Fifty-seven years ago, with great foresight, the Boyaner Rebbe in America, Rav Mordechai Shlome Friedman zt”l laid the groundbreaking foundation for Mesivta Tiferes Yisroel in Eretz Yisroel. The goal of the yeshiva, and the Rebbe’s dream, was to continue the heritage of pre-war Rizhin in Europe by instilling in the coming generations the fundamentals of Torah and chassidus for which Rizhin was renowned in an atmosphere of concentrated kedushah vetaharah within a yeshiva framework.
To bring this wishful thinking to fruition, the Rebbe placed his oldest son, RebYisroel Sholom Yosef Friedman z”l, at the helm of the fundraising campaign for the fledgling institution, and instructed his son to keep the movement alive as long as he was alive. This bequest was one that Reb Yisroel never forgot. All through the years, he carried the burden of the yeshiva with utmost devotion and selflessness. His wisdom, nobility, and endearing personality made his solicitations an honor to participate in. With much siyata diShmaya and incredible hard work on his part, the yeshiva that began with a mere handful of students has grown into a venerable empire, with branches of Boyan flourishing in new communities at an astonishing rate.
Reb Yisroel was niftar on the 5th day of Teves this year, and the Mesivta Tiferes Yisroel of Rizhin annual dinner tonight is being held in his memory. It is an opportunity for the thousands of graduates of the yeshiva and the entire Rizhiner-Boyaner family to pay their respects to and express their admiration for a man so accomplished and so beloved.
The dinner will take place at Ateres Chaya Hall, located at 1415 54th Street in Boro Park, Brooklyn.
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