The growing movement to begin the first night of Selichos with Torah learning continues to spread, with the Five Towns and Kew Gardens Hills becoming the latest communities to organize coordinated pre-Selichos sedarim this Motzoei Shabbos.
The new initiatives follow the community-wide programs announced in Flatbush and Passaic-Clifton, as the idea of entering the first Selichos directly from a seder of Torah learning gains momentum across the region.
Under the banner “Join the Hisorerus,” participating shuls in the Five Towns and Kew Gardens Hills are encouraging mispallelim to arrive well before Selichos and devote that time to learning. The message accompanying the initiative is: “Elevate Your Selichos! Stand before Hashem with the z’chus of Torah.”
In the Greater Five Towns, 26 shuls have joined the initiative, representing a broad cross-section of the community. Participating shuls include Agudath Israel of Long Island, led by Rabbi Meir Braunstein; Bais Medrash Ateres Yisroel, led by Rabbi Yisroel Meir Blumenkrantz; Beis Medrash Heichal Dovid, led by Rabbi Mordechai Stern; Cong. Anshei Chesed, led by Rabbi Isaac Rice; Cong. Shaary Tefila, led by Rabbi Uri Orlian; Kahal Beis Imrei Gavriel, led by Rabbi Yoni Levin; Kehilas Beis Yisroel, led by Rabbi Elysha Sandler; Kehillas Tiferes Mordechai, led by Rabbi Daniel Glatstein; and K’Hal Nesiv Hatorah, led by Rabbi Binyamin Forst.
Also participating are Agudath Israel of the Five Towns, led by Rabbi Yitzchok Frankel; Bais Tefila of Inwood, led by Rabbi Pinchos Weinberger; Beis Medrash of Harborview, led by Rabbi Yisroel Ephrati; Cong. Beis Ephraim Yitzchok, led by Rabbi Zvi Ralbag; Congregation Eitz Chaim, led by Rabbi Gedaliah Oppen; Kahal Zichron Moshe Dov, led by Rabbi Aaron Stein; Kehillas Nishmas Hatorah, led by Rabbi Yissachar Blinder; Khal Bnei Hayeshivos, led by Rabbi Shmuel Witkin; and Mishkan Yisroel of Woodmere, led by Rabbi Daniel Rosen.
Rounding out the Five Towns participants are Agudath Israel of West Lawrence, led by Rabbi Moshe Brown; Beis Knesses North Woodmere, led by Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz; Beis Medrash of Woodmere, led by Rabbi Akiva Willig; Cong. Kneseth Israel, led by Rabbi Eytan Feiner; Ishei Yisroel Woodmere, led by Rav Naftoli Weitz; Kehilas Bais Avraham Zev, led by Rabbi Asher Stern; Kehilas Yagdil Torah, led by Rabbi Ariel Edelstein; and Khal Chassidim, led by Rabbi Teddy Newman.
The Five Towns program calls for a seder limud b’chavrusa beginning at 12:00 a.m., followed by Selichos at 12:55 a.m., although individual shul schedules may vary. Those without a chavrusa will be assisted in finding one.
Kew Gardens Hills has now joined the movement as well, with six shuls taking part. They are Beis Medrash Zichron Shalom, led by Rabbi Eitan Tanenbaum; Beis Yosef D’Ulem, led by Rabbi Yaakov Friedman; Chevrah Bais Dovid D’Lantzut, led by Rabbi Naftoli Rubin; Kehillas KGH, led by Rabbi Ilan Feder and Rabbi Yisroel Kramer; Kehillas Torah Temima, led by Rabbi Yehudah Davis; and Beis Medrash of KGH, led by Rabbi Yaakov Bergman.
The Kew Gardens Hills program is scheduled to begin with a seder limud b’chavrusa at 12:10 a.m., with individual shul schedules varying. Organizers will also arrange chavrusas for those who need them.
The expansion into the Five Towns and Kew Gardens Hills follows the earlier announcements from Flatbush and Passaic-Clifton, turning the concept into an increasingly widespread pre-Selichos initiative.
Across all four communities, the idea is the same: to utilize the time before the first Selichos for Torah learning and to approach the opening Selichos of the year carrying the zechus haTorah and with a heightened sense of hisorerus ahead of the Yemei Hadin.
{Matzav.com}
