By Rabbi Yoseph Vigler – Founder and Dean, Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim Mayan Torah – Pomona

I recently visited the yeshiva in Kiryat Gat – where many of our Pomona bochurim are now learning.

These are the boys we raised in our Mesivta, and being with them again was deeply moving.
Not just because of their success – but because of the reminder: a bochur is not just a student. He’s a soul. A world. A life unfolding.

We opened our Mesivta to create connection that lasts.
Seeing how that warmth continues in yeshiva gedolah – it made me proud.
And grateful.

The zal was full. The kol Torah was alive.
But more than the sound, it was the feeling: every bochur matters.

I sat with the hanhalah – and they knew our boys.
They spoke about their growth. Their strength. Their depth.
They even mentioned how much they stood out – how serious, grounded, and sincere they were.
Some arrived with 400 blatt ba’al peh. But even more, they came with presence.

This doesn’t happen by accident. It comes from relationship.
From warmth. From emotional investment.

Even before the year began, the yeshiva held a Zoom with the parents – not as a formality, but as a statement:
We’re with you. We see your son.

They even appointed someone to focus on bochurim from Chutz LaAretz – understanding how hard that adjustment can be.

During my visit, tragedy struck.
I don’t know the behind-the-scenes details.
But it shook something in all of us.

And it reminded me:
What a bochur needs isn’t just structure.
It’s connection.
Not just instruction – but presence.
Not just a maggid shiur – but someone who remembers who he is, where he’s from, and where he’s going.

Bochurim don’t just grow. They’re raised.
With love. With investment. With consistency.

Let’s be mechanchim, parents, and Yidden who stay plugged in – even after the diplomas are printed.

Because sometimes, it’s the quiet connection that makes all the difference.

May Hashem bentch us to raise Temimim who are strong in Torah, in spirit, and in self.
Bochurim who bring true nachas to the Rebbe – and prepare the world for Geulah, now.