Bochurim of Tomchei Temimim Antwerp, together with many of their parents, gathered for an end-of-year event to mark their learning achievements with a festive seudas mitzvah and award ceremony, concluding a strong year of serious learning and commitment.

By Anash.org reporter

The Tomchei Temimim Yeshiva in Antwerp, Belgium – which serves children of shluchim and Anash from across Europe – held an end-of-year event to mark the conclusion of the school year. The program included the awarding of certificates for outstanding achievement in the yeshiva’s “Mivtza Torah” learning initiative.

The yeshiva currently has nearly 100 students from cities including Budapest, Manchester, Milan, Almere, Frankfurt, Miami, and more.

Several parents, many of them shluchim, traveled to Antwerp to join their sons for the celebration. A festive meal marked the completion of a year of learning Torah and Chassidus.

The event was emceed by Rabbi Shmuel Frankel, who opened by reviewing the successful year and recognizing the dedication of the staff.

Talmid Tzemach Mendel Altabe of Nice, France, reviewed a sicha about the Beis HaMikdash and the importance of awaiting Moshiach. He also thanked the hanhala for three meaningful years in the yeshiva. Mendel Dagaev of Basel, Switzerland, made a siyum on Maseches Sukkah, turning the event into a seudas mitzvah.

Rabbi Tzemach Mizrachi, a parent from Milan, Italy, thanked the hanhala and spoke about the warmth and achdus in the yeshiva, as well as the dedication of the staff. He shared how supporting the yeshiva brings brachos in parnassah.

Rabbi Yehoshua Rabinowitz, mashgiach of Shiur Gimmel, discussed the importance of chinuch today, comparing it to guarding the Beis HaMikdash – with the same level of vigilance and reverence. He urged parents to remain involved in their children’s chinuch, especially during bein hazmanim.

The final speaker, Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Menachem Mendel Twerdowitz, thanked Rabbi Shabtai Slavaticki, head shliach and founder of the yeshiva, for his continued support. He encouraged fathers to learn regularly with their sons and mothers to daven for their children’s success. He noted that this year, Shiur Gimmel had a record number of students who upheld full shmiras hasedorim until the very last day – without missing or arriving late even once.

Rabbi Shlomo Kuritz and Mr. Oded Shapiro, who sponsored the Mivtza Torah project in the merit of their families, awarded stipends to top students who completed and were tested on Maseches Sukkah.

Additional acknowledgments went to Moshe Vishitzky for assisting with yeshiva renovations, R’ Ben Zion Goldberger for his continued support of the yeshiva and its students, photographer David Bernal (Antwerp) and Rabbi Eliyahu Illouz for producing the year-end video summary.