Yeshiva Mercaz HaTorah of Lakewood Forced to Evacuate Its Building, Zeman Abruptly Ends

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mercaz-hatorah-evacuated[Photos and video below.] Today, Yeshiva Mercaz Hatorah of Lakewood, under the leadership of Rav Aaron Dicker, was forced to evacuate its building at 611 Park Avenue, between East Seventh Street and Hacket Street, after inspectors and police officers shut down the structure, declaring it unsafe for human occupancy. It is not clear exactly why the building was declared unsafe or who might have informed authorities to shut down the building.

The building, when it was initially completed approximately three years ago, was first used for Rav Yosef Bitton’s yeshiva. About one year ago, after Rav Bitton’s yeshiva moved, Rav Dicker’s yeshiva settled there.

Rav Dicker, who is a son of Rav Levi Dicker, esteemed rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva of Belle Harbor, originally opened his yeshiva in Pittsburgh about three years ago. The rosh yeshiva, whose family lived in Belle Harbor at the time, later moved the yeshiva to Lakewood, which is where he and his family currently reside as well.

Today, at about 2:30 p.m., during bein hasedorim, the 23 bochurim of the yeshiva, whose dormitory rooms are located on the basement level and second floor of the yeshiva, were forced to pack up their belongings and leave the building as soon as possible. Once all the bochurim‘s belongings were out, an “unsafe structure notice” was posted on the entrances and the building was locked.

Although the zeman had been scheduled to continue until after Yom Kippur, nevertheless, in light of what has occurred, the zeman has officially ended while askanim and others try to resolve the situation and have the building reopened for the winter zeman.

For photos, see below:

[slideshow id=22]

In the following video, a bochur in the yeshiva, Avromi Shmulevitz, is seen leaving this evening to his hometown of Cleveland, having completed a successful zeman of aliyah in Torah and avodah.

To watch, click below:

{Dovid Bernstein-Matzav.com Newscenter}


25 COMMENTS

  1. enough. You sound like a fool to call this antisemitism. Stop whining about everything.

    Follow the law, and those “cruel antisemitin” won’t bother you no more. Btw, the law is a good one, it protects you.

    And especially those who every time they see a cop writing a ticket to a Yid, scream antisemitism, —– PLEASE, get a life, and follow the law.

  2. Rav Dicker Shlita is an unbelievable Rebbe and Rosh HaYeshiva. I personally know a few of his Talmidim. He’s Choshuv.
    May Hakodash Baruch Hu give him the Koiches to continue being Marbitz Tora Ad Mea Vi’Esrim.

    Anyone that can help the Yeshiva in general and in this time of need will be G’Benched with all the Brochos!

  3. Rav Aaron Dicker is a tzaddik. Moridike talmid chochom and a fantastic mechanech. He follows in the footsteps of his father, Rav Levi, a talmid of Maran the Rosh Hayeshiva, Rav Aharon Kotler zt”l.
    We hope this is all straightened out. Something smells fishy bec. the building was permitted for school use for 3 years already. Someone obviously massered and wanted to make trouble. What a shandeh.
    Rav Aaron and his Rebbetzin should have bracha and hatzlacha, and the yeshiva shnould continue growing and being matzliach

  4. One should NEVER call Lakewood the “Ihr Hakodesh”. That designation belongs to four cities, I believe. Chevron, Teverya, Tzfas, and of course Yerushalayim. (I do not remember the source, unfortunately.) Regardless, Lakewood is not a Ihr Hakodesh. Ihr Hatorah, sure.
    And the cries of anti-semitism are at best premature, until details can be clarified.

  5. Lakewood, IR HAKODESH, was that guy drunk or something..?
    There is one and only one ‘Holy City’, check the words of the Ohr Sameach.

  6. It’s interesting to note that the number of the building – 611 – is the Gematria of the word Torah. While I am not one to pinpoint exactly what we can learn from this incident, we know that everything is by Hashgacha Peratis. The only Posuk in the entire T’nach that has the same Gematria of 611 is the last Posuk of Perek 31 of Tehillim: “Be strong and let your hearts take courage, all who wait longingly for Hashem”. For more amazing Gematrios, including my latest post on the significance of the number of this new Jewish year 5770, and what message this is telling us, check out http://www.gematriot.blogspot.com.

  7. I THINK ANYONE WHO REALLY CARES WOULD PULL OUT THEIR CHECKBOOKS AND WRITE A FAT CHECK OUT TO THE YESHIVA TO SHOW THEIR SUPPORT FOR SUCH A GREAT MAN AND THE AWESOME WORK HE DOES

  8. The bochur interviewed in the article happens to be a gevaldike learner and a geshmake bochur. He is a pillar of his community and a positive role model to all. He emanates holy white rays of torah and achdus. To say he is an immature bochur is STRAIGHT OUT MOTZEI SHEIM RAH, Mr. ‘Red Sox Fan,’ and in Aseiris Yimay Tshuva, being as it is, you should ask this shtarke bochur for mechila. I know him personally, he lives two blocks away from me, and nobody should ever say something bad about this tzaddik.

  9. Well, as a mother of one of the choshive bochrim from this amazing yeshiva (as my son says), I am glad to see how my tuition is being spent seeing how the responces are mostly my son’s amazing fellow tamidim. I am also amazed at the people who are taking these coments so seriously. Lighten up, Folks! That video is an teenager at his best. Please.
    I hope Moshiach comes very soon. We surely need him to show us the light.

  10. I don’t undestand how everyone can take this so lightly this was a terrible thing that happened. I take it as a personel insult, its a terrible thing for the community, that a beis medrash/shul should be shut down especially illegally like what happened. I personally know Reb Aron, and the yeshiva, its a pillar of Torah and Mitzvos. Even while the inspectors were shutting the yeshiva down there were still guys learning on the front porch. I think everyone should call or send letters to the Lakewood city council about this. We should stage rally’s (during bein hos’dorim of course) and let the city know that we take this as a personal insult and we wont take it lightly. Remember we elect the officials not the other way around.

  11. To all whom it may concern:
    That Bochur you are talking about is a wonderful individual who is really trying to learn every day. As opposed to focusing your energy on his slightly unique sense of humor, Perhaps you can really pay attention to the issue at hand. A wonderful learning establishment was shut down with out proper procedure and authority. During rough times we must unit as jews not shun a bochur who may be making the best of a bad situation. Just think about it….. we need each other more than ever.

  12. i dont no y anyone will do this to my yeshiva its a great place and everyone learns…… it just doesnt make sense but hpefully with the help of hashem we will be back there learning like we were before this incident happened

  13. ive known him my entire life have you ever heard of a joke before you people really need to find something better to do with your time than sit in front of your computers and analyzes everything any random sranger says

  14. IT WAS A JOKE! people should’nt comment without fully understanding what was going on here. I dont know this bochur or the situation but like some other people who commented above i am just gonna be a nosy, and insensitive:)

  15. this boy avromi, has been friends with me for years and i really learned alot from him, he at least deserves credit for being in lakewood as oppossed to being elsewhere right?

  16. it is foolish for someoene especially a teenager to give his opinion without the authorization of a mature adult or rebbe. major problems can arise from comments liike his

  17. in response to what ROV wrote: 1)did you get an “authorization” from a rabbi yourself? and 2)people like you are the only problem, people who actually write (and take seriously) these kinda comments

  18. i hope everyone who saw this was disturbed by the fact that we jews are being treated like ordinary people we are the chosen ones, lets act like it and we will be treated like it. u really cause debate av! :*

  19. I would like to publicly ask forgiveness from avrumi shmulevitz for what I wrote. everyone else who wrote anything like it should as well. may the yeshiva reopen speedily.

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