Leading Senior Roshei Yeshiva Address and Hail Dirshu’s Bnei Yeshivos Programs  

“It was Simchas Torah in the middle of the week!” was how Rabbi Gershon Kroizer, Dirshu’s director of programming for Bnei Yeshivos, described the two siyumim recently held for bachurim in both the Ponovezh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak and Yeshiva Ohr Yisrael of Petach Tikvah.

Dirshu’s program for Bnei Yeshivos in Eretz Yisrael caters to remarkably motivated bnei yeshiva who on their own time learn the entire masechta the yeshiva is learning, review numerous times and take both monthly and cumulative tests on all that they learned.

In Ponevezh, over 300 bachurim made a siyum on the difficult Masechta Yevamos. At Yeshiva Ohr Yisrael more than 200 bachurim were mesayem Masechta Bava Basra. “This is not a Daf Yomi type of siyum,” said Rav Kroizer, but rather every bachur becomes a true baki in the entire masechta.

The siyum at Yeshiva Ohr Yisrael was attended by the mashgichim and the ramim. A hush fell over the hall as the venerated Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Ohr Yisrael, Rav Yigal Rozen, rose. Rav Rozen praised the bachurim for making a siyum on such a large, complex masechta as Masechta Bava Basra.

On a personal note,” Rav Rozen continued, “I am just amazed by what Dirshu and Rav Hofstedter have done and continue to do. We all try to be mezakeh harabbim, benefit the public but when I stand next to Rav Hofstedter I feel like a midget next to a giant. I don’t know if even he can properly understand what he is doing for Klal Yisrael, but Hashem knows!”

The very large crowd at the Ponevezh siyum necessitated a larger venue in Bnei Brak. It was attended by leading members of Ponovezh’s hanhala.

As the siyum was held during the sheloshim for HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein, zt”l, the Rosh Yeshiva of Ponevezh, Rav Hofstedter, during his powerful address, devoted some remarks to lessons that can be learned from Rav Gershon and the selflessness of the Nisiyei Yisrael, the princes and shepherds of Klal Yisrael.

Gazing out at the large crowd of mesaymim, Rav Hofstedter exclaimed, “You are all talmidim of the Rosh Yeshiva, zt”l, here in Ponovezh. Yes, you immerse yourself in learning, but you want even more. You know that learning without reviewing and without knowledge of large amounts is not enough. You have shown tremendous desire to not just learn but to learn with a real goal and to tenaciously seek that goal, chazering until you gain comprehensive knowledge of the masechta. This is true kinyan haTorah.”