Twenty years ago, the Gerer Rebbe, Shlit”a, instituted massive changes to the curriculum across the Gerer institutions. He set out to address a deficit in the Torah world; Talmidei Chachomim who would achieve a complete mastery in the entire Shas, a phenomenon that had been lost since the prewar Torah world that thrived in Europe. A Shas Yid was a common phenomenon in those days, and the Rebbe felt that for all the glory of Torah that had been rebuilt, there was more work to be done in this areas.

In the ensuing two decades, nothing short of a Torah revolution has taken place, and the Gerrer chassidus now boasts hundreds of such Talmidei Chachomim.

At an incredible event in the massive Binyanei Ha’uma, hundreds of these elite talmdei chachomim were tested by the gedolim of Eretz Yisroel, including the Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Baruch Mordechai Ezrachi, Rav Yitzchok Zilbershtein, Rov of Ramat Elchonon, in the presence of the Gerer Rebbe who looked out at the fruits of his labor, and numerous distinguished Rabbonim and Dayonim of the kehillah.

There were two groups being tested that evening; those tested on the entire Shas, and those who were tested on a large portion Shulchan Aruch in addition to a majority of the Dapim in Shas. 

For an intensive two hours, the Gedolim threw out probing questions to the yungeleit—and were astounded time and time again by the clarity, the mastery, and the recall that these budding talmidei chachomim have achieved.

Speaking following the event, the Rav Ezrachi and Rav Edelstein—great men who have encountered the Gedolim of the previous generation— could not contain their emotions at what they had witnessed, a true display of Kiddush Sheim Shomayim, an unbelievable phenomenon that is growing and thriving out of sight of the broader Torah world.

The umbrella organization of these incredible Torah initiatives is “Torasoi,” which is in turn a part of the legendary Ichud Mosdos Gur. 

In addition to Rav Shloime Tzvi Alter, a son of the Gerer Rebbe, who serves as the Rosh Hakolelim of Ger, which oversees these programs that have led to these incredible strides, a number patrons and talmidei chachomim, from within the chassidus and without, addressed the massive assemblage, among them noted philanthropist Reb Yosef Aryeh Brinner, who is a major supporter of these programs. 

They observed and reflected upon the history that is being made, and the lost glory of Torah that is being returned through these accomplished Talmidei Chachomim, as inspired and led by the Gerer Rebbe shlit”a.