The ninth Amsterdam Yarchei Kalloh again featured the beloved
Rosh Yarchei Kallah Rav B. Knopfler, who lectured about the
sugyos and dinim relating to birkas
hamozon.
During the past nine years Rav Knopfler has created an
atmosphere of chizuk for talmud torah through
his unique shiurim. The lecturers also included Rav
Avrohom Katz, director of the newly founded girls seminary in
Gateshead.
One of this year's highlights was the symposium held on the
last evening of the three-day event on "The Derech of
the Great Yeshivos, Chassidus and Torah im
Derech Eretz. Is there a Coexistence?"
One of the panelists was Rav Eliyahu Meir Klugman of
Jerusalem who is a noted writer and lecturer on the heritage
of yahadus Ashkenaz.
Torah im derech eretz turns the whole world into a
vehicle for avodas Hashem by using or avoiding it. It
is not an opening to allow one to indulge into whatever is
considered Western culture. Everything has to be measured by
the view of the Torah and there is nothing else what counts.
There is no room for a second value system, said Rav
Klugman.
The Yarchei Kalloh brought with it a beautiful Shabbos
atmosphere and showed that those who learn Torah are
those who carry the spirit of Shabbos with them in a very
special way.
The whole day was a sequence of tefillos, seudos, shiurim,
zemiros and divrei Torah.
The climax was during a sheva berochos hosted by
Yarchei Kalloh together with Rabbi W. van Dijk chaplain to
the Dutch armed forces. Various local rabbonim gave
shiurim as well including Rav Y. Lewis, Av Bes Din,
Rav R. Evers of the Dutch federation of Jewish Communities,
Rav N. Grosnewoud, a Rebbe in the Amsterdam Cheder and Rav Y.
Schatz Rosh Kollel.
Memebers of the kollel, Rav D. Stern, Rav Slade and Rav Y.
Siegel also contributed.
A range of ladies shiurim was offered as well.
The Yarchei Kalloh is an initiative of the Dutch Aguda but is
co-organized with a wide body of organizations and is funded
by various communal bodies and private foundations.
It has grown to be the main Torah event of the year
for Dutch Jewry.
