On Sunday, November 3, Yeshivas Kochav Yitzchok/Torah Institute held its first annual Mishnayos-Shasathon. Over 1300 participants, including talmidim, their parents, and grandparents, filled the ballroom at Martin’s West to learn and complete Shas Mishnayos in under one hour, creating a big Kiddush Hashem and providing a chizuk for everyone involved.

The idea for the Siyum was the brainchild of Dr. Dani Sova, a devoted parent of Cheder talmidim, who dreamed of organizing an event that would create a Kiddush Hashem and benefit the Cheder. After months of hard work by parents and hanhalah members, the dream became a reality.

As the talmidim arrived at their assigned seats, each one found the mishnayos they had committed to learn, in a personalized booklet, accompanied by a table-shtender.

The program began with short words of encouragement by Rabbi Eytan Feiner, Rav of the ‘White Shul’ in Far Rockaway, NY, who stressed the beauty and spiritual magnitude of the event.  Warmed by Rabbi Feiner’s words, the boys—along with fathers, grandfathers, and other family members—began learning their allotted mishnayos with gusto. As the learning proceeded, Rabbi Feiner addressed the women who had come to participate in the momentous occasion, highlighting the unique role that mothers and wives have in ensuring the continuity of limud haTorah and our beautiful mesorah.

As the countdown clock wound down, the women made their way into the hall. Prior to the Hadran, Rabbi Shimon Hirsch, Menahel of the Cheder, delivered a moving message that eloquently captured the sentiments of the evening. “A little over a week ago, we took out all the sifrei Torah from the Aron Hakodesh and we danced together with them with great simchah. Tonight, in this room, we again have the opportunity to be mesameach with the Torah, and especially the sweet, pure Torah of the tinokos shel bais rabban. The learning of the Mishnayos took under one hour, but the excitement of this tremendous mesoras haTorah and ahavas haTorah will last a lifetime!”

The Rosh HaYeshivah of Ner Yisroel, Harav Aharon Feldman, then took to the podium to complete the final Mishnah in Maseches Uktzin and recite the Hadran. While reciting the Mishnah, the Rosh HaYeshiva delivered a penetrating message about Torah living being the only reality, whereas everything else is mere fantasy. As the Mishnah concludes that shalom is the kli machzik brachah, the Rosh HaYeshivah emphasized that Torah learning will only make a difference if we have middos tovos, which generate and sustain shalom.

Immediately after the siyum, the participants broke into heartfelt dancing, musically accompanied by a band and singing by Baruch Levine and Simcha Leiner. Reflecting on his experience, Rabbi Levine commented, “I was extremely impressed with the character of the boys. There was an energetic and exciting ruach with an impressive mentchlikeit.”

Following an elegant seudah, Harav Nosson Nusbaum, Yoshev Rosh of the Cheder’s Vaad HaChinuch, learned the first Mishnah in Maseches Brachos. He reminisced about the early years of the Cheder and marveled at its exponential growth—from 15 talmidim to the current enrollment of over 700 talmidim.

There was a surprise special award presentation in honor of the five parent committee members who spent the past five months planning to make the event a success. These included Dr. Dovid Daniel, Rabbi Zechariah Grauer, Rabbi Dr. Yonason Musman, Dr. Elie Portnoy, and Dr. Dani Sova.

Mrs. Libby Spero, a grandmother of one of the talmidim, responded with a most touching message to the Cheder’s hanhalah. She wrote: “I just came home from an incredibly memorable evening at your first annual Shas-a-thon. As I listened to the beautiful voices of the children singing, ‘Bnei veischa k’ vatichila,’ the tears began to flow. I thought about my father, z”l, Mayer Friedman, after whom our grandson is named. When my father returned from the concentration camps, he and my mother married in a German DP camp – broken in body but not in spirit, baruch Hashem. I cannot imagine they would have ever dreamed of seeing such a resurgence – to see their great-grandchild at such a maamad. Could they have imagined seeing the flourishing of Torah, the joy of your talmidim in their learning, and their accomplishments? Baruch Hashem, they did live to see much nachas from their progeny, but as I sat and wept, I know they were with us. I know they were looking down at this monumental event with great pride in what you have accomplished l’ maan Hashem v’Toraso.”

Originally named Shearis Hapleitah, Yeshivas Kochav Yitzchok/Torah Institute was founded in 1952 by HaRav Yitzchok Sternhell, zt’l, and a group of Holocaust survivors, determined to transplant, rebuild, and restore, what was lost in the European Destruction. This magnificent event was a full circle. As our children’s voices rang out in Torah learning on that night, they were spiritually bound to the one and a half million pure little souls looking down from Shomayim.

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