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Last week, Rosh Yeshivas Ponevezh Maran HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein Shlita welcomed talmidim from Yeshivas Toras Yaakov in his home. The Beit Shemesh yeshivah is one of the only yeshivos in Israel geared to adolescents with special needs.

The talmidim visited the Rosh Yeshivah in his home in honor of their siyum on Sefer Shemos. During the course of the visit, the boys were tested on the material and received his bracha for hatzlacha in learning and the strength to surmount the difficult challenges in their lives. HaGaon Harav Edelstein signed the special award certificate for the bachurim. At the end of the visit, the boys also met HaGaon HaRav Baruch Dov Povarsky Shlita, and received a bracha from him, as well.

The trip to Bnei Brak and visit to the homes of gedolei hador were held in the framework of Yom Hisromemimus in the yeshivah which is intended to inspire the talmidim to strive for greatness. Talmidim and rabbonim of the Yeshivah, including them Harav Yisrael Miller, escorted them.

Yeshivas Toras Yaakov is one of the only yeshivos for special children in Eretz Yisrael. It is a branch of Sulam, one of the first chareidi organizations in the country geared to children with special needs. The yeshivah offers a variety of educational and therapy services for high-functioning students who possess strong cognitive skills and are merely as diagnosed as possessing social issues. The above can be expressed in several years such as interpersonal communication; social interactions; understanding social situations; easy-adjustment and flexible thinking, etc. The learning in the yeshivah, which is integrated with a special educational therapy approach, is done with the goal of trying to help the students later integrate successfully into regular yeshivos and educational institutes.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)