Oholei Torah Honors Alumni

Today, the 19th of Teves, marks 54 years since the day the Educational Institute Oholei Torah was founded in 1956 / 5716 in Brooklyn, NY (as mentioned in the Rebbe’s publication Hayom Yom).

Since that day, Oholei Torah became a driving force in the Chabad Lubavitch community, spearheading ‘chinuch al Taharas HaKodesh’ and devotion to the Rebbe and Chassidus.

It was with the Rebbe’s direct encouragement and direction, that the boys school was able to grow and become the empire it is today.

When Reb Michoel Teitelbaum OBM, the co-founder of Oholei Torah was not able to cover the budget, he wrote to the Rebbe and was replied “ayere tircha un mein gelt” (=your toil and my money). Teitelbaum would give to Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch a monthly report of the income and expenses and the Rebbe would instruct his secretary Rabbi Mordechai Hodakov to write a check for the balance missing.

After a while The Rebbe instructed Reb Dovid Deitsch, who later became known as the “Tatteh of Oholei Torah” to carry the burden of the yeshiva.

Once during a dispute about the institution, the Rebbe referred himself as the owner (“Ba’al Habos”) of the mossad.

Every year Oholei Torah had the merit to receive a letter for the annual dinner. One year when the Rebbe wanted to farbreng, he waited until the Oholei Torah Dinner was over to begin.

In 1991 Oholei Torah had the rare privilege of receiving the Rebbe’s direct approval to call the mossad by his name Oholei Menachem. This was at a time that very few mosdos carried the Rebbe’s name.

Honoring this special day, COLlive will begin a series of pictures highlighting classes of the Oholei Torah throughout the years. It will run until the 6th of Adar (March 1st), Yartzeit of Reb Michoel and the annual dinner.