Last Motzei Shabbos, Kehillas Moreshes Yaakov of Flatbush held its eighteenth Melave Malka celebrating twenty four years as a vibrant and flourishing kehila. Over two hundred friends and members of the kehila joined this special event, reflecting upon its outstanding past successes and looking forward to a greater future. The evening also represented a watershed event for the kehila, with Rabbi Daniel Binsky officially being appointed as its Assistant Rabbi.

Kehilas Moreshes Yaakov is a Torah community of several hundred Russian Jewish families located in the heart of Flatbush. Under the leadership of Rabbi Avrohom Binsky, the kehila serves as a nucleus for its members. The shul offers a wide range of shiurim, activities, celebrations, and events. Its members are fully observant and their children are enrolled in mainstream Yeshivos and Bais Yaakovs. The Kehila is one of the greatest hidden success stories in the annals of the Russian immigrant kiruv movement.

Dr. Simonovsky, Chairman of the event, reflected upon the Kehila’s formative years, saying, “Our kehila is an impossible dream that became a reality.” It wasn’t easy of course, “but Hashem carried us. Hashem granted our morda d’asra with siyata dishmaya. Our Rov didn’t let any obstacles get in his way. He is a true leader who gives us direction and inspiration.”

Rabbi Avrohom Binsky, the tireless leader of Kehilas Moreshes Yaakov, noted the importance of this very unique kehila. “Our shul,” he said, “is dedicated to bringing people from the Former Soviet Union tachas kanfei hashechinah.”

Rav Esriel Ehrlanger, Mashgiach at Mirrer Yeshiva, served as Guest Speaker. He called the kehila “a miracle, a real community based on a solid foundation.” He also praised Rabbi Daniel, the new Assistant Rabbi, noting his “shleymus” and adding that he is “a young man holding by paskening shaylos.”

Rav Ehrlinger said that Rabbi Daniel’s talents would blend well with his father Rabbi Avraham’s vision. “Rabbi Avraham is a born leader who always looks to add more” inspiration to the kehila, while Rabbi Daniel, he said “is an expert in the small day to day halachos. We need both the vision and the daily halachos in order to achieve shelaymus.”

Perhaps R’Betzalel Stern, CEO of Community Hospital, said it best when he tried to describe this kehila. “There are many shuls in Flatbush,” he said, “but only a few select kehillos.”

R’Betzalel spoke about Rabbi Daniel’s tremendous desire to give. “He will be at the hospital doing bikur cholim, reading the megillah, and blowing the shofar for the patients. I once saw him in the lobby and he told me, “I was just driving by and came in because maybe someone will need me’. He has both zerizus and ahavas yisroel. As an outsider I am jealous that you will have him as an assistant Rabbi.”

Rabbi Daniel accepted his mission with grace, saying “I am both humbled and grateful for this tremendous zechus.” His appointment, he said, is actually the fulfillment of the tzava’ah of Rabbi Yisroel Belsky, zt’l, who served as the Nasi of the Kehila. “He gave me my marching orders to continue the work that my parents began in the late 1900’s, to glorify that which was. L’hachzir Atara L’yoshna.”

But he immediately addressed his own set of marching orders. “We’re celebrating the past but we’re also looking towards the future. Yes, we are here in the medinah shel chesed. We have our shuls and our frum community. But we have no right to be satisfied with that. We have to ask ourselves, ‘When will our brothers and our sisters join us? We cannot be satisfied with the status quo.”

Rabbi Daniel shared that he recently attended a tahara of an immigrant Jew only to discover that the niftar was actually a cousin of the Sekulener Rebbe. He wondered aloud how many other secular immigrants have illustrious ancestors. “I call on everyone to join us, to reglorify the beauty of our heritage. L’hachzir atara l’yoshna isn’t just a slogan. It’s a mission.”

The kehila is a close knit and vibrant community and several members were honored at this Melave Malka. Mr. and Mrs. Avner Itzhakov, Mr. and Mrs. Gil Ben Ari, Rabbi and Mrs. Shlomo Kozlov, and Dr. and Mrs. Abel Friedman received awards. Avner itzhakov the beloved and dedicated gabbai , was introduced as “the real Betzalel of our kehilla.” And Rabbi Kozlov, who was introduced as “a mentor and a teacher”, is the kehila’s gifted maggid shiur who has been leading the kehila’s well attended daf yomi for many years.

In accepting his award, Dr. Friedman said, “We are a generation that’s standing on the shoulders of great people.”

And Mr. Ben Ari repeated Rabbi Daniel’s marching orders. The immigrant community, he observed, “successfully assimilated into America society. Now we have the mitzvah of ‘Why is my brother not here with us?”

He said that this kehila is uniquely qualified to lead in the pursuit of Russian kiruv. But he cautioned against considering this a kiruv project. “I don’t like to use the term kiruv organization,” he explained. “I think we are more like a living organism.”

Armed with its ahavas yisroel, its sense of purpose, and its burning desire to share its heritage, the kehila ventures into the future determined to change the face of the immigrant community in Brooklyn and beyond. It’s a formidable task to be sure. But If anyone can do it, this kehilla can.