A remarkable display of achdus and kavod haTorah unfolded in Monsey this past weekend, as Keren Olam HaTorah brought its mission to be mechazek the olam hatorah in Eretz Yisroel.
The first event was held Friday afternoon at the home of legendary tomeich Torah R’ Lazer Scheiner, with the participation of Harav Moshe Hillel Hirsch shlit”a, Harav Don Segal shlit”a, Harav Dovid Cohen shlit”a, and Harav Malkiel Kotler shlit”a.
R’ Reuven Wolf, a leading baal tzedakah and tomeich torah in his own right, praised R’ Lazer Scheiner for his trailblazing role in the Adirei HaTorah initiative, which succeeded in raising the kollel stipends for Lakewood’s yungerleit. He credited R’ Lazer with inspiring him to join the Keren Olam HaTorah mission, calling him the “Nachshon” of our generation—the one who jumped first into the frothy sea of uncertainty and took responsibility for a mission that many deemed too massive to attempt.
On Sunday morning, the campaign continued with an asifah at the home of another mammoth baal tzedakah, R’ Shimon Glick. The event brought together Harav Moshe Hillel Hirsch shlit”a, Harav Dovid Cohen shlit”a, Harav Malkiel Kotler shlit”a, Harav Yosef Chevroni shlit”a, and HaRav Asher Dovid May shlit”a, along with dozens of tomchei Torah from across the Monsey area.
Opening the event, R’ Shimon Glick described the painful reality currently facing the Torah world in Eretz Yisroel. Government budget cuts have left yeshivos and kollelim reeling, and without significant outside support, many mosdos cannot survive.
“In previous generations, there was no money among Torah Jews,” R’ Shimon said. “Today, Hashem has given tremendous wealth to baalei batim—and it’s not a coincidence. When there is an abundance of Torah, Hashem creates an abundance of supporters to sustain it. Keren Olam HaTorah is not a campaign of one sector—it’s the campaign of Klal Yisroel: Sefardim, Chassidim, Litvaks—all united. Supporting this fund is the highest kavod for Torah in our times.”
Harav Moshe Hillel Hirsch declared R’ Shimon Glick “the leading supporter of Torah in our generation,” and compared the unity fostered by Keren Olam HaTorah to the experience of Har Sinai. “When we stood at Matan Torah, every neshama was bound to all 600,000 neshamos. Keren Olam HaTorah creates that same achdus. Every supporter becomes a partner in the mission of all of Klal Yisroel.”
Harav Dovid Cohen stressed the existential significance of Torah. “It is the Torah that sustains us in America, in Eretz Yisroel, and throughout the galus. When the world shakes, it is Klal Yisroel that holds it up—and what gives us that strength? Only Torah. Without Torah, the entire creation would not stand. And today, many yeshivos in Eretz Yisroel simply could not continue without Keren Olam HaTorah.”
Harav Malkiel Kotler drove the message home: “This is not just a ‘keren’—this is Keren Olam HaTorah. The Torah is the Iron Dome of Klal Yisroel. Without Torah, there is no zechus for our people. This fund is literally preserving our existence.”
The event concluded with an emotional charge from Shmuel Dovid Levenson, who urged each baalebos present to commit publicly to his personal role in supporting the Torah world.
Immediately afterward, the Gedolim traveled to Passaic for additional meetings, continuing the nationwide campaign to unite Klal Yisroel behind the yeshivos and kollelim of Eretz Yisroel.
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