Rabbi Yisroel Lau, former chief Rabbi of Israel, presided over the semicha of 125 bochurim at the Rabbinical College of America in Morristown.
Close to 600 people flocked to the Rabbinical College of America to witness Rabbi Yisroel Lau, former chief Rabbi of Israel, preside over the semicha of 125 talmidim. Family, friends and supporters traveled from 12 countries and 15 States to be present at the auspicious event. The Mayor of Morris Township, Jeff Grayzel and other public officials attended the ceremony.
Graduates of the program received their semicha certificates on Sunday. Many will go on to become shluchim and leaders in various communities around the world. From China to Thailand, from Iceland to Africa, thousands of RCA alumni are beacons of spiritual light.
Rabbi Moshe Herson, dean of the yeshiva, spoke about this event as a hallmark of what the RCA stands for as a premier educational institution. “We educate our students to be of service to Klal Yisroel, meeting unmet needs wherever and whenever they exist, ” he said, “Our graduates have been on the front lines of disaster relief in California, Texas, the Virgin Islands and wherever they are needed.”
The RCA has been branded by Senator Joseph Lieberman as “The West Point of Judaism.”
Rabbi Lau, who flew in from Israel especially for this event, encouraged the young Rabbis to be strong leaders in their respective communities. As this event was held in close proximity to Gimmel Tammuz, Rabbi Lau further emphasized the charge of the Rebbe to be a lamplighter to fellow Jews across the globe.
Rabbi Chaim Schapiro, who directs the program along with Rabbi Avrohom Levin and Rabbi Aaron Gancz, spoke about the depth of understanding that the talmidim display in their ability to share their knowledge with others.
Rabbi Yaakov Wagner, who directs the Tiferes Bachurim program, expressed deep pride in how far his students have grown in their Torah learning.
We wish a hearty Mazal Tov and continued Hatzlocho to the graduates.
