82 years after the talmidim of the Telshe Yeshivah hy”d were murdered, Rosh Yeshivah of Ateres Shlomo, HaGaon HaRav Shalom Ber Sorotzkin shlit”a redeemed the Telshe Yeshivah building in Lithuania in order to establish a new yeshivah there.

After eighty-two years of desolation, an emotional ceremony was held to return the Telshe yeshivah building in Lithuania to the Rosh Yeshivah of Ateres Shlomo, HaGaon HaRav Shalom Ber Sorotzkin shlit”a, grandson of the Roshei Yeshivah of Telshe.

The famed Telshe Yeshivah was the most prominent yeshivah in Lithuania in the previous decade, after Yeshivas Volozhin closed its doors. The Yeshiva was founded over 160 years ago by HaGaon HaRav Eliezer Gordon ztz”l, who was affectionately known as Reb Laizer Telzer. He was succeeded by his son-in-law, HaGaon HaRav Yosef Yehuda Leib Bloch ztz”l, and then his son HaGaon HaRav Avraham Yitzchak Bloch hy”d who was killed together with the talmidim of the yeshivah on the 20th of Tammuz, 1941.

HaGaon HaRav Shimon Shkop, author of Shaarei Yosher, and HaGaon HaRav Chaim Rabinowitz, called Reb Chaim Telzer, both taught Torah in this yeshivah. Most Lithuanian Torah giants of the generation before the Holocaust learned in this yeshivah, including HaGaon HaRav Elchonon Wasserman hy”d; HaGaon HaRav Naftali Trop ztz”l; HaGaon HaRav Yosef Shalom Kahaneman ztz”l; HaGaon HaRav Yechezkel Abramsky ztz”l; HaGaon HaRav Pogramansky ztz”l; HaGaon HaRav Eliezer Yehudah Finkel and many other Lithuanian greats. The Telshe Yeshivah established the foundations for today’s “yeshivah style” learning and yeshivah structure.

The Yeshivah in Telshe was decimated on the 20th of Tammuz, 1941. Survivors reestablished the yeshivah in the United States. The yeshivah there was headed by HaGaon Harav Elimelech Bloch ztz”l; HaGaon HaRav Chaim Mordechai Katz ztz”l; and then HaGaon HaRav Baruch Sorotzkin ztz”l; HaGaon HaRav Mordechai Gifter ztz”l; and HaGaon HaRav Eizik Ausband ztz”l.

Now, 82 years later, the Lithuanian government has returned the Telshe Yeshivah building to the grandson of the original founders and Roshei Yeshivah, HaGaon HaRav Shalom Ber Sorotzkin shlit”a. HaRav Sorotzkin is Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshivas Ateres Shlomo, which is a continuation of the Telshe Yeshivah.

This Av, HaRav Shalom Ber Sorotzkin shlit”a and grandchildren of the original Telshe Roshei Yeshivah visited Telshe to redeem the building. They hope to turn the building back into a makom Torah that will be a “yeshivah al kivram.”

During the unique “L’Hashiv Atarah” expedition, the Rosh Yeshivah shlit”a visited Telshe together with the grandchildren of the Roshei Yeshivah of Telshe to redeem the yeshivah building. The talmidim stayed in the yeshivah building for about two weeks and maintained yeshivah sedarim in the legendary beis medrash.

The Rosh Yeshivah spoke emotionally when they ceremoniously entered the yeshivah. “Shal ni’alecha mei’al raglecha: Remove your shoes because we’re now standing on holy ground. We are standing here for the first time that Torah is returning to this holy place. This is sacred ground, on which Gedolei Olam learned Torah and from where they merited to go out to teach Torah to Klal Yisroel. This is what Chazal meant when they said that this stone is like Har Sinai and the one who sits on it is like the luchos habris.

“When the yeshivah was closed, Rav Eliyahu Meir Bloch ztz”l cried and begged that Torah should return here. Until now, foxes walked over it, but we are now meriting to see its return. I think this is the most tangible fulfilment of – nikom li’eineinu nikmas dam avadecha hashafuch.”

“Gedolei Yisroel sat and learned in these daled amos. Every step that we take here is on ground that Kedoshei Elyon stood and learned and discussed Torah with dveikus to Hashem. This is also where they were mekadesh Hashem when they were killed al kiddush Hashem. There are no words to describe this feeling.”

The talmidim entered the yeshivah with a Sefer Torah in their hands and recited the brachah of Baruch matziv gevul almanah. With an emotional rendition of Ashreinu mah tov chelkeinu, the Rosh Yeshivah shlit”a put the mezuzas on the building’s doorposts.

During the trip, there were sidrei limmud in the restored beis medrash and the Rosh Yeshivah shlit”a gave a daily shiur. On Shabbos, the Rosh Yeshivah shlit”a said a shiur klali in the beis medrash, just like the generations of Telshe Roshei Yeshivah before him.

The trip concluded with a special tefillah for the community and individuals at the kevarim of the Roshei Yeshivah, HaGaon HaRav Yosef Yehudah Leib Bloch and HaGaon HaRav Chaim Telzer at the Kovno cemetery and at the mass grave in which the talmidim and Roshei Yeshivah of Telshe are buried.

The trip made a big impression in Lithuania and throughout Europe. During the trip, the Lithuanian Minister of Tourism and Minister of Culture, a delegation of parliament members, the mayor of Telshe and member of the city council, and the head of the Lithuanian National Museum visited the yeshivah building in honor of the historic occasion. The head of the National Museum in Vilna also came to present the talmidim with notebooks and manuscripts of the Roshei Yeshivah of Telshe, some of which were never printed.

Yeshivas Ateres Shlomo is very thankful to Reb Shimon Levinger for initiating the return of the yeshivah building and for arranging the “L’Hashiv Atarah” trip,  for the successful production and arrangement of the trip and for his tremendous dedication to returning the yeshivah building.