Yeshivas Hashluchim, Manhattan’s iconic semicha and shlichus program, celebrated a double Chag Hasmicha for its new graduates at the Ohel Nosson shul in Crown Heights.
Photos: Menachem Cohen
Yeshivas Hashluchim, Manhattan’s iconic semicha and shlichus program, celebrated a Chag Hasmicha in grand style at the Ohel Nosson shul in Crown Heights. A large crowd turned out for the event, including many of the parents and family members of the bochurim who came to celebrate the occasion and witness the bochurim receiving their semicha.
Newly minted Rabbi Levy Bisk began the proceedings with a dvar torah highlighting the importance of leadership in yiddishkeit and concluded by thanking the hanholo for their dedication to the bochurim. Following him Rabbi Shlomie Neubort, a guest maggid shiur at Yeshivas Hashluchim, shared insights into the sources for the concept of semicha and explained how one only merits to receive semicha b’hashgocho protis. Rabbi Mendy Wineberg, menahel of Yeshivas Hashluchim, thanked the Shluchim on the Upper West Side and especially the Kugel Family for graciously hosting the bochurim throughout the year. Present was Rabbi Shlomo Kugel who shared his appreciation to the bochurim and the program.
Rabbi Yossi Barber, Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshivas Hashluchim, went on to exhort the bochurim to continue growing in their learning and to apply the knowledge that they learned in their own lives. Rabbi Shmuel Plotkin, founder of Yeshivas Hashluchim, then shared his views on how yeshivas ought to guide bochurim in their learning and shlichus. The bochurim were then presented with their certificates by Rabbis Dovber Dechter and Mendy Wineberg.
The event celebrated two groups of bochurim who completed their semicha, from this past year (5781) and the year prior (5780), whose program was cut short due to Covid. All in all, sixteen bochurim received their semicha: Efraim Andrusier, Yankel Berkowitz, Yitzchak Blank, Mendy Deutsch, Melli Hecht, Nissan Pewzner, Boruch Spiegelman, Menashe Treitel (5780). Reuven Kamenetsky, Mendel Wolf, Yehuda Tannenbaum, Levy Bisk, Aron Kogan, Sruli (Shmuli) Samuels, Mendel Feldman, Yossi Dechter (5781).
Now entering its seventh year since inception, Yeshivas Hashluchim continues to be an excellent program for bochurim seeking to learn semicha on a high level while honing their shlichus skills outside of the learning hours.
Rabbi Barber guides the bochurim through the complexities of semicha by drawing on his vast knowledge of the subjects and experience in teaching semicha to hundreds of bochurim throughout the years. His almost daily shiurim, delivered in a clear and systematic way, take the bochurim far beyond the basic requirements of a semicha test as he introduces them to a plethora of poskim from across the halachic spectrum. The result is that the learning is done in a thorough manner down to halacha l’maaseh. Thanks to his meticulously planned learning schedule, the bochurim are able to finish semicha within the year while maintaining an unparalleled caliber of learning.
The bochurim live in the heavily Jewish area of the Upper West Side of Manhattan which enables them to interact with the locals through learning, Shabbos meals and farbrengins.
“Exciting developments are iy”h on the horizon for the Yeshiva and we look forward to notifying the public about them,” the administration said.
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