[VIDEO & LARGE PHOTO GALLERY BY SHIMON GIFTER BELOW]

A defining landmark of the Orthodox community in Far Rockaway celebrated its latest milestone, installing a Sefer Torah on May 1 in its new 186,000 square foot building complex, before a crowd of some 5,000 local residents, students, and alumni.

“This community has been zoche to widen the kedusha of Torah. It’s a beautiful binyan we are consecrating,” said Agudath Israel leader Rabbi Yaakov Perlow, who sat at a dais packed with leading Rabbonim. The 39-year-old yeshiva had its start by renting space in local synagogues. It was a time when the local Jewish community’s future was far less than certain.

“I remember when people were moving out of Far Rockaway, but the yeshivas turned the community around,” said lifelong resident Baruch Kassover, as his son Dovid, a first grader at the yeshiva, flipped the pages of Darchai Torah’s coffee table commemorative book.

The yeshiva secured its own building in 1991 when a local YM-YWHA was in debt and chose to divest itself of its Far Rockaway property. Through the support of philanthropist Yaakov Melohn, and the yeshiva now had its campus. “The roshei yeshiva encouraged people to stay and today Far Rockaway is a sought-after place because of this yeshiva,” Kassover said.

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Rabbi Yaakov Bender arrived at the school in 1978 as the seventh grade rebbe, rising to become its rosh yeshiva. Under his guidance, the school expanded and adhered to a policy of accepting students of all Jewish backgrounds and circumstances.

Described by alumni coordinator Rabbi Moshe Benoliel as a “full service” yeshiva, Darchai Torah spans the age spectrum from nursery school through kollel, with a summer camp, and special education programs. While the student body counts approximately 1,600, parents said that the approach of Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Yaakov Bender, who personally cares for each student. “The care and concern for each kid is a world of its own. No matter the size of the school, they care for each of them,” said Shuie Brick, who has two sons in Darchai Torah.

Within the crowd of onlookers, there was much jostling, but careful space was given to the disabled, who study alongside regular students in many of the yeshiva’s programs. “We can’t sweep children with special needs under the carpet. Rav Yankel took ahavas chesed and created great bnei Torah who sit next to students with different capabilities,” Rabbi Perlow said.

Ronald Lowinger, a leading supporter of the yeshiva spoke about how each of his sons graduated from Darchai Torah including his youngest, 29-year-old Chaim Shlomo, who is disabled. In gratitude to the school’s acceptance of his son, Lowinger bestowed the name Mesivta Chaim Shlomo on the high school building and Heichal Shlomo on its new building. Continuing on its momentum, Rabbi Bender expressed confidence that the mortgage will be paid; more homes and dormitories will be built for the students and alumni, while providing individual attention to each student.

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