On 80th Birthday, ‘The Rosh’ Leads Emotional Farbrengen

At a grand farbrengen celebrating his 80th birthday, YOEC Rosh Yeshiva Harav Ezra Schochet emotionally recalled memories of the Rebbe while urging the bochurim to grow in their avodas Hashem. 

By Anash.org reporter

A grand farbrengen in Los Angeles celebrated the 80th birthday of beloved and revered YOEC Rosh Yeshiva Harav Ezra Schochet.

Since assuming the role of Rosh Yeshiva in 5738, Rabbi Schochet has attracted thousands of students with his unique style of learning renowned for their clarity and depth. Thousands around the world count themselves as his students, and countless others have listened to his shiurim, joined his farbrengens or studied his pilpulim on Gemara, Shulchan Aruch and the Rebbe’s hagadah.

Along with YOEC’s entire student body and the hanhala, many local anash and shluchim also joined the farbrengen, making coming over personally wish well to Rabbi Schochet, affectionately known as ‘The Rosh’.

Over 1,000 individuals from around the world also joined the farbrengen via Anash.org’s live stream.

The farbrengen began with a video of rabbonim, mashpi’im and shluchim, who offered their warm wishes to Rabbi Schochet on reaching his milestone birthday.

Rabbi Schochet began the farbrengen quoting from the Rebbe’s teachings on a birthday, and making a siyum on Mishnayos Zeroim.

He then led an emotionally charged farbrengen, tearfully recalling yechidusin with the Rebbe, relating correspondence he had with the Rebbe at a young age, and joyfully dancing with the bochurim after asking they “help him increase in simcha.”

The farbrengen continued for a number of hours, with various shluchim, local rabbonim and members of the community stopping in and taking part.

VIDEO: Full farbrengen replay