Melbourne Mechina Spends Electrifying Tishrei in New York

After five months of an immersive Mivtza Torah, mastering the entire Gemara Chagigah and perokim of Tanya Baal Peh, bochurim of Cheder Levi Yitzchok in Melbourne, Australia enjoyed an exciting ‘Tishrei by the Rebbe’ experience in Crown Heights.

By Zalmy Engel

During the Pesach break last year, Mendel Goldstein and Naftali Stein, shluchim to Cheder Levi Yitzchok in Melbourne, Australia, were trying to brainstorm a way to help the talmidim finish off their year with a bang. At the same time, Mendel had a dream – to bring a group of Cheder bochurim to be with the Rebbe for Tishrei. “Why not combine the two?” Mendel figured.

After some deliberation, with guidance from Rabbi Mendel Cohen and Mr Eliezer Kornhauser, the revolutionary “Tishrei Mivtza Torah” was born.

Over the next five months, leading up to Tishrei, the bochurim were entirely engrossed in an immersive Mivtza Torah, which pushed them to challenge their limits and attain goals they would have never imagined possible.

Many bochurim successfully completed no less than 12 perokim of Tanya Baal Peh – ultimately getting tested on the entire 12 perokim at once! – with others learning smaller amounts as well. In addition, every single participant in the Mivtza Torah thoroughly completed the entire Maseches Chagigah, replete with weekly tests and progress reports. As expressed by Levi Raskin, “I had a very busy week – I was only able to review the quota three times…”

Fast forward to Tuesday morning, 13 Tishrei, in Melbourne International Airport. A group of 14 excited bochurim boarded the plane to take off on their well-deserved prize of a trip to the Rebbe for Tishrei – many for the very first time.

Thanks to the dedicated Shluchim, who put in weeks of coordination and work prior, the bochurim’s experience throughout Yom Tov was greatly enhanced, b’gashmius and b’ruchnius. A beautiful spacious apartment was procured in a prime location in Crown Heights, and the group had the privilege of eating their Yom Tov meals by a variety of gracious Crown Heights host families.

And of course, their time by the Rebbe opened up another world of Chassidishe surroundings and Yom Tov’dike spirit. The bochurim farbrenged with prominent mashpiim, where they had the opportunity to ask questions and gain a deeper appreciation of their role as Chassidim of the Rebbe. Some of the mashpiim who the bochurim farbrenged with were Rabbi Shloma Majeski, Rabbi Yossi Paltiel, Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, Rabbi Shimmy Weinbaum, Rabbi Shlomo Sternberg, Rabbi Fitche Ofen, among many others.

Every night, the bochurim participated in Simchas Beis Hashoeiva, joining thousands of other chassidim dancing with boundless joy. And keeping in line with the Rebbe’s directive to spread our Chassidishe simcha with other Yidden as well, the bochurim walked to the nearby neighborhood of Kensington on the first day of Yom Tov, where shliach Rabbi Moshe Chaim Levin had arranged a community-wide Simchas Beis Hashoeiva parade.

The highlight, of course, was davening in 770, in the Rebbe’s daled amos, all throughout Yom Tov, culminating in the electrifying experience of the Rebbe’s hakafos on Simchas Torah. After returning from Tahalucha, where the bochurim had the zechus to take part in the Rebbe’s shlichus of being mesameiach other Yidden as well, they came back to the unmatched spirit and chayus of Simchas Torah together with the Rebbe.

After Yom Tov, the bochurim and shluchim packed in some last-minute inspiration and farbrengens, ensuring that the chayus of their trip would remain with them once they came home, and sustain their Avodas Hashem throughout the coming year. The chayus the bochurim brought with them was also immediately felt by their friends and families, who were eager to hear about their experiences, and share some of that Chassidishe spirit as well.

And back in New York, the organizers are already convening to plan next year’s trip…

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Thank you to all those who assisted with this monumental trip:

Staff Chaperones: R’ Mordechai Guth, R’ Nosson Kornhauser, R’ Kim Rahav, together with shluchim Zalmy Engel, Mendel Goldstein, Mendel Mandel, Naftali Stein and Dani Waren.

Host families: The Aron, Blumes, Cohen, Dechter, Eichorn, Goldstein, Heller, Hoffman, Kornhauser, Krinsky, Labkowski, Milecki, Raices, Stolik and Turk families.

Special thank you to Head of School Rabbi Mendel Cohen for the enormous amount of behind-the-scenes effort on the practical and organizational side of things, ensuring the trip would go as smoothly as it did, to the satisfaction of bochurim, parents and the organizers.