The beit midrash at the Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center in Livingston was buzzing on Sunday night, May 18 as dozens of community members—spanning a range of ages and religious backgrounds—came to together to learn all of Mishnayot Rosh Hashanah and Sukkah in the ENTER Kollel at Livingston’s Second Annual Mishnathon.

The ENTER Kollel offers personalized chavruta learning opportunities for community members in Essex County and has grown to now host 40 weekly participants, whose Torah studies are supported by seven rabbis of the kollel. Along with the chavruta learning, ENTER Kollel offers a variety of different classes and shiurim throughout the year, ranging from Gemara chabura for teens, weekly halacha shiurim and guest speakers, with more activities being planned.

Organizers report that 75 people participated in nine learning groups in this year’s Mishnathon and 120 people participated in the concluding siyum and dinner, which featured guest speaker Rabbi Ari Zhats, a rebbe at RIETS and the associate rabbi of Bnai Yeshurun in Teaneck.

Warren Feldman of Bergen County said that he came to the Mishnathon because his son, Ross, a resident of Montclair, dedicated the Mishnayot books used in the Mishnathon in memory of Frieda Fox, his father’s stepmother (grandfather Sol Feldman’s second wife).

Warren shared that at last year’s Mishnathon, Ross dedicated the Mishnayot books in honor of Sol and his wife Minna (Warren’s mother), and his maternal grandparents, Genia and Irving Draznin; Minna, Genia and Irving were Holocaust survivors. Warren said he was happy to come and show support for this program that means so much to his son.

Noam Simon, a high school student in Livingston, said that he learns weekly with one of the rabbis in the ENTER Kollel and he came to the Mishnathon both last year and this year.

For more information on the ENTER Kollel, please contact Rabbi Elie Genack at [email protected] or call 917-617-9492.

Harry Glazer is the Middlesex County Editor of The Jewish Link. He can be reached at [email protected] and he welcomes reader feedback. When he’s really lucky, he gets to cover some of the notable activities in the Jewish communities in Essex County.