Tens of thousands of children, bochurim and avreichim returned to their mosdos Torah on Sunday, Rosh Chodesh Elul in Eretz Yisrael.

B’Chadrei Chareidim reported on what’s new in the Olam HaTorah and yeshivos. At Yeshivas Mir in Beis Yisrael, the largest yeshivah in the world, Elul Z’man already began on Thursday in the wake of the tragedies that took place during Bein H’Zmanim.

The number of bochurim at Yeshivas Mir Brachfeld exceeded 700 for the first time as Elul Z’man began. Due to the lack of space, bochurim entering Shiur Aleph will sleep five to a room. Fortunately, construction of new dorm rooms is beginning in Elul along with the sounds of limmud Torah.

HaMashgiach HaRav Don Segal is founding a new kollel in his Beis Medrash in the Givat Moshe neighborhood of Jerusalem. Two weeks ago, a small number of talmidim from the elite of the yeshivah world gathered in the Mashgiach’s office for the announcement. The Mashgiach spoke words of chizuk and spoke with the talmidim on the sidrei kollel and the sugyos that will be learned. The kollel will be launched in time for winter z’man.

The Beis Medrash at Chevron Yeshivah in Givat Mordechai, where over 260 bochurim are beginning Vaad Aleph, was expanded over Bein H’Zmanim and now has 180 new seating places.

Yeshivas Ponevezh in Bnei Brak broke a record and accepted 350 new bochurim for Shiur Aleph. The shiur will be divided into three groups – one group will hear a daily shiur from the Rosh Yeshivah, HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein, the second group will hear shiur from HaRav Edelstein’s son-in-law, HaRav Dovid Levi, and the third group will hear shiur from HaRav Dovid Miller

During Bein H’Zmanim, construction took place in the yeshivah and 100 seating places were added.

Who will take the place of Chacham Shalom, z’tl, in Porat Yosef?

The Olam HaTorah began the z’man while still enveloped in a feeling of heavy aveilus in the wake of the departure of Rosh Yeshivas Porat Yosef Chacham Shalom Cohen, z’tl. His son, HaGaon HaRav Shimon Cohen, Rosh Yeshivas Toras Yaakov in Bat Yam, will be delivering shiurim in Porat Yosef in his father’s place.

The one who will deliver the opening shiur and sit in the Rosh Yeshivah’s place is HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Betzalel, who until now has served as one of the Roshei Yeshivos of Porat Yosef and will now be known as “the Rosh Yeshivah.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)