Community Magazine February 2014

26 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE W alk into the bet midrash of one of the many kollelim that dot the landscape of the Jewish world, and you will probably behold the beautiful scene of passionate aspiring Torah scholars enthusiastically discussing a concept in the Gemara (Talmud) or halachah. Many are energetically debating their viewpoint with their havruta (study partner), while others can be seen pacing back and forth, lost in thought, or sitting frozen in their seats focusing their minds attentively on the difficult subject at hand. A loud, jovial buzz fills the air as the beautiful banter of Torah discussion can be heard bouncing off the walls of the crowded room. But there is one kollel in Jerusalem where these sounds are never heard. The students are just as passionate and ambitious, the level of scholarship is just as impressive, and the same books can be found in the bookshelves and sprawled over the tables. The students, clad in black and white, ponder the same Talmudic passages with the same commentaries, and the devoted Rosh Kollel oversees their studies, going around the room to check if anyone needs some extra help. And when necessary, he will sit with students to help them navigate through the intricate corridors of a complicated sugya (topic). The scene is much like what one would find in hundreds of bate midrash scattered across the world. The only difference is that in this kollel, you will hear only silence. The aptly-named Kollel Ma’aseh Nissim (“Miraculous Act”) is comprised exclusively of deaf students. Founded by Rabbi Yosef Taledano, a scion of the illustrious Talidano family who is himself deaf, the kollel caters to those whose hearing is impaired but whose thirst for Torah is fully intact. While the room may be void of sound, it is filled to the brim with energy. Elaborate hand gestures abound as students, ranging in age from 25 to 35, engage in thorough discussion using sign language, or “Sign,” as it is known among the hearing impaired. As in any bet midrash , the students argue, analyze and reach conclusions – communicating with silent hand motions. Located inside Rabbi Moshe Fetehi’s Jerusalem kollel, Kollel M’aseh Nissim was founded two years ago with the goal of enabling deaf students to learn Torah in a conventional kollel setting. Recognizing the centrality of Torah learning in Jewish life, and how standard methods of learning are impractical for hearing impaired – the standard practice of lip-reading lends itself to misunderstanding and confusion, and is thus not an option for Talmud study – Rabbi Talidano set out to provide a solution for deaf students. The idea of a kollel for the deaf, he says, was conceived during the two years he spent teaching at Yeshivat Nefesh David, a Toronto-based program for deaf teenage boys. Kollel Ma’aseh Nissim – The “Miracle Kollel” for the Deaf Kollel Ma’aseh Nissim is undoubtedly the quietest – but likely the most extraordinary – kollel in the world... DAVID M. HABER Yosef Tolidano, founder of the Ma’aseh Nissim kollel for the deaf, with his grandfather Rav Nissim Tolidano. Credit Courtesy Ma’aseh Nissim. Inside Yosef Tolidano’s kollel for the deaf in Jerusalem. Credit Courtesy Ma’aseh Nissim.