Mifalei Kayitz, a summer program for seminary students in
Eretz Yisroel, was founded by an association of US
benefactors headed by HaRav Dovid Weinberger, the rov of
Shaarei Tefilloh in Lawrence, New York, to provide for the
social and spiritual needs of Beis Yaakov girls during the
long summer break.
This important project took shape through the initiative of
R' Yaakov (Leon) Melohn and with the blessings of HaRav
Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz shlita, and other gedolei
hador.
During the Bein Hametzorim period, thousands of seminary
girls took part in tours of the Old City. Following a day
filled with learning and powerful experiences, including
tours of the City of Dovid and the Western Wall Tunnels, the
girls poured out their prayers before Borei Olom at the
remnant of Bais Hamikdosh, the Kosel Maarovi.
Mrs. Rochel Pellner arranged to bring in special chareidi
tour guides, Bais Yaakov alumni who enriched the girls'
knowledge of Jerusalem in general and of the Old City in
particular.
This week students from the Rav Wolf Seminary of Bnei Brak
toured the City of David and the Jewish Quarter. At the end
of a packed day they gathered in the Botei Machseh Square to
hear a talk by HaRav Zeev Wolf, who concluded with thanks to
R' and Mrs. Melohn for funding the tours in order to instill
the heritage of the Kosel in the seminary students.
R' Melohn also spoke, discussing the project's wide-ranging
activities and thanking R' Yechezkel Nussbacher for his
dedicated management of the project.
He was followed by R' Reuven Cohen, the son-in-law of HaRav
Belsky of the US, and Rav Gershon Binet, one of the heads of
the Chareidi Education Department at the City of Jerusalem,
representing Mayor Rabbi Uri Lupoliansky.
Mifalei Hakayitz administrators and staffers are currently
hard at work planning the final portion of the summer
program, a major his'orerus gathering for tens of
thousands of seminary students in Jerusalem at the end of Av
to be attended by rabbonim and seminary principals from Eretz
Yisroel.
