On Monday evening, September 15, the Queens community gathered at Yeshiva Ohel Simcha in Kew Gardens Hills for a night of Torah and ruach. The national siyum, under Agudath Israel of America, marked the completion of Seder Nezikin and celebrated the achdus unique to limud haTorah. An overflow crowd of rabbanim, Daf HaYomi lomdim, yeshivah talmidim, and neighbors filled the beis midrash for divrei Torah and an atmosphere of simchas haTorah.
Opening remarks on behalf of the hosting kehillah saluted the mesaymim for persevering through the demanding masechtos of Nezikin—Bava Kamma, Bava Metzia, and Bava Basra.
HaRav Dovid Harris, Rosh HaYeshivah of Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim/Rabbinical Seminary of America, delivered a foundational ma’amar. Revisiting the sugya where Rebbe told a laundryman who restored forgotten perushim, “Asisani—you made me,” Rav Harris explained that Torah doesn’t just fill gaps; it transforms one’s essence. Citing Mesillas Yesharim and Rav Chaim Volozhiner, he reminded the crowd that each Jew bears a neshamah “greater than a malach,” and that small acts of Torah and mitzvos ripple across the world. As Elul crests, he urged bringing the steadiness of the daf—page after page—into every area of avodas Hashem.
HaRav Noach Isaac Oelbaum, mara d’asra of Khal Nachlas Yitzchak, spoke about Torah’s flourishing in Queens and its ripple effect nationwide. He praised Rav Yigal Haimoff’s leadership at Ohel Simcha and his strengthening of Sephardic institutions, showing how one person can ignite communal growth. Rav Oelbaum declared Torah the lifeblood of the world and every siyum a simchah for all klal Yisrael. Quoting the Ridbaz, he warned that in today’s exposed world one cannot survive as a “mitzvah Yid” alone; only deep Torah learning anchors and protects us. He urged parents to ensure every Jewish child has a place in Torah education, reminding all that each youth is a diamond to be polished. He concluded by charging the community to keep building citadels of Torah, stressing that Queens’ growth is part of a national movement safeguarding the Jewish future.
Rabbi Yaniv Meirov, CEO of Chazaq, offered chizuk, stressing that Daf HaYomi is for everyone and it’s never too late to begin. “It’s not just the daf; it’s the yomi,” said the mara d’asra of Cong. Charm Circle, where shiurim start early and kollel goes late—highlighting the power of consistency. Fresh from a personal simchah—the birth of a son, Yaakov Dovid, this past erev Rosh HaShanah—he still made time to encourage the tzibbur. The visionary who co-launched Chazaq while still a talmid at Mesivta Yesodei Yeshurun praised the commitment of wives and children who support learners, noting that Daf HaYomi is a family effort. He thanked Agudath Israel partners—Rabbis Chaim Dovid Zwiebel (Exec. VP), Yitzchok Hisiger (Dir. of Torah Initiatives), and Labish Becker (Exec. Dir.)—for national support of Torah life, and reminded locals to register to vote ahead of November.
Mr. Charlie Harary, Esq., a Queens native, blended humor with urgency on the struggle for lasting teshuvah. Too often, Yom Kippur inspiration fades by November. Hashem designed the mind so habits become “highways”; breaking them head-on rarely works. The solution is to build a new road—Daf HaYomi. One page a day carves a permanent path until Torah becomes second nature. In a Queens-flavored mashal, he compared it to the Van Wyck: if you only know one route, you’re stuck; find the Grand Central or Cross Island and you fly. Daf HaYomi is that alternate route for the soul. He urged the audience to picture their “next self”—the Jew they want to be by next Elul—and commit to one small daily action, sustained by chevrah.
Devoted Ohel Simcha members Avi and Sigalit Davidov received special recognition for tireless shul work. Avi warmly recalled past siyumim, thanked Rav Meir Gavriel Elbaz for his nightly Daf shiur, and presented Mesivta Shas volumes with a token of gratitude from the chaburah.
Rav Elbaz then led the siyum with humility and emotion, speaking of the primacy of ahavah—love for Torah, Hashem, family, and talmidim. He shared a story of Maran Rav Ovadia Yosef zt”l, who once explained he couldn’t remember his own son’s phone number because “I don’t love numbers. I love you.” What we love is what we make space for; Torah must be loved deeply to shape our lives.
Concluding with the final lines of Maseches Kerisos, Rav Elbaz highlighted Abaye’s humility in admitting he did not have all the answers, ending with the timeless word teiku—proof that Torah’s greatness lies not only in knowledge but in the lifelong journey of learning. He warmly acknowledged the talmidim of Lander College for Men and Beis Medrash L’Talmud who joined, reminding all that the next generation is part of this journey.
As the siyum culminated, the room erupted in spirited singing and dancing, as the mesaymim joined hands around the bimah. Though local, the festivities made clear this was a moment of kavod haTorah amplified nationwide. With thanks to Chazaq’s leadership and the reach of TorahAnytime, the evening declared that Torah is thriving in Queens. With Seder Nezikin complete, Queens joins the national march toward the next Siyum HaShas—proving again that the heartbeat of klal Yisrael is daily Torah learning.