The school year ended last week in South Africa. The summer
holiday began with a special event for the many boys who
learn in the various Johannesburg mosdos. It was the
celebration of the 5th anniversary of Avos Uvonim which took
the form of a melave malka on motzei Shabbos
Vayeishev.
Almost three hundred participants gathered at the Simon Kuper
Hall where a delicious catered meal was provided. Not only
the fathers and sons were there, but this time even some of
the mothers. As Pinchas Goldberg, the current organizer of
the program, said, it is only with the support and
encouragement of the mothers that the boys and their fathers
are able to participate every motzei Shabbos.
Avos Uvonim was started in Johannesburg by Pinchas' brother
Asher under the guiding hand of Rav Sender Grossnass, who is
still very much the force behind the scenes. Each school term
it is held in one of four community batei medrash
namely, Kesser Torah, Kollel Yad Shaul, Ohr Someach and
Yeshiva Maharsha.
During the melave malkah a boy from each of the four
communities addressed the audience. Gavi Perlman and Yitzchok
Schnerb recited their words of appreciation by way of poems
they had written. The other two said divrei Torah.
Ariel Geffen emphasized the high value we place on our
rabbeim from a gemora in Megilla (3b). Rafi
Jude, using the idea of the bor of Yosef which had no
water, described the modern world as a bor of snakes
and scorpions, but for the boys participating in Torah
learning, their bor becomes filled with the pure
waters of Torah.
One of the fathers, Rabbi Larry Sussman, spoke. One of the
ideas he expressed was the importance of special time that a
parent gives to his child. He described how Avos Uvonim has
given this to many boys and their fathers. Pinchas Goldberg
read out a fax received from Avos Uvonim in Yerushalayim with
warm words of encouragement, saying that this is one of over
1000 branches worldwide in which tens of thousands are
participating.
A raffle is a highlight at every Avos Uvonim weekly
gathering, and this night was no exception. Two happy winners
went home, one with a silver chanukiah and the other
with a set of Chumoshim. An extra draw was held and a
son was able to hand his father a bottle of whisky which he
won.
A highlight of the evening was the first appearance of the
new Avos Uvonim Choir. Two beautiful and moving songs were
sung.
The special "guest" for the evening was Rabbi Paysach Krohn,
who had recorded a video speech especially for the occasion.
He said that as the function was taking place, he and his
fellow Americans were having their Shabbos afternoon naps. He
extended the idea to show how the different time zones around
the world ensure that at every moment of the day and night,
somewhere in the world, there are Yidden learning
Torah. Rabbi Krohn also explained how Avos Uvonim has changed
"Saturday night" into "Motzei Shabbos" in Johannesburg for
the many participants.
