chanukah.

In the tri-state area alone, there are more than one-hundred Dirshu Amud HaYomi shiurim and many thousands of lomdim.

The siyum will take place on Motzoei Shabbos Parshas Vayigash, 4 Teves/January 4 at The New Ballroom in Boro Park. Hundreds of mesaymim from Boro Park, Flatbush and even from Lakewood are expected to attend, celebrating both this milestone accomplishment and their future commitment to learn and complete Masechta Eruvin, one of the most difficult masechtos in Shas.

As in all Dirshu siyumim, the program will be one that exudes kavod haTorah and kavod for talmidei chachamim who are lomdei Torah. The program will include a melave malka with drashos from prominent Rabbanim and Roshei Yeshiva as well as zemiros, shiros and sishbochos to express the tremendous feelings of simcha that come as a result of accomplishing goals in accountable limud haTorah.

Among the speakers at the event will be the new Rav of Khal Emunas Yisroel of Boro Park, the Gaon and Tzaddik, HaRav Shmuel Yehuda Silber, shlita, grandson and handpicked successor of the unforgettable Rav and founder of Emunas Yisroel, the Mashgiach HaGaon HaTzaddik, HaRav Moshe Wolfson, zt”l. Another speaker will be HaGaon HaRav Zev Smith, shlita, maggid shiur Dirshu Daf HaYomi B’Halacha and Irgun Shiurei Torah. HaRav Dovid Hofstedter, shlita, Nasi Dirshu, will be coming specially to attend and address the event.

Many of the maggidei shiur accompanied by the members of their individual shiurim have enthusiastically expressed their desire to take part in the siyum. Dirshu’s offices have been inundated by calls from participants from the entire tri-state area expressing their desire to be part of such an important Torah event.

History in London

The siyum in New York came on the heels of a truly historic event in London, England attended by senior Gedolei Yisrael from Eretz Yisrael and Europe. In addition to the massive event in London (see separate report), the Hanhala of Dirshu led by Rav Dovid Hofstedter also visited mosdos in London and Gateshead. In Gateshead itself, Rav Hofstedter visited the Rosh HaYeshiva of the Gateshead Yeshiva, HaGaon HaRav Avrohom Gurwicz, shlita, and senior R”M at the Gateshead Yeshiva, HaGaon HaTzadik, HaRav Ezriel Rosenbaum, shlita. He also visited the Gateshead Yeshiva Ketana (Yeshiva Tiferes Yaakov) and gave a shmuess to the more than 200 talmidei hayeshiva.

Rav Hofstedter’s first stop on his trip was the Menorah School in London. Rabbi Yossi Dunner, a tireless askan on behalf of Dirshu, related, “Rav Dovid was slated to address the boys the previous day, Sunday, but due to a flight delay, it was not possible. However, he felt that he could not disappoint the young bachurim who had been anticipating the visit, so he juggled around his schedule to enable him to visit the school the following day.”

After davening Shacharis, Rav Dovid delivered a short address replete with chizuk to the talmidim of the school. Following his address, each talmid was given the opportunity to personally greet him, and he shared short words of chizuk with many of them.

Rabbi Chaim Emmanuel, a devoted Dirshu askan, related, “Another interesting meeting that took place at Menorah was with one of the mechanchim, Rav Yosef Schleider. Rav Yosef has established a unique Daf HaYomi B’Halacha shiur where he learns daily with 25 fourteen-year-old boys in the school, during their own recess, their free time! This popular shiur, in addition to teaching boys so many vital halachos, gives them a sense of great pride at being able to join Klal Yisrael in this important limud.”

Galvanizing Gateshead

The next day, Rav Hofstedter and other members of Hanhalas Dirshu travelled to Gateshead. In Gateshead, Rav Hofstedter went to visit Rav Ezriel Rosenbaum, senior R”M in the Gateshead Yeshiva. Unfortunately, Rav Ezriel, a holocaust survivor, sustained a stroke a few years ago and rarely leaves his home. Nevertheless, he exchanged divrei Torah with Rav Hofstedter and profusely praised Dirshu for the way they have exponentially increased limud haTorah in Klal Yisrael. He then gave Dirshu, Rav Hofstedter, and his family his most heartfelt brachos.

From there, they went to the beautiful, new, state-of-the-art campus of the Gateshead Yeshiva Ketana where Rav Hofstedter gave a shmuess to the entire yeshiva. The bachurim – many of whom participate in a Dirshu program during their own time – listened with bated breath as Rav Hofstedter gave a masterful drasha connecting Yaakov Avinu’s travails and his battle with the Sar of Eisav to the Yom Tov of Chanukah.

After Mincha, Rav Hofstedter and the other members of Dirshu, met with the Rosh Yeshiva, HaGaon HaRav Ezriel Yaffe, shlita, and other members of the yeshiva’s hanhala in Rav Ezriel’s office.  A lively, enjoyable schmooze ensued, covering important areas such as positive and less positive aspects of various darchei halimud and also, the importance of learning Torah with some kind of mechanism for accountability, such as tests.

Following the visit with the Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Avrohom Gurwicz, a small, intimate gathering of Dirshu maggidei shiur with longtime Dirshu learners and test takers came together at the home of R’ Aryeh Tzvi Sandler. Among those in attendance were Rav Moshe Baruch Katanka, Menahel of Dirshu Gateshead and a Dirshu maggid shiur, HaRav Avrohom Aran, shlita, a Rav and Dayan in Gateshead, and a popular Dirshu maggid shiur.

From a Grand Total of Fourteen Mishnah Berurahs to 270!!

During the meeting, they discussed the growth of Dirshu in England and specifically in Gateshead. Rav Moshe Boruch Katanka, related, “When I started delivering the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha shiur here fourteen years ago, I gave out a grand total of fourteen paperback Mishnah Berurahs to new lomdim. This week alone we distributed 270! Today we have multiple shiurim in Gateshead in Dirshu’s Daf HaYomi B’Halacha program and Amud HaYomi.”

“In fact, Rav Avrohom Aron, a prominent Dayan in Gateshead, delivers the largest Daf HaYomi B’Halacha shiur in the entire Europe. Since the siyum in London last week, three new shiurim have opened in Gateshead alone, and there are several shiurim for young bachurim as well,” concluded Rav Katanka.

“Indeed,” Rabbi Yossi Dunner concluded, “the response, the outpouring of requests to join Dirshu’s programs, to start new shiurim and to obtain a Dirshu calendar or a paperback copy of the Dirshu Mishnah Berurah or the Amud HaYomi booklet, have been simply ‘off the charts.’

“Wherever I go, people want to know about Dirshu, they want to know how to join. In a nutshell, since the large siyum at the Copper Box Arena, Dirshu has conquered England!”