The preparations for the Dirshu Siyum Hashas in Manchester, England, are currently nearing completion. However, due to unanticipated demand the tickets were already sold out within a few hours of going on sale, and at least 1000 Mancunian Jews who wanted to participate received a message that it would not be possible. Yesterday, the organization’s production company announced that with great efforts, another 1000 places have been added to the Siyum.

The Dirshu staff estimate that the exceptional demand for the Siyum Hashas emanates from the fact that this is a historic event in the city, with the Siyum Hashas being held by Dirshu with great pomp and splendor in honor of the Torah and those who study it, for the first time. The magnificent, central Siyum will take place on 8 Teves 5780 at EventCity, the largest and grandest venue in Manchester which has thousands of seats. The event will be attended by Maranan Verabbonon, shlita.

The guest of honor will be Harav Hagaon Rav Aharon Schifff, Gaabad of the Machzikei Hadas kehilla in Antwerp, and with the participation of Harav Hagaon Rav Nissan Kaplan, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Daas Aharon in Har Nof, Yerushalayim, and Harav Hagaon Rav Pinchas Schneebalg from London, son of the mara d’asra Hagaon Harav Rav Menachem Mendel Schneebalg, shlita.

“We didn’t anticipate the number of requests, and therefore we currently have a problem regarding the number of those wishing to participate who we need to disappoint,” relates Reb Yanki Silber, one of the event producers. “We are talking about a historic event never yet seen in Manchester, an event to honor Torah with the participation of all the rabbis, and it seems the community was so excited about the fact that there are so many mesaymim that everyone wanted to come.”

As noted, the organizers have succeeded in adding an extra 1000 places in the hall over the last few days. “The challenge wasn’t easy,” explains Reb Shneur Fleishman, the production manager. “There was a lot of bureaucracy around it, to do with emergency exits, security authorizations, and more. We are delighted that we succeeded with siyata d’Shmaya, and will be able to open the doors to all of Jewish Manchester who will participate in the event of historic dimensions, for the honor of Torah, the likes of which have never yet been seen in the history of the city.”