By a participant of the recent Brunoy Yeshiva Hakhel reunion:
5757 – 5783. Twenty-six years have passed since we entered the walls of the Tomchei Temimim Yeshiva in Brunoy. Then we were Temimim a little after Bar Mitzvah. Today some of our children are already students of the yeshiva. Today our class “Shiur Aleph Brunoy 5757” is scattered throughout the world.
During last year’s Kinus Hashluchim, part of the class gathered for a “Hakhel” gathering in Crown Heights. At that time, the idea was born to gather for “Hakhel” and return to Tomchei Temimim Yeshiva in Brunoy – on the way to Kfar Chabad.
And indeed, with Hashem’s help, in honor of the year of Hakhel, former Shiur Aleph students organized together with Rabbi Shmuel Brodowicz a Hakhel gathering of our class, returning to yeshiva in Brunoy. Rabbi Brodowicz was then the Madrich responsible for Shiur Aleph. Since then and until today he is the devoted Menahel for Shiur Aleph.
“Even those who have already ‘left’ the walls of Tomchei Temimim Yeshiva, the holiness of the yeshiva does not move from its place in them,” as it says in Likkutei Sichot vol. 14 p. 323.
What joy there was. Some of the Temimim had not seen each other for twenty-six years.
On Wednesday, 9th of Tamuz at noon we gathered in the courtyard of the yeshiva. And then we sat down for a Chassidus lesson by Rabbi Zalman Segal. We studied in depth about the differences between Avodat Habirurim and Avodat Hanisyonot. The lesson was steeped in stories of Chassidim. A lesson like a farbrengen.
Towards evening we sat down in Zal Shiur Aleph together with the Hanhallah and rabbis of the yeshiva for a festive meal. The joy and excitement was mutual, the joy of the yeshiva rabbis to see and sit with their former students. And the joy of the students to see and hear from the mashpi’im and magidei shiurim. The mashpi’im spoke about the eternal connection of students with Tomchei Temimim Yeshiva and that each one in his field is continuing to engage in fulfilling the will of our Rebbe, our Nasi, founder of the yeshiva.
The meal continued with a Chassidic farbrengen until the wee hours of the night.
Participating in the event and leading the Farbrengen were Menahelim Rabbi Yitzchak Nemenov and Rabbi M.M. Gurevitch, Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Yechiel Kalmanzon, Menahalim of Yeshiva Ketana Rabbi Yoel Eidelman and Rabbi Shmuel Brodowicz, mashpi’im and Rabbi M.M. Abrams, Rabbi David Furst, Rabbi Nachum Pinson, Rabbi Shmuel Frankel.
As a memento, all participants received a book by Rabbi Shlomo Brodowicz on the work of the Rebbe that has just been published.
“One thing I asked… I would sit in G-d’s house all my life…” if only we could stay within daled amos of yeshiva…
But this is our right and this is our role to prepare ourselves and all the world for receiving Moshiach Tzidkeinu.
And may we merit that we will already be in true and complete redemption with true Hakel and our king at our head.
What’s that book about the Rebbe? And is there a version of it in English?
Proud of Uncles Shmuel!!