The poignant convention theme of this year's Agudas Yisroel
national convention — Ve'emunoscho Baleilos:
Maintaining Simchas HaChaim and Emunah in Challenging Times
— will be addressed at the gathering's Thursday evening
plenary session, which will be open to the public. The theme
and the attendant strains and stresses will be addressed by
Rabbi Yissochor Frand, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Ner Yisroel,
Baltimore; and Rabbi Noach Isaac Oelbaum, rav of Khal Nachlas
Yitzchok, Queens.
Opening the session will be Rabbi Yosef Harari Raful, rosh
hayeshiva of Yeshiva Ateret Torah, who will offer greetings
from the Nesius. A message to the gathering will also be
delivered by Rabbi Gedaliah Weinberger, Agudas Yisroel's
chairman of the board. The session will be chaired by
convention co-chairman, Tzvi Rosen of Lakewood
Late Thursday night, after the plenary session, a
presentation on "How to Teach the True Torah Perspective on
Emunah to the NYF (the Not Yet Frum) as well as the FFH (the
Frum From Habit) will feature Rabbi Ben-Tzion Shaeffer,
founder of The Shmuz; and Rabbi Chanan (Antony) Gordon of Los
Angeles, who will serve as chairman. Also on offer will be a
special 3-dimensional audio-visual offering entitled "Birchas
Hachamah: Unraveling the Mysteries" presented by Reb Chaim
Shmuel Friedman.
This year's convention will be graced by the presence and
words of the Boyaner Rebbe, the convention's special guest
from Eretz Yisroel. The Rebbe's zaide, the previous Boyaner
Rebbe, zt'l, was one of the key members of the Moetzes
Gedolei HaTorah and a regular participant in Agudas Yisroel
conventions decades ago; the current Rebbe will be continuing
in that masores avos through his participation in this
year's convention. The Rebbe will conduct a tish on
Leil Shabbos at the convention, and also address the Motzei
Shabbos Keynote Melave Malka.
The spirited discussions and lively sessions that fill the
hotel conference rooms Friday morning at an Agudas Yisroel
national convention eventually give way to Shabbos
preparations. Guests retire to their rooms, many returning in
their Shabbos clothing to attend afternoon shiurim. The large
hall that will serve as the convention shul is prepared, the
aron and bimah erected, the dais set up, the hundreds of
chairs neatly arrayed.
And then, as the sun prepares to set, the unmistakable aura
of Shabbos descends, and mispallelim begin to stream into the
large hall that serves as the shul for the convention.
After Kabbolas Shabbos, the Lakewood Mashgiach, Rabbi
Mattisyohu Salomon, will deliver words of Torah and
his'orerus to the men. Rebbetzin Leah Kohn, the
director of the Jewish Renaissance Center, will speak for the
women.
After Ma'ariv and seudas Shabbos, guests will enjoy a Leil
Shabbos session featuring Torah-thoughts from a renowned Rosh
Hayeshiva and chosheveh rabbonim: Rabbi Aaron Feldman, Rosh
Hayeshiva, Yeshivas Ner Yisroel, Baltimore; Rabbi Ephraim
Shapiro, Rav, Congregation Shaarey Tefillah, North Miami
Beach; and Rabbi Moshe Tuvia Lieff, Rav, Congregation Bais
Yisroel, Minneapolis.
Then a special delight will await the men at the convention:
a tish with the Boyaner Rebbe, shlita, of Yerushalayim, a
special guest at this year's convention, who will also offer
divrei brocho at the Motzei Shabbos Melave Malkah.
The women Shabbos convention guests will have the pleasure of
hearing words (and worthy thoughts and fascinating stories,
as always) from Rabbi Paysach Krohn, author of the Maggid
Series of English-language seforim.
On Shabbos morning, before Musaf, Rabbi Yaakov Reisman, Rav,
Agudath Israel of Long Island, will deliver a Shabbos
drosho.
After Mincha, there will be three Sholosh Seudos offerings.
One will feature Yiddish speakers: Rabbi Dovid Schustel, Rosh
Hayeshiva, Beth Medrash Govoha (Lakewood), and Rabbi Eliezer
Eichler, Boyaner Rav and Rosh Mesivta. The second will
present speakers in English: Rabbi Reuven Feinstein, Rosh
Hayeshiva, Yeshiva Gedola of Staten Island, who will offer
greetings from the Nesius of Agudas Yisroel; Rabbi Zev Cohen
Rav, Congregation Yishurun, Chicago; and Rabbi Yosef Viener.
A Ladies' Sholosh Seudos will feature Rebbetzin Rena
Tarshish, Principal, Masores Rochel Seminary,
Yerushalayim.
After Ma'ariv and Havdalah, vans and cars filled with Agudas
Yisroel supporters will arrive from New York, Monsey,
Lakewood and other points, will arrive to participate in a
gala Melave Malka.
The Melave Malka will be a bittersweet time, as it will serve
as a seudas preida in honor of and tribute to Agudath
Israel's leader Rabbi Shmuel Bloom, who is planning to retire
at year's end (much to the sadness of Agudas Yisroel's
appreciative staff). After an address from Rabbi Bloom will
be the inaugural address of his successor, Rabbi Chaim Dovid
Zwiebel (the cheer to counter the sadness).
The Melave Malka will also include a siyum Mishnayos
lezeicher nishmas Rabbi Boruch Borchardt z'l, Agudas
Yisroel's indefatigable executive director for over fifty
years. In many ways he was the glue that kept Agudas Yisroel
together and his loss is still keenly felt by all who knew
and loved him.
Greetings from the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah will be extended
by Rabbi Avrohom Chaim Levin, rosh hayeshiva of Telshe
Yeshiva, Chicago; and then an address will be delivered by
the Rosh Agudas Yisroel: Rabbi Yaakov Perlow, the Novominsker
Rebbe.
The session will also be greeted by someone well known and
appreciated by all who care about Agudas Yisroel: Jacob
(Yaty) Weinreb, who will serve as this year's convention
chairman.
The convention, the organization's 86th, will be held at the
Stamford Hilton in Stamford, Connecticut, from Thursday
through Sunday, November 27-30.
