From Across Europe, 70 Talmidim Begin Zman in Austro-Hungary

Nearly 70 talmidim from across Europe, the United Kingdom and Eretz Yisroel arrived at the spacious campus of Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim Austro-Hungary for the start of the new zman, accompanied by their parents as they settled in for a new year of learning.

For the first time, the yeshiva also welcomed a group of Bar Mitzvah-age talmidim into its newly opened Mechina program, giving younger boys their first taste of the atmosphere and seder of Tomchei Temimim.

After settling into their dormitory rooms and eating supper, the talmidim and their fathers gathered in the zal for opening remarks from Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Fieldstiel. Fathers and sons then learned together the maamar Arba’ah Roshei Shonim Heim, delivered by the Rebbe at the farbrengen of Tu B’Shvat 5731, which discusses learning Torah with pleasure and geshmak.

During his remarks, Rabbi Feldstiel related an episode he had heard from the Rebbe’s mazkir Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky.

“In his early days as a mazkir, he once entered the Rebbe’s room to receive a draft of an edited letter that had to be retyped and sent out,” Rabbi Feldstiel related. “When he received the letter, he was overwhelmed. He was already familiar with the Rebbe’s handwriting, but he had never seen anything like this. There was a maze of words and letters, with arrows and circles marking additions and deletions.”

“The Rebbe noticed his confusion and told him: Start with the first word, then go to the next word, and continue that way. When you finish the first line, move on to the second. In the end, you will see that everything works out.”

Turning to the new talmidim, Rabbi Feldstiel applied the lesson to their first days in yeshiva.

“The same is true in life, and the same is true in yeshiva. Many things may be new, the learning, the schedule, the Maggidei Shiur and the friends. Don’t become overwhelmed. Ask yourself whether you can learn tonight during seder Chassidus. Then ask whether you can say Krias Shema She’al Hamita and go to sleep. Then ask whether you can get up in the morning and learn Chassidus. Hour by hour becomes a full day, and line by line becomes a page of Gemara.”

Rabbi Shlomo Koves, under whose auspices the yeshiva operates and who secured government approval for its establishment, said considerable resources were invested in assembling a high-level staff.

“We invested tremendous effort and resources to bring Maggidei Shiur and Mashpiim from the forefront of the yeshiva world,” he said. “We did not limit ourselves to searching locally. We went far afield and brought the very best from New York.”

Rabbi Feldstiel credited the yeshiva’s growth to its dedicated staff, including Rabbi Shmuel Alperowitz, Rabbi Avi Biderman, Rabbi Meir Wilhelm, Rabbi Mendel Vishetzky, Rabbi Yitzchak Niazov, Rabbi Yaakov Neimark, Rabbi Mendy Neimark and Rabbi Yehoshua Fuchs, together with the yeshiva’s devoted madrichim.

The yeshiva was established to provide sons of Shluchim and Anash throughout Europe with a high level of Torah learning together with close personal attention. Its private, expansive campus provides the talmidim with a quiet setting conducive to learning and growth.

Yeshiva director Rabbi Shmuel Glitzenstein said the surge in demand this year prompted the Hanhala to open the Mechina program on short notice.

“We welcomed talmidim from Finland, Germany, Switzerland, France, the United Kingdom, Eretz Yisroel, Ukraine, Hungary, Monaco, Italy and Austria,” he said. “Baruch Hashem, we now have close to 70 talmidim. As the yeshiva’s reputation continues to spread, we were forced to close registration after reaching the maximum number of students we can currently accommodate.”

“In the coming months, we will begin work on expanding the campus so that next year we will be able to accommodate up to twice as many bochurim.”