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JANUARY 28, 2021 | The Jewish Home
Around the
Community It’s All About the Talmidim 21,000 Join Darchei Torah Evening of Celebration
W
hat is it that drives Yeshiva Darchei Torah? What drives its rabbeim? What drives its teachers and administrators? The answer is, and always has been, the talmidim. From Beis Medrash and mesivta to preschool, talmidim have always been the motivation at Yeshiva Darchei Torah. Talmidim are what inspire the staff to make every day at yeshiva better than the last. They are what spurred the hanhala through the pandemic to ensure that there was nearly-uninterrupted limud haTorah and education. They motivated efforts to transform the campus into a safe space for everyone to return to in-person learning. And the talmidim are what inspired the Yeshiva to create this year’s Evening of Celebration, a dinner event unlike any before. The livestream event was the culmination of months of planning, composing, singing, writing, and filming. It combined the efforts of staff, hanhala, rabbeim, teachers, and, of course, the talmidim. The evening began with a pre-program message of inspiration from Rav Shlomo Avigdor Altusky, Rosh Yeshiva, who offered his unique insights on understanding and growing from the unusual events in the world today. The program then commenced with words from the dinner’s emcee, Elisha Brecher, co-chairman of the Yeshiva’s board of directors, who soon relinquished the microphone to Shmuel Feintuch, an eighth grade talmid – because it was only fitting that a student lead the evening; a celebration of him and his fellow talmidim. Following Shmuel, viewers heard
from honorees, rabbeim, and teachers. They got to sit in on a personal conversation between the Rosh HaYeshiva, Rav Yaakov Bender, and a talmid and see the love and devotion that Rav Bender pours into each student. At two separate junctures, Maran Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky, Rosh HaYeshiva of the Yeshiva Philadelphia, appeared, offering divrei bracha and chizuk during the presentation. A documentary, Rising to the Occasion: from Challenge to Triumph, retold the moving story of the Yeshiva’s multi-faceted response to the pandemic through the actual words of parents who wrote messages of gratitude to the hanhala throughout these challenging months. What was perhaps the most memorable portion of the evening was the premier of two new music videos featuring talmidim. First, there was a stunning performance of Abie Rotenberg’s “Lulei Sorascha.” The Yeshiva Darchei Torah fifth grade choir was joined by three talented
generations: talmidim, fathers, and grandfathers, as well as alumni and rabbeim, both vocally and on musical instruments. Interspersed throughout the program were video presentations about the evening’s awardees: Mr. and Mrs. Dovy and Devory Freund of Brooklyn, the guests of honor; Mr. and Mrs. Steven and Shira Stein of Woodmere, the parents of the year; Mr. and Mrs. Shlomo and Deborah Katz of Lawrence, avodas hakodesh award; and Mr. and Mrs. Andrew and Stephani Serotta of Houston, national leadership award. All are current parents in the Yeshiva; Mr. Katz was also himself an early talmid of the elementary school. A touching tribute to Mrs. Shoshana Strickman, a”h, the wife of lower elementary school menahel, Rav Shmuel Strickman, was shown. As expressed in the presentation, Mrs. Strickman is sorely missed by her wonderful family, the extended Darchei Torah family, and the countless people who considered her
their best friend. A brief tribute was also presented in memory of Leiby Minzer, a”h, an alumnus of the Yeshiva who passed away one year ago. The evening closed with the performance of a new song, composed by Joey Newcomb and performed by him alongside Benny Friedman and the Yeshiva Darchei Torah fifth grade choir. The premiere of this song was a spectacle of sound, light, and dancing—a beautiful end to the evening. By the end of the event, there had been at least 21,000 live participants, with an additional 11,000 (and counting) views since then. Each and every viewer witnessed the truth of that evening’s theme—that it’s all about the talmidim. If you haven’t yet seen Yeshiva Darchei Torah’s Evening of Celebration, you can still view it in its entirety at www.Darchei.org/live or by requesting a disc from the Yeshiva office at 718.868.2300 ext. 301 or dinner@darchei.org.
