The remarkable programs that have revolutionized the Lakewood business community, are gearing up for a brand new Elul Zman.

Of course, what we are talking about is the “Breakfast & Learn” and “Lunch & Learn” programs which have become extremely popular since their inception.

If you have never experienced a “Breakfast & Learn” for yourself, you are probably wondering: “What can be so remarkable about a shiur in Lakewood?”

Well, for starters, this shiur is not for Kollel Yungeleit, rather it is attended solely by dozens of working Bnei Torah, who wake up 40 minutes  earlier than they need to, in order to start their day with Torah! Those 40 minutes, in which they hear a shiur from the prominent Posek and author Rav Simcha Bunim Cohen Shlita, Mara D’Asra of Khal Ateres Yeshaya in Lakewood,or simply learn with a Chavrusah, transform them from simple Baalebatim, into Bnei Torah that happen to be working for a living.

The sight of so many  Baalei Parnassah, sitting and learning at the start of their day  is truly a Kiddush Hashem!

Each morning after Shacharis and the Shiur, the attendees are served a free breakfast which they can take with them for their commute to their various destinations of employ.

The “Breakfast & Learn” crowd is comprised mostly of Baalebatim that work out of Lakewood. For those that work in Lakewood, there is the popular “Lunch & Learn” program.

Each day’s program begins with Mincha at 1:15 pm and is immediately followed by a shiur in Halacha also delivered by Rav Simcha Bunim Cohen Shlita.  Rav Cohen began the “Lunch & Learn” shiur from the very beginning of the Mishna Berura, and is slowly making his way through the intricate Halachos that are relevant to every Jew on a daily basis. “Lunch & Learn” recently began Hilchos Tefillah.

After the Halacha portion of the shiur, there is a five minute segment of Mussar. Harav Cohen’s shiurim are well-known for their being filled with many personal and relevant  tidbits about his Rebbi Harav Moshe Feinstein Zt”l, as well as  his grandfathers Harav Avigdor Miller Zt”l and The Mattersdorfer Rov Zt”l as well as  other articles of interest from  Gedolim of past and present generations. After the Shiur, free lunch is served (whoever said there was no such thing as a “free lunch”?!)

The people at the shiur come from all different backgrounds. There are managers, mortgage brokers, realtors, photographers, doctors, lawyers, contractors, retailers, wholesalers, stockbrokers, teachers and people of virtually every other profession who attend the “Breakfast & Learn” and “Lunch & Learn” shiurim. Many are “regulars” who attend daily, and many attend as often as they can, depending on their particular daily schedules.

What all these Ballebatim have in common is this: They all strive to maintain their status as “Bnei Torah”, regardless of the fact that they have to earn a Parnassah.

Though these programs are based in Lakewood, and all the participants at the Shiur are Lakewood residents, there are many non Lakewooders that listen to the Shiurim daily! Both the Shiurim can be heard live (as well as archives of older shiurim) on the Kol Halashon Telephone network. For more information about accessing this service, call 732-864-5921

These wonderful programs were the brainchild of noted Lakewood Askan, R’ Yissochor Dov Warman (who also founded the Lakewood Kollel bus and many other wonderful programs that facilitate Torah learning).

The free meals at “Breakfast & Learn” and”Lunch & Learn” may be free to the participants, but the organizers need to raise the funds to pay for the food, and keep these unique programs alive. Each individual shiur can be sponsored L’zchus or L’Ilui Nishmas a loved one, or simply for an individual’s own Zechus!   For more information about the program, or to sponsor a day, week or month of Breakfasts and/or Lunches please contact the organizers at 732-299-3000 (for Breakfast & Learn related calls) or 917-589-7867 (for Lunch & Learn related calls). To be added to the daily Lunch & Learn email update, send an email to [email protected]

May the Torah and Tefilah generated by “Breakfast & Learn” and “Lunch & Learn” be a Zechus for the entire Lakewood Kehilla, and for all of Klal Yisroel  to be blessed with Health, Parnassah, and success.

(L. Halevi – YWN Lakewood)