Lomdei HaDaf Celebrates Momentous Inaugural Siyum

“Lomdei HaDaf”, the new organization recently formed to serve as a one-stop resource center for “everything Daf Yomi” is exceptionally incredible.

There are so many resources available for the Daf Yomi learner, via shiurim, CDs, seforim, email, books, apps, and countless other aides, yet many people do not know about them and they thus remain underutilized.

Lomdei HaDaf, the brainchild of a few ba’alei batim, was founded with the express goal of being a gateway for Daf learners to take advantage of the many resources out there that they would otherwise not have found on their own. As an additional goal, and perhaps equally as important, Lomdei HaDaf serves as a grassroots network for Daf learners across the country, and eventually around the globe, to connect and network with one another, give Chizuk to one another by sharing what’s working for them and ultimately help them all stay focused and on board as Daf learners.

One of the key elements of Lomdei HaDaf is the organization of small, localsiyumim to celebrate the completion of each mesechta. “Each individual Masechta that is completed is a monumental achievement in its own right,” says Ira Zlotowitz, co-founder, “as well as an impetus to start the next one, and the next, until the goal of the ultimate siyum on the entire Shas is reached”.

Lomdei HaDaf’s inaugural siyum and evening of chizuk took place this past Wednesday in Brooklyn, NY. The event was not advertised in any official media, rather the information was emailed by Daf learners to their friends in the Brooklyn area who in turn forwarded it to their own friends, and so on.

The organizers prepared for around 75 people, and were pleasantly surprised that well over 100 people attended. The attendees were treated to an uplifting and exciting evening, which left them with a drive to continue full force with theirjourney through Shas.

As one attendee commented, “this is the third time I started Daf Yomi, yet unfortunately I have yet to complete it. Now, I am very confident that with all the new tools available to me, and with the advent of a network of fellow Daf learners to belong to, this cycle will be the one I finish!” Many others echoed similar sentiments.

The crowd was treated to powerful Divrei Chizuk from the inimitable orator, Rav Yissocher Frand Shlita, who arguably motivated more people to join the Daf Yomi bandwagon than any other single individual, via his speech at the recent Siyum Hashas.

“The Yetzer Hara sits quietly by and allows many people to start Daf Yomi thinking that as soon as the freshness of Mesechta Berachos is over their motivation will wane and they will drop out on their own with Maseches Shabbos or Eiruvin” said Rav Frand.

“Now with the Daf Yomi wave keeping people motivated for Mesechta Shabbos like never before, the Yetzer Hara is working extra hard to demotivate them”.

“This organization,” thundered Rav Frand, “is the remedy for this Yetzer Hara! It is providing the Daf learners with the motivation to keep going, Mesechta after Mesechta, Seder after Seder, right through the 2,711 dafim in Shas!”

Rav Frand’s speech was a perfect follow up to his powerful speech at the Siyum HaShas as many first-time Daf learners who attended the gathering were inspired to start by Rabbi Frand’s inspiring drasha in MetLife stadium. His speech in its entirety, as well as the rest of the evening’s program, is available for download on Lomdei Hadaf’s website http://www.lomdeihadaf.org.

Following Rav Frand was a siyum on Masechta Brachos, after which the assembled heard some Divrei Torah and chizuk from Rav Benzion Schiffenbauer, followed by a Daf Yomi shiur on that day’s Daf.

Rav Schiffenbauer shared some personal experiences of how the learning of aseder kavua changes a person for the better, unifies his family, improves hisshalom bayis and creates true and lasting friendships. “I get a lot of complaints from wives on a variety of issues,” said Rav Schiffenbauer, “but never has a wife complained to me that her husband leaves to learn the Daf!”

Although Lomdei HaDaf is a brand new organization with a brand new  concept of strengthening Limud of Daf Yomi, this inaugural event was graced with the presence of the heads of two of the most important Daf Yomi related organizations in Klal Yisroel: Agudas Yisroel, the champions of  Daf Yomi and Artscroll/Mesorah, which enables anyone to take part in the “Gemara experience” with written translations and commentary in print and now their app which allows people to use it even without internet connectivity. Also in attendance were the heads of two of the many new websites and apps, Daf HaChaim and iDafyomi.com. These and the other resources that will be available on the Lomdei HaDaf site will allow people to  see, listen and/or prepare, learn or review the Daf online each day. The presence of these organizations at the event attests to their belief in Lomdei HaDaf’s importance and success B’Ezras Hashem.

Lomdei HaDaf’s goal is to periodically facilitate such events in various locations around the country. Events in Far Rockaway, Monsey, Lakewood and Baltimore are already being planned.

“In the past,” explained Lomdei HaDaf co-founder Mr. Avrumi Bergman, “the toughest time for Daf Yomi learners was when traveling. Not being able to attend a regular shiur and having to keep up on their own often led to people falling behind and ultimately falling out totally. Today there are numerous resources available, from finding a chavrusa to actual online shiurim, and much more. Lomdei HaDaf is making all this accessible – in one convenient location – to anyone, anywhere, anytime, effectively ensuring that Daf learners are able to remain Daf learners.”

Lomdei HaDaf is an organization launched by the people learning the Daf, for the people learning the Daf, and all decisions regarding all future Siyumim, events, services and other plans will be decided by the Daf learners who sign up as members on the Lomdei HaDaf website.

The time to be a Lomed HaDaf is now. The time to join Lomdei HaDaf is now. At the next Siyum HaShas you can be a participant, not just a spectator.

{Matzav.com Newscenter}