Tonight, Shuvu will be hosting its annual dinner at the Ateres Chaya Hall in Brooklyn, New York. Although this dinner is held year after year, this year it is even more special than in the past. Why is this Dinner Different? Ma Nishtana HaDinner Hazeh? The answer is that this year Shuvu is celebrating its 18th anniversary. “Chai!” 18 years have passed since Hagaon Harav Avrohom Yaakov Pam zt”l set forth with his vision to save Russian Jewry. 18 years have passed since Harav Pam created Shuvu. And 18 years have passed sice Shuvu has begun saving the precious Russian neshamos arriving in Eretz Yisroel. Though arriving as tinokot shenishbu, the pintele Yid inside each and every one of them has been subconsciously crying out, “Bring me home! Help me come home!” The Almightly in return has been calling out, “Shuvu Eilai VeAshuva Aleichem!”
“Ben Shmoneh Esreh LeChupah” says the Mishna in Pirkei Avos. A Chupah represents a bond, an eternal bond. At Shuvu there has always been a bond. An eternal bond between Harav Pam zt”l and Shuvu, and an eternal bond between the Shuvu children and the Ribbono Shel Olam. After 18 years, we can surely see that the bond just gets stronger and stronger!
At the 18th Annual Dinner Shuvu will be paying tribute to its founders: R’ Sheldon Beren ע”ה, R’ Max Knopf and R’ Yisroel Lefkowitz. Tribute will also be paid to School Dedicators: Mr. Abraham Biderman, Mr. Moshe Fuchs, Mr. Joseph Hoch, Rabbi Moshe Silberberg and Mr. Reuvain Wolf, on behalf of all the school dedicators. At the same time Shuvu is proud to introduce the installation of the 18th anniversary Tribute Committee. This committee is comprised of three young community leaders who have assumed the mantle of leadership for the next generation. These three are Mr. Mitch Davidson and Mr. Carey Wolchock from Manhattan, and Mr. Howard Friedman from Baltimore.
The Dinner Chairman this year is Mr. Daniel Wolfson, son of the known philanthropists and staunch supporters of Shuvu, Mr. Zev and Mrs. Nechama Wolfson. Famed for its care and concern for Klal Yisroel, the Wolfson family has been taking upon itself to be oskim b’tzarchei tzibbur be’emunah for many years, and Be’ezras Hashem will continue in their sacred mission for many, many more years to come.
The answer to the “Ma Nishtana” on Seder night begins with “Avadim Hayinu”. We were slaves to Pharaoh in Mitzrayim, and from this Avdus Hashem redeemed us and made us free Jews. The Shuvu children and their families have also experienced Avdus – spiritual Avdus in Russia. For 70 years they experienced spiritual oppression, forced to be distanced from Torah Umitzvos. But now, Baruch Hashem, we see the geula. We see that thanks to the strong, eternal bond between Shuvu, Rav Pam and the precious children and given its strength by the financial assistance of our wonderful supporters and benefactors, thousands and thousands of children and their families are becoming more and more frum on a daily basis. It is our duty to continue such Avodas Kodesh. It is our duty to allow more and more children and their families to experience the spiritual liberation, to have their own proper Leil HaSeder and to proudly proclaim “Avadim Hayinu … Ve’achshav Kervanu HaMakom!”
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