On Monday, June 3, something extraordinary took place in Kew Gardens Hills. Seventh and eighth grade boys from eight Queens yeshivos filed into the Yeshiva of Central Queens (YCQ) sunny yard. Rabbi Ophie Nat, eighth grade rebbi at YCQ, conceived the idea of having a Lev Echad event, and coordinated the event with Jacob Grossman, YCQ’s Director of Student Activities.
Rabbi Mark Landsman, YCQ’s Menahel, welcomed everyone. He shared that it’s a great z’chus to be together with so many of our important rabbanim. The rabbanim are our role models. He shared that Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetsky zt”l posed the question: Why did Hashem wait for the second year to give over the inyan of the flags if it was so important that each of the Sh’vatim lived in its own camp?
The answer, Rav Yaakov taught, is the idea that we have our own flag and our own space to display our own unique way of serving Hashem. The reason the inyan of the flags came after Matan Torah is because when everyone is focused and honed in on Torah, then it is time for the flags.
Once the Mishkan was built, then the flags could express each Sheivet’s unique qualities. Then we come to Shavuos. We come to Matan Torah with achdus. The Queens community is an example of achdus. The focus of this program is Torah and achdus.
Next, Rabbi Binyomin Kessler, Menahel of the Yeshiva Ketana of Queens, led the first perek of T’hilim.
Next, Rabbi Mordechai Finkelman, Mashgiach of Yeshivas Ohr HaChaim, shared divrei brachah. He began by addressing the bachurim. “Our most precious commodity. It’s a kiddush Hashem as we approach Shavuos, gathering together.”
He shared two thoughts from Rav Moshe Wolfson zt”l. We are called by two names, Yisrael and Yeshurun. There are 600,000 main letters in the Torah and those are represented by “Yisrael.” There are 600,000 main neshamos in klal Yisrael and those are represented by “Yeshurun.” The soul is a flame. You can light many candles from one flame. Every soul in klal Yisrael is represented by a letter in the Torah. We are one!
When we do hagbahah and lift the Torah, people point to the klaf with their pinky. They do this to see their letter and to charge their neshamah.
If a person hurts someone’s feelings, he is removing his letter from the Torah. He is taking away from klal Yisrael, and we are a family. “Hashem’s candle is us.”
Rabbi Finkelman shared that achdus is so important. “Here we are gathered to strengthen that achdus with t’filah.
He shared that we are a family, and we make up one sefer Torah in the world. I can daven for everyone. I am not a soloist. I am davening on behalf of all Yidden. We are Hashem’s princes and princesses.
After that, Rabbi Etan Ehrenfeld, Assistant Principal of Yeshiva Har Torah, led the next perek of T’hilim.
Following this, Rabbi Paysach Krohn, well-known mohel, speaker, and author, spoke. “It’s such a great z’chus to be standing here at this phenomenal event. We have eight yeshivos all together. How proud Hashem must be to see such a great gathering of rebbeim, talmidim, and rabbanim.”
He shared a question on a pasuk in Parshas Yisro. Klal Yisrael said the following pasuk together: Everything Hashem said we will do. The Chasam Sofer asks why did they have to say it together? The answer, he taught, is that no one Jew can do all 613 mitzvos. If we care for each other and support each other, then we can do all the mitzvos. The general rule is that we should love each other and support each other. We have a portion in each other’s mitzvos. Then Rabbi Krohn shared three moving stories. The lesson of one of the stories was taught by the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe. He taught that you have to be a player, not a fan. Fans leave a game if they don’t like the score, but players stick it out to the end. Coming to Kabbalas HaTorah, don’t lose interest. We are all players and role models to other Jews. This is how we will bring Mashiach.
Next, Rabbi Don Pacht, Menahel of Yeshiva Tiferes Moshe, led the next perek of T’hilim.
Then Rabbi Michael Mansour, speaker for TorahAnytime, shared that every time you recite a brachah, Hashem listens and says Amein. Hashem doesn’t give challenges to give pain. He gives challenges to connect us with Him so we can draw closer to Him. Hashem cherishes every prayer, especially the prayers of young children. He puts all the prayers into a bank, and He will cash them in. No prayer is wasted.
Following this, Rabbi Avner Yusopov, Curriculum Director of Yeshiva Primary, led the next perek of T’hilim.
Then, Rabbi Avraham Friedman, Menahel of Yeshiva Sha’arei Zion, led the next perek of T’hilim.
Rabbi Nat led everyone in singing “Acheinu,” and boys linked arms and swayed as they sang. It was truly special and meaningful!
Rabbi Ephraim Ben Mordechai, Assistant Principal of Yeshiva Sha’arei Zion, led the audience in singing “Shabchi.”
It is such an honor to live in a community with so much beautiful achdus! Thank you, Hashem!
By Susie Garber
Queens Rabbanim in Attendance:
Rabbi Noach Isaac Oelbaum
Rabbi Doniel Lander
Rabbi Yaacov Bergman
Rabbi Dovid Sheinfeld
Rabbi Yehuda Davis
Rabbi Shaul Arieli
Rabbi Daniel Rosenfelt
Rabbi Asher Schechter (Hillcrest)
Rabbi Dovid Opoczynski
Rabbi Yaniv Meirov
Rabbi Moshe Sokoloff
Rabbi Naftoli Rubin
Rabbi Herschel Welcher
