Learn Torah. Love Torah. Live Torah. Those seminal words, first coined by the founder of the Jewish Educational Center, HaRav Pinchas Mordechai Teitz z”l, represent the fabric of the JEC hashkafa and were vibrantly personified by students of the Rav Teitz Mesivta Academy during a weeklong celebration of Torah love and scholarship.

Beginning with two back to back siyumim for the RTMA middle school and high school, respectively, students and rebbeim celebrated their annual night seder finales. Night seder in both levels is entirely optional and a solid majority of students opt in on a weekly basis, learning extra Torah with their chavrutahs and rebbeim on a volunteer basis. It was sight to behold as the crowd enjoyed a celebratory dinner together and then danced with enthusiasm and pure joy.

The following morning brought the school together for a Rosh Chodesh siyum on Gemara Masechet Ta’anit. The Masechta was completed over a two year optional learning program where students, on their own time, following Shacharit every morning, got together with Rabbi Shmuel Taub to learn five minutes of Gemara.

“It is amazing what can be accomplished in just a few minutes each day,” said RTMA Principal Rabbi Ami Neuman. “A little and a little and a little all add up to a lot and the siyum the boys made today is proof of that,” he said.