The Jewish Home n
d e c e m b e r 5 , 2013
42
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Bais Hamedrash Agudas Achim to Celebrate Chanukas Habayis The newest shul in the community, Bais Hamedrash Agudas Achim, will be holding its Chanukas Habayis on Shabbos Parshas Vayechei. Located in Lawrence and under the leadership of Rabbi Elisha Horowitz, the shul has become a makom Torah and tefillah in the three months since it opened. Located at the central axis of the neighborhood, at the corner of Lawrence Avenue and Broadway, the shul has attracted a fol-
lowing of families of all ages. The warm atmosphere and serious respect for Torah make it a bais medrash where all feel welcome to worship and learn. Davening is loud and joyous. The respect with which the mispallelim address their Maker is palpable. There is no need to quiet the congregants; they want a serious davening and maintain an atmosphere of decorum with feeling. Many come to Agudas Achim for the divrei To-
rah of the rav whose creative machshavah is his specialty. Rabbi Elisha Horowitz, a veteran rav in the community and in Brooklyn, is the author of the two volume Bai Chiya, a sefer of Torah insights on the weekly sedra and the yamim tovim. When it was first published several years ago, it topped the popular seforim lists compiled by Hamodia for several weeks. He was a maggid shiur for over ten years in Yeshiva Bais Meir and the rosh kollel of the Novominsker Kollel in Boro Park. Rabbi Horowitz gives a gemara iyun shiur Monday nights and a popular Chumash shiur Thursday nights which features hot cholent and kugel. He gives chaburahs before each yom tov to a select group of bnei Torah in the community. Agudas Achim’s Shalosh Seudos is the highlight of Shabbos. Teenagers and their fathers join together in reverent zemiros and a spirit of dveykus prevails. The rav shares a mystical dvar Torah and all participate in warm singing. On weekday mornings, Agudas Achim hosts a morning kollel with 25 participants who learn gemara in depth
before commencing Shacharis. The young men who participate re-experience their kollel days with the intense learning in the bais medrash. Chaburahs are given by Rabbi Horowitz and Rabbi Thumim. The Novominsker Rebbe, shlita, will spend Shabbos with the kehilla on Shabbos Parshas Vayechi, December 13 and 14. Rosh Agudas Yisroel and leader of Yeshivas Novominsk Kol Yehudah of Boro Park, the Rebbe is the father-in-law of the rav. A festive tisch with the Rebbe will take place Friday night in the shul at 200 Broadway. Shabbos morning davening begins at 9:00 am with Mincha at 4:05 and Shalosh Seudas to follow. A melava malka in honor of the Chanukas Habayis of the shul will take place on Motzai Shabbos at Machon Basya Rochel, 137 Lawrence Avenue in Lawrence. The program will feature an address by the Novominsker Rebbe and divrei brocha from Rabbi Aryeh Malkiel Kotler, shlita, rosh yeshiva of Beth Medrash Govoha. A festive program is planned. Washing will be at seven thirty and benching at 9:30.
Annual Scholarship
DINNER
Saturday Evening, December 21, 2013 • 8:00 PM The Sephardic Temple, Cedarhurst NY HONORING
Alyssa and Leslie Sterba
Judy Joszef
To place your reservation and journal ad visit www.kulanukids.org or call 516.569.3083 x106
Kulanu provides inclusion, support, and advocacy services in social and educational areas to individuals & families with special needs.