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7 Cheshvan 5762 - October 24, 2001 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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NEWS
25 Year Anniversary of Yeshivas Ateres Yisroel
by M. Samsonowitz

On Wednesday after Succos, Yeshivas Ateres Yisroel in Yerushalaim held a special alumni get-together commemorating 25 years of the yeshiva's existence. Over 800 alumni (which are 80 percent of the yeshiva's 1,000 local alumni) converged on the Heichal Simcha hall in Yerushalaim for the event. The school has another 200 alumni who live abroad.

The rosh yeshiva of "Ateret" is HaRav Boruch Mordechai Ezrachi, and for many years the mashgiach was his father-in- law HaRav Meir Chodosh, one of the original Slobodka Yeshiva's most famous students, until his passing about 10 years ago.

The large turnout was explained by Rav Benzion Ezrachi, the executive director, as due to the strong tie between the Rosh Yeshiva and the students.

"This is their house," he said simply. "One never forgets a father, even when one leaves. The Rosh Yeshiva maintains a personal tie with students. He is awake around the clock, and spends his time on giving his shiurim, maintaining a close relationship with the students, and writing his Bircas Mordechai series, six volumes of which have been published so far."

It is a daily occurrence for Ateret bochurim to knock on the Rosh Yeshiva's door at 3:00 a.m. to speak with him personally, discuss divrei Torah, or just get a meal from the Rebbetzin. Personal ties developed during the years of studying in the yeshiva, continue on for years after a bochur has left its doors. The 25th anniversary was eagerly awaited by the students.

The assembly started with the recital of Tehillim for the recovery of HaRav Chaim Kanievsky. HaRav Dovid Cohen, now a rosh yeshiva in Chevron and a former maggid shiur in the yeshiva, spoke warmly of the special connection the students feel to the yeshiva.

The next speaker was HaRav Yaakov Hillel, rosh yeshivas Ahavat Sholom, a friend of HaRav Ezrachi who often attended his shiurim.

The climax of the evening was an address by HaRav Aaron Leib Steinman who spoke warm words of chizuk to the assembly.

The event was emceed by HaRav Tzvi Diament, the mashgiach of Yeshivas Or Yisroel, and the students were represented by HaRav Hillel Zaks, rosh yeshiva of Tiferes Mordechai in Bnei Brak, and HaRav Ami Mizrachi, who edited Or Meir, a 400 page collection of HaRav Meir Chodosh's discourses over the years, which was given out to all the alumni.

The guest of honor was Rav Ezriel Tenem of London, a sponsor of the evening and a long-time supporter of the yeshiva. He was given a special oil painting of HaRav Meir Chodosh. He addressed the students and alumni afterwards, and told them how much the yeshiva means to him and that he is planning to help advance the construction of the yeshiva's new campus on Hapisga street.

It was noted that a high percentage of alumni are today serving as dayanim, mashgichim, roshei yeshivos and rabbonim. Ateret graduates are highly sought after as mashgichim, and its students are prolific authors, having published over a dozen books in the past month.

The staff found the list of resolutions drawn up at an alumni meeting which took place in the Lithuanian Slobodka Yeshiva over 60 years ago, and decided to follow this precedent at the present alumni meeting. The 800 alumni resolved to rededicate themselves to mussar study, and increasing achdus among themselves in their daily life.

The alumni presented the Rosh Yeshiva with a special leather and silver-bound copy of the 6 volumes of chiddushei Torah he has published. They also bought him a large silver cup on which was printed "The cup that overflows on its side." This was the name of the biography of HaRav Meir Chodosh which was written and recently published by Rebbetzin Ezrachi, and it symbolized a common theme he spoke about: Only when a person is full himself can he overflow to others.

The alumni were feted to a riveting video which traced HaRav Meir Chodosh's life from his beginning roots in Slobodka yeshiva in Lithuania through his various positions until the end of his life. The 12-minute video included a recently- found British film of the destruction of the Chevron Jewish community and the wounded residents after the 1929 pogrom (which HaRav Meir miraculously survived), an old film of Jewish life in Kovno, plus more historical scenes and documentation concerning Rav Meir's life. HaRav Meir Chodosh spent the last years of his life as the mashgiach in Ateres Yisroel Yeshiva and giving shmuessim in Chevron Yeshiva.

Ateres Yisroel is planning to sell the video soon in a CD-ROM format. All who are interested in purchasing the film can contact the yeshiva in Israel at +972-2-6436144.

 

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