Rav Moshe Tzadka, the distinguished Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Porat Yosef, sat with an open Gemarah, Maseches Sukkah in front of him and Acheinu’s students sat with great yiras hakavod as he fired one question after another at them on the masechta. Each question was answered with lightning speed. Rav Tzadka was clearly very moved by that, especially because the boys in front of him had not been religious at all until very recently.
This is indeed the unique quality of Acheinu kiruv. Acheinu, the kiruv arm of Dirshu, has used Dirshu’s template–a system of limud haTorah with accountability that enriched its participants with Shas Yidden, Poskim and Daf HaYomi B’Halacha Yidden who truly know and retain what they learn. So too, Acheinu has devised a unique kiruv system with a success rate of more than 93%.
From Public School to Siyum!
The major test and siyum at Acheinu’s Yeshiva Hakedosha was the culmination of a year of hard work invested by the talmidim and their devoted Rabbeim. The yeshiva instituted a “Marah D’Sukkah” campaign to encourage every talmid to learn the entire Masechta Sukkah and to be tested on it. It was the first siyum these boys ever made in their lives!
Just a couple of years ago, these yeshiva bochurim were secular public school kids immersed in pop culture!
The siyum was also attended by Nasi of Dirshu Rav Dovid Hofstedter. A particularly moving moment was the sight of the parents of the talmidei hayeshiva, all of them secular but… so very proud of their children’s accomplishments.
Acheinu’s Yeshiva Hakedosha is an absolutely unique yeshiva that plays a prominent role in the overall success rate of Acheinu. Acheinu’s mentors, all bnei Torah who learn at least half a day, work with teens from non-religious homes. As these teens came closer to Yiddishkeit, they were faced with a problem. On the one hand, they were not yet at the level, neither academically nor socially to be able to join a regular yeshiva. On the other hand, there was no proper framework al taharas hakodesh that they could join. Acheinu therefore decided to open up its own yeshiva headed by Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Zev Hofstedter. Acheinu’s Yeshiva Hakedosha is tailor made to serve as a bridge to a regular yeshiva. All of the talmidim are eventually mainstreamed to regular yeshivos throughout Eretz Yisrael.
Rav Dovid Hofstedter also tested the bochurim. And then gave a powerful drasha outlining the difficult situation in which Jews find themselves throughout the world and the terrible nisyonos posed by the yetzer hara. “The only way to detach ourselves from the bad is through learning Torah!” Then, turning to the parents, he said, “It is such a zechus for parents to merit sons who are learning Torah in a holy yeshiva!”
Every bachur who made a siyum was called to the podium accompanied by his father. The fathers, most of them non-religious, beamed with joy–as did their mothers who watched from an adjacent room on a closed circuit hook-up. Rav Hofstedter handed them special diplomas and a new edition of Gemara Bava Kama, the next masechta that the students will be learning.
One of the most powerful speeches was given by Shaul Maimon, President of the Chevel Ha’aretz Company, a successful businessman, whose son learns in the yeshiva and was one of the bachurim who made a siyum. Mr. Maimon talked about how it was initially very difficult for him when his son became religious but, “Now,” he said, “I cannot tell you how happy we are and how proud we are of him! He illuminates our entire home. The light that he brings is the light of Torah. It was missing from our home. If I would have known before what the Yeshiva Hakedosha does, I would have sent all of my children here!”
