By COLlive reporter
As their fathers were celebrating the gala banquet of the International Kinus Hashluchim convention in New York, a group of their sons held a parallel event that mirrored the adult’s program.
On Sunday night, students of Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim in Antwerp were invited to a nearby event hall where a festive evening was organized especially for them.
The goal was to have the students, most of whom are the sons of Shluchim across Europe and the former Soviet Union, revel in their merit of being part of the Rebbe’s army, organizers said.
The event was emceed by Schneur Weber, from the Talmidim Hashluchim group in the Yeshiva. He led the program with striking similarities to the New York event.
First, Tehillim was recited by Rabbi Shmuel Nissilevitch, a Mashpia in the Yeshiva and a Shliach in the nearby Belgian city of Brussels.
Students formed a choir to sing Chabad Niggunim throughout the event, often leading them into joyous dancing. And there were video clips shown of the Rebbe and of Shluchim sharing their life on the forefront of inspiring European Jewry.
Speakers, the Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Mendel Tverdovitz, and Mashpia Rabbi Yaakov Gurary, encouraged the students to continue with their commitment to their learning and growing spiritually and following the Rebbe’s directives.
Speaking on behalf of the “Shluchim” were Zalman Jaffe and Yosef Yitzchok Hamu. They addressed the theme of “Success in Shlichus is dependent on the connection to the Rebbe.”
A moment of tribute was held to honor the memory of Uri Gurary, the Yeshiva age son of Antwerp Shliach Rabbi Mendel Gurary who tragically passed away last year.
A surprise during the event was a recorded greeting to them by Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, Vice Chairman of Merkos L’inyonei Chinuch and organizer of the annual convention in New York.
The guest speaker of the Belgian “banquet” was Rabbi Aharon Shif, Chief Rabbi of the Machzikei Hadas frum communities in Antwerp. “It is recognizable on your faces that you are from the Rebbe’s Shluchim,” he remarked.
Rabbi Shif went on to praise their and their families’ dedication to the spiritual and material wellbeing of fellow Jews and that “despite all the hardships, you remain steadfast in your task.”
The highlight of the evening was the Roll Call when Moshe Dubinsky called out the names of the countries from which the students hail, followed by a round of applause and “spontaneous dancing.”
“Just like the banquet in New York…” was the appreciative comment of one of the students.
Brought tears to my eyes! ממנו יראו וכן יעשו. Every yeshiva and girls high school should do this! Celebrate the teenage shluchim and shluchos who have much mesiras nefesh to leave home for chinuch. THIS is how to raise the next generation of happy, healthy shluchim! And to all the in-towners who will spout comments of “What about us?” and the out of towners whose parents are not officially shluchim, etc., I don’t have a good response. But as a child of shluchim (now married with children) who went away from home for chinuch, I know how important something an… Read more »
Mendel Hecht
WHatsup???? Missed you at the reunion.
yasher koach on this magnificent event.
your really an impressive person I’ve always looked up to. your chayos in your torah and mitzvot is something I strive for. Your aunt Shternel sends her love.