On the evening of Monday, 14 Tammuz/July 6, the community of Har Nof, Yerushalayim, joined Acheinu Yeshiva Hakedosha in celebrating a very special Hachnosas Sefer Torah. The Sefer Torah was donated by Reb Avrahom Akuka of Paris, France.
Thousands of community members, rabbonim, Acheinu outreach workers and talmidim from Acheinu Yeshiva Hakdosha, Acheinu Yeshiva Gedola in Kiryat Sefer, Acheinu Yeshiva LeTze’irim, Acheinu’s 42 participating yeshivos and 10 Batei Chizuk Youth Centers flooded the streets of Har Nof in jubilation.
The procession began at the home of Rabbi Yerachmiel Krum, Educational Director. Accompanied by a large band, heartfelt singing and joyous dancing, the crowd made its way through the streets of Har Nof to the doors of the yeshiva. Along the way, Rav Moshe Shternbuch, Rosh Av Bais Din of the Eidah Hachareidis of Yerushalayim, was overheard remarking, “The children of Acheinu themselves are Sifrei Torah!”
Upon reaching the yeshiva, after an emotional Maariv, renowned speaker Rabbi Eliyahu Diskind addressed the crowd. Rav Shlomo Zafrani, a prominent rov in Har Nof who is also deeply involved with the children of Acheinu Yeshiva Hakdosha, recited the pesukim of L’Dovid Mizmor.
Many of the non-frum parents of Acheinu children also participated in the celebration. Some of those attending a Hachnosas Sefer Torah for the first time in their lives were moved to tears. “It was very moving to witness these chiloni parents reciting the Tefillas HaShelah for their children to continue on the derech of Torah,” said one participant.
An Acheinu outreach worker said, “Acheinu Yeshiva Hakedosha was established specifically to meet the needs of boys from non-frum, chiloni homes who wish to become frum and learn Torah. A central tenet of the yeshiva is to ensure that parents and other family members of the 50 boys enrolled in the yeshiva are not alienated. Just the opposite. Our goal is to encourage parents to become active participants in their child’s spiritual development. This event was just a reflection of this approach to kiruv.”
{Yair Alpert-Matzav.com Israel}
