Gedolei Yisroel joined lomdei Dirshu for a deeply inspiring Shabbos at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Stamford Connecticut, at Dirshu’s International Convention. The overwhelming feeling throughout the Shabbos by lomdei Dirshu and their wives, was one of simcha, joy and ecstasy, thanking Hashem for a life permeated by ol Torah!

The Convention’s high point was the Grand Melava Malka siyum on Chelek Gimmel of Mishnah Berurah and undoubtedly, the climax of the melave malka was the unveiling of plans for the Dirshu World Siyum to be held next winter. The lomdei Dirshu were given an advance preview of the worldwide siyumim in Eretz Yisroel, England, France, South Africa, and culminating with an unprecedented kovod for lomdei Torah that will transpire at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, where the entire arena will be transformed into a giant bais medrash celebrating the accomplishments of lomdei Torah with accountability.

“The purpose of the Dirshu World Siyum,” explained Rav Dovid Hofstedter, is to galvanize, empower and energize lomdei Torah throughout the world, young and old, whatever standing and station in life, irrespective of what shevet they belong to, k’ish echad b’lev echad to accept upon themselves the ol, the yoke of Torah, to become a mamleches Kohanim v’goy kadosh and to rise above the nisyonos. That is our objective and goal! Hashem has given us the tools to survive. Today there are all kinds of aids to help us in learning. There are umpteen ways to do the Daf, with this shortcut and that aid. Dirshu’s goal however is not to do the Daf it is to LIVE the Daf!”

HaGaon HaRav Shlomo Feivel Schustal, shlita, who spent Shabbos at the convention said, “We live in an era where the yetzer hara, r”l, is constantly coming up with new innovations to try to make us stumble. There are so many challenging nisyonos in our times. Baruch Hashem, Hashem has also sent chiddushim as antidotes to the yetzer hara and Dirshu is such a chiddush! This heilige organization, Dirshu is undoubtedly one of Hashem’s chiddushim to help this generation fight the yetzer hara. It gives a person his primary cheshek, desire, and goal in limud haTorah. It requires a tremendous zechus to be able to gift Klal Yisrael with so much limud haTorah!”

Among the gedolim that attended and addressed the convention were HaGaonim, Harav Reuven Feinstein, shlita, Rosh Yeshivah, Yeshiva of Staten Island; Harav Yeruchim Olshin, shlita, Rosh Yeshivah, Beth Medrash Govoha, Lakewood; Harav Shlomo Feivel Schustal, shlita, Rosh Yeshivah, Yeshivas Tiferes Yerachmiel; Harav Yechiel Mechel Steinmetz, shlita, Skverer Dayan of Boro Park; Harav Yitzchok Sorotzkin, shlita, Rosh Yeshivah, Mesivta of Lakewood; Harav Dovid Olewski, shlita, Rosh Yeshivah, Mesivta Beis Yisroel of Ger; and Harav Dovid Goldberg, shlita, Rosh Yeshivah, Yeshivas Telshe, together with numerous other prominent Gedolei Roshei Yeshivah and Rabbanim.