Worldwide Senior Kollel Network Expands to Cape Town

There was a buzz in the air on Monday morning, Chai Elul, as months of discussions, announcements, and a formal launch by the Chief Rabbi, finally burst into reality, for the first morning studies of the Kollel Tiferes Zkeinim Levi Yitzchok at Chabad of the West Coast in Blouberg, Cape Town, South Africa.

It all started at the Chof Av Farbrengen when the first announcement went out that, answering the Rebbe’s call 46 years earlier at the 1980 Farbrengen on his father’s Yarzeit, we would be establishing a Kollel “Tiferes Zkeinim” “the Glory of the Elders” for the senior members of our community who would be committing to serious daily study to develop and enrich both their knowledge, and skills of Torah’s wisdom.

In recent years, a network of Kollel Tiferes Zkeinim Levi Yitzchok has been established in Israel in partnership with Colel Chabad, and we are proud to be one of the first branches to be joining from the diaspora.

Key to this announcement was the appointment of Rabbi Hillel Bernstein as Rosh Chaburah. Rabbi Bernstein, with many years of experience as a rabbi, teacher, and of course, Maggid Shiur at the Yeshiva Gedolah in Johannesburg, is beloved by all who have been blessed to have him as their teacher.

Last Thursday night, on the fifteenth of Elul, Chief Rabbi Dr. Warren Goldstein; Rav and Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Meshech Chochma Milnerton, Rabbi Avigdor Blumenau; Associate Rabbi of the Milnerton Shul, Rabbi Yitzi Tanzer; and Rosh Kollel of Cape Town Kollel, Rabbi Avrumi Katz, joined the Blouberg Jewish Community and members of the Kollel for the formal launch of the Kollel.

Rabbi Bernstein welcomed everyone to the historic moment and introduced Chief Rabbi Goldstein, who used powerful Torah themes to highlight the significance of the moment of people coming out of semi-retirement to commit to serious daily Torah study as a source of blessing in their lives. He also extended words of thanks to the pioneering patrons of the Kollel, Mr. Lev Leviev from Israel and Mr. Tzvi Gudelsky from Johannesburg.

Rabbi Avigdor Blumenau, representing our neighbouring Milnerton community, spoke warmly about the spirit of Achdus for Torah that is bringing together members from across the area to be studying Torah, and with Hashem’s help it will set the tone and spirit of unity going forward.

Rabbi Avi Shlomo then welcomed the original pioneers of high-level Torah learners, the Kollel Halacha Tiferes Levi Yitzchok, which started on Chof Av two years ago, and are now completing a second year of Limaan Yilmedu, after doing Hilchos Kashrus and now completing Hilchos Shabbos this year. Each of the Talmidim then came up for a certificate recognizing their year of study and dedication.

And then, on Monday morning, it all started happening, as the Shul filled up with the excited participants coming around, and then finally joining together for a beautiful Davening, a delicious breakfast, and most importantly, immersive Torah learning. Beginning with an in-depth Chumash Shiur by Rabbi Bernstein, and then broke up into smaller learning groups, learning, teaching, hearing and sharing, and all together, soaking up the warmth and wisdom of our timeless Torah.

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