CTL shabbaton Shabbat Parashat Vayakhel (February 26, 2011): Rabbi Daniel Wolf and Rabbi Daniel Rhein joined the NYU community.
Rav Amnon Bazak visited the NY area as well, as scholar-in-residence at the Etz Chaim of Kew Garden Hills Synagogue.
Rav Amnon Bazak
Shabbat Vayakhel – February 25-6 2011
Congregation Etz Chaim of Kew Gardens Hills
147-19 73rd Ave Flushing NY 11367
Info: Mosherosenberg1@msn.com
Friday Night Shiur and Tish: השפעת המוסר הטבעי על פרשנות והלכה
8:30pm at Rabinovich 144-33 72nd Drive
Shabbat Drasha
One hour before Mincha: The Secret of the Copper Vessels
Between Mincha and Maariv: Mordechai, Esther and the Issue of Jewish Identity in the Diaspora
A Motzaei Shabbat Panel with Rav Bazak, Rav Danny Rhein and alumnus David Landes was held on the topic: The Legacy of HaRav Amital, zt"l. Rav Bazak spoke on Rav Amital's allowing people to be human, and David addressed the Shoah and Political Thought of Rav Amital.
CTL shabbaton in Englewood, NJ Parshat Tetzaveh
Rav Yair Kahn joined the Ahavath Torah communtiy for Shabbat, along with a small team of alumni. Two events of note included
- a Friday night community learning program at the home of Jerry and Anne Gontownik, after which (at 9:30pm) there was an oneg Shabbat with Rav Kahn and Rabbi Chaim Poupko, Ahavath Torah's Assistant Rabbi
- a Shabbat afternoon meeting with Rabbi Shmuel Goldin where he discussed community leadership with our alumni.
Seven Yeshiva alumni journeyed to Englewood, NJ for Shabbat, Parashat Tetzaveh, February 19, 2011, to spend a meaningful weekend with the community there. Yonatan Cantor (’06-’08), Yoni Teitz (’07-’08), Akiva Berger (’07-’09), Eitan Urkowitz (’07-’09), Periel Shapiro (’08-’09), Gilad Barach (’08-’10), Chesky Kopel (’08-’10), and Nachi Farkas (’09-’10) accompanied Rav Yair Kahn, head of the Overseas Program to two major community shuls: Congregation Ahavath Torah and Congregation Shomrei Emunah. Rav Kahn addressed both congregations with words of Torah, and the alumni introduced the Aliyot during Kri’at HaTorah in Ahavath Torah.
The entire group enjoyed large, festive meals at the home of Jerry and Anne Gontownik, where they were joined by a large segment of the Englewood community, including many families close to the Yeshiva. At Shabbat lunch, dozens of people rose to express their appreciation of the Gush and their gratitude to its leadership, Ramim, and students. The gathering also served the purpose of a time of reflection for the community, which had lost two young individuals in recent weeks. Rav Kahn and the alumni were touched by the tributes and the mourning of their untimely deaths.
Perhaps the highlight of the Shabbaton for the entire group was the opportunity to meet with local Rabbis. Rabbi Shmuel Goldin and Rabbi Chaim Poupko of Congregation Ahavath Torah gave from their precious time to meet with the alumni, and to provide words of Torah and invaluable advice regarding the special challenges of Jewish leadership.
February 2011 - Rav Yair Kahn and Rav Moshe Taragin met
with prospective students, parents and alumni in the New York area during the second week of February. Rav Yair's stops included Yeshiva of Flatbush Frisch, SAR, Ramaz and Maimonides. Shabbat Parshat Teztaveh, Rav Yair was hosted by Congregation Ahavat Torah in Englewood and the Gontownik Family. Rav Moshe's stops included TABC, DRS, Skokie, JEC, Philadelphia, YU, East Brunswick and Rambam. To contact Rav Moshe
Rav Moshe Taragin's trip in mid-December in the United States and Canada included the following meetings with students and parents and alumni:
Sunday, December 12 at 8:00 at the home of
Shari and Azi Feifel
2947 West Jarlath Street
Chicago, IL 60645
Monday, December 13 at 8:00 at the home of
Shawna and Jeremy Magence
44 Hefhill Court
Thornhill, Ontario L4J 7L8
Sunday, December 19 at 7:30 at the home of
Elie and Miriam Berman537 Rutland Ave
Teaneck, NJ 07666
Monday, December 20 at 8:00 at the home of
Howard and Esti Schwab
65-47 169th Street
Flushing, NY 11365
Rav Moshe also spoke on "Tefillah From the Depths of Experience" on Motzaei Shabbat Dec 11 at 7pm, at the Young Israel of North Woodmere.
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Developing Torah Leadership
Within the framework of the Center for Torah Leadership, headed by Rav Doniel Schreiber ‘86, yeshiva alumni are being encouraged to enrich the Torah lives of overseas communities and develop themselves as Torah leaders. They are giving shiurim and divrei Torah, leading prayer services and discussion groups, and generally infusing the communities they visit with spirituality and knowledge.
Some recent events include:
- On May 22, Parshat Naso, a CTL Shabbaton was held in Plainview, LI with Rav Menachem Leibtag. It coincided with a Bnei Akiva Shabbaton in the area, and yeshiva alumni spent time with both shul members and Bnei Akiva youth, in shiurim, tefillah and discussions of Jewish issues.
- On June 12, Parshat Korach, a CTL Shabbaton took place in conjunction with a Gush alumni Shabbaton with Rav Mosheh Lichtenstein in Teaneck, NJ
- On the first night of selichot, Sept. 4, a CTL Selichot event was held at the Young Israel of North Woodmere. Yeshiva alumni led the davening and invested the evening with intensity and spirit.
The community’s rabbi, Rabbi Yehuda Septimus ’94 wrote,” I want to thank you so much for coming to our pre-selichot singing – it made all the difference in the world. Your ruach is contagious and inspiring. May HKB”H give you the strength to continue these wonderful activities ad meah ve-esrim!”
- On Nov. 6, Parshat Toldot, there were two CTL Shabbatonim: one in Toronto with Rav Mosheh Lichtenstein and the second in Edison, NJ with Rav Moshe Taragin.
- On Nov. 20, Parshat Vayishlach, Rav Schreiber was the Scholar-in-Residence at the Young Israel of Woodmere. He was joined by alumni who gave divrei Torah and shiurim to the community, led the davening, and met with the rabbinic and lay leadership of Woodmere.
More Shabbatonim are planned for December and January, in Israel and in the U.S.
Rav Mordechai Friedman will be hosted by the Kehillat Reim Ahuvim (KRA) Synagogue on the Upper West Side. The rabbi there is Rabbi Adam Mintz, father of our boger Noam Mintz '95. They will have a seudah Friday Night and a tish with Rav Friedman and Rav Mintz at the home of the parents of Josh Friedman '02. A second CTL shabbaton will be at the Young Israel of Teaneck with Rav Moshe Taragin. The rabbi there is Rav Pinchos Weinberger. More details to follow.
We are in the very early stages of planning yet another CTL Shabbaton for Jan. 8 in Philadelphia, at the shul of Rabbi Avraham Shmidman, the Lower Merion Synagogue of Philadelphia, with Rosh HaYeshiva Rav Mosheh Lichtenstein and Rav Daniel Rhein.
Shabbat Feb. 12, Rav Yair Kahn will be hosted by Congregation Ahavath Torah, the shul of Rabbi Shmuel Goldin, in Englewood, NJ.
Another aspect of CTL is the Divrei Halacha Mentoring Program. For example, Alex Tsykin ‘07 under the guidance of Rav Schreiber, is sending articles on halacha via email to B'nei Akiva members in Australia.
Rav Schreiber explained, “We feel that Har Etzion has a derech that’s relevant and needed in today’s world – open-minded yet committed, combining spirituality and real learning, Zionistic and caring. The CTL’s goal is to give our alumni the skills to transmit all they’ve learned in Har Etzion to other communities, beyond the confines of the beit midrash. In the future, we hope to reach out to many more communities in Israel and abroad.
