An Inspiring Weekend at the Shaar

of mechanchim to reach every single talmid.

One of the more famous stories is when Reb Binyamin Kamenetzky, zt”l, asked his father Reb Yaakov if he could lower the mezuzah for the younger talmidim so they could reach it. Reb Yaakov replied that the mezuzah must remain in its proper spot and the children should have a stepstool to climb up and kiss the mezuzah. “In being mechaneich children,” explained Reb Yaakov, “you can never lower the mitzvah, rather you must raise the child!”

Going to the Beis Olam and davening at Reb Yaakov’s kever gave the talmidim a real sense of connection to the gadol who was so instrumental in their chinuch, and Reb Mordechai kamenetzky showed them how the legacy of a gadol can impact generations of Yidden. They also davend at the kever of many other gedolim buried there including Rabbi Shlomo Heiman (18851944), Rabbi Reuvain Grozovsky (1886-1958), Rabbi Dovid Leibowitz (1889-1941), Rabbi Henoch Leibowitz (1916-2008), and Rebbetzin Miriam Freida, the wife of the Chofetz Chaim zt”l.

It is so important for talmidim to connect to the gedolim of the previous generation, and when the gadol is someone who impacted their life, it is all the more meaningful. These talmidim experience the legacy of Reb Yaakov every single day at YOSS, and they now have an even more personal connection to his legacy.

On March 16-19, the Shaar – a unique kiruv yeshiva and community based in Sh’or Yoshuv –hosted Olami’s National Men’s Learning Weekend. 150 students and young professionals from across the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom came to the Shaar for an exhilarating four days of wisdom, spirituality, community and camaraderie.

The Shaar would like to thank the 56 families and neighbors in the warm and welcoming community of Far Rockaway and Lawrence for opening their homes and hearts for hosting comfortable sleep - ing accommodations and delicious Shabbos lunch meals.

The weekend was chock-full of fantastic learning and exciting events and highlights, including:

Elevating learning sessions and classes throughout the weekend with Shaar rebbeim and visiting speakers including Charlie Harary, Harry Rothenberg Esq., Rabbi Eytan Feiner among others, and multiple interactive learning workshops with local community members and business leaders.

A blow-out Thursday evening program with 150 community members coming to Shor Yoshuv for 1-on-1 chavrusa learning with the participants, followed by an epic achdus-filled farbrengen with R’ Joey Newcomb, R’ Shlomo Reich, other musical chevra and 300+ Yidden singing, dancing and bonding.

Grit N’ Wit – an awesome obstacle course event hosted by Yeshiva Darchei Torah that included great physical and mental team-building challenges and races.

A fantastic and uplifting Shabbos with a lavish Friday night seudah with the entire group, amazing lunch seudos at community hosts, afternoon shteiging sessions, tefillos led by Yehuda Green, with the beautiful Shabbos culminating in a grand havdala ceremony and concert with Yehuda Green and friends.

A gala melava malka and the legendary “The Q” trivia game show, held at the White Shul ballroom.

The weekend was baruch Hashem a great success, with many participants signing up over the weekend to return to the Shaar for Shavuos and to join the Shaar’s summer internship program, paving the way for many of them to ultimately join the Shaar full-time, b’Ezras Hashem!