Beginning this Friday afternoon, erev Shabbos Parshas Tizaveh through the following Monday afternoon, the grand ballroom of the Newark Hilton in Elizabeth, New Jersey, will be transformed into a beis medrash, with scores of baaleibatim engaging in rigorous Torah study reminiscent of their days in yeshiva. The event, Agudas Yisroel’s second American Yarchei Kallah, will also, no doubt, be reminiscent of a similar Agudah gathering held just weeks ago in Eretz Yisroel  — the Eighth Yerushalayim Yarchei Kallah.

“While we can’t possibly match the unique atmosphere of Yerushalayim ihr hakodesh,” says Shlomo Gottesman, co-chairman of Agudas Yisroel’s Torah Projects Commission—which sponsors both the Yerushalayim gathering and its newer American counterpart — “we are gratified, nonetheless, to be able present, as we did in Yerushalayim, a high-quality program combining intensive learning with high-level shiurim from Gedolei Yisroel.”

According to Torah Projects Commission director Rabbi Avrohom Nisan Perl, the American Yarchei Kallah is an expansion of a popular two-day Brooklyn-based program that, like the upcoming four-day event, was scheduled each year to coincide with the Presidents Day work-break.  While the program now includes a warm, uplifting and, by all accounts, truly memorable Shabbos, its original purpose — to allow Jewish men in the workplace to fruitfully use free and vacation time to study Torah—has not been mitigated.

“It’s hard to overstate the beauty of a Shabbos spent in the company of Gedolei Yisroel with like-minded b’nei Torah,” says Rabbi Perl, noting that a limited number of rooms are still available. “But just spending Sunday and Monday totally immersed in Torah and mussar is enough to recharge one’s spiritual batteries for a long time to come.” The Agudah representative stresses that all weekday sessions are open to the public and free of charge.

The sugya of the upcoming Yarchei Kallah, Krias HaTorah, will feature in-depth shiurim by leading Roshei Yeshiva and maggidei shiur, including Rabbi Usher Weiss of Yerushalayim and Rabbi Yitzchok Sorotzkin, Rosh Yeshiva, Telz Yeshiva (Lakewood) – both of whom will honor the gathering with their presence on Shabbos – as well as Rabbi Yeruchum Olshin, Rosh Yeshiva, Bais Medrash Govoha; Rabbi Noach Isaac Oelbaum, rav, Congregation Nachlas Yitzchok, Kew Garden Hills, and Rabbi Don Blumberg, Rosh HaKollel Yisroel V’Shimshon of the West Side and Rosh HaYeshiva Ohr Simcha of Englewood. Divrei chizuk will be offered by Rabbi Yaakov Reisman, rav, Agudath Israel of Long Island; the Lakewood Mashgiach, Rabbi Mattisyahu Salomon; Rabbi Avrohom Schor, rav, Khal Tiferes Yaakov; and Rabbi Avrohom Chaim Feuer, rav, Khal Bais Avrohom, Monsey.

An outstanding women’s program is also being planned and will feature, among others, Rabbi Yosef Eisen, rabbinic adviser of the Vaad HaKashrus of the Five Towns, who will discuss and demonstrate the proper way to check and clean vegetables; Agudath Israel executive vice president for government and public affairs Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel; Agudath Israel associate executive director Rabbi Labish Becker; Rebbetzin Kreindel Sorotzkin; Rebbetzin Rifka Eichenstein; Mrs. Minna Glick, and Mrs. Malca Gottesman. A special demonstration entitled, “Aristocratic Fruit,” will be presented by food stylist Mrs. Tammy Polatsek.