Deitsch Hosts Wine Reception

Close to 200 friends and alumni of the Mayanot Institute of Jewish Studies enjoyed a wine and cheese dessert reception hosted by Haysha and Bassie Deitsch in Crown Heights this past Sunday evening.

The event began with a wine presentation and tasting by a sommelier from Royal Wines.

Rabbi Shlomo Gestetner, the Dean of Mayanot who is visiting from Jerusalem, then gave a brief update on the exponential growth that Mayanot has been experiencing.

“The Yeshiva opened 10 years ago with only 10 students and today is proud to have more than 140 students in its men, women and Spanish programs,” he said.

Gestetner then introduced the Vice Chairman of Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch, Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, who has been instrumental in helping ensure that Mayanot survives these difficult economic times.

Rabbi Kotlarsky spoke passionately of the unique role that Mayanot plays in providing Shluchim across the globe a place to send their students and young professionals to learn Torah. He mentioned that he was in Mayanot only 2 weeks ago and wished that all Yeshivas would have the Kol Torah that he heard in the Mayanot Beis Midrash.

The crowd was then entertained by former Mayanot student Rabbi Simcha Weinstein who is the author of 2 best-selling books. Simcha humorously told of the tremendous impact that Mayanot had on his life and of his transition from being a secular film agent to becoming the Shliach to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn.

Renowned lecturer, Rabbi Yossi Jacobson, who taught at Mayanot during its early years, concluded the evening with warm words about the faculty of Mayanot and of the amazing self sacrifice that they have.