Community Magazine July 2014

- Rabbi Yaacov B enhaim It s been over a decade since I stepped foot into Yeshivat Mir Yerushalayim and ever since I feel that I am a true part of ‘Mishpachat Mir’. The Mir is a place in which I grew and continue to grow and thrive from, to this very day." - Rabbi Yo s ef Hatchuel “ O ur community thrives and will continue to succeed as long as we support Torah institutions, especially those in Israel. Yeshivat Mir Yerushalayim is a great investment, producing young Rabbis who are an asset to Am Yisrael." berachot to our community at large. The Rabbis will also visit schools and homes of some of Yedidei HaYeshiva, giving all the opportunity to greet them personally. Thirty years ago, when Yeshivat Mir was still “small”, with enrollment of only 200 students, Mir graduates were already assuming Rabbinic positions in Deal and its vicinity, starting a trend that grew exponentially with time. Over the years, many students from our communities have passed through the portals of Yeshivat Mir and have excelled in their educational pursuits there. The Mir has groomed and helped prepare many Rabbinic leaders, educated professionals and lay leaders who have become part of the fabric of our Sephardic communities. Observations and discussions with alumni attest to their strong feelings of satisfaction and pride, as they achieve prominence in postgraduate schools and communal positions, looking back to the years in Yeshivat Mir as the most powerful and enriching of their lives. Our community has developed a well-attuned appreciation for the Mir’s sensitivity to the unique needs of our young men and the time- honored traditions they are heir to. Over the past few years, more and more Sephardic Rabbis and educators in our community encourage our boys to spend their formative years within the Mir’s vibrant, growth-oriented Batei Medrash where they are welcomed by a warm and accommodating faculty. Around five years ago, Yeshivat Mir began a focused effort to strengthen its ties with the Sephardic communities in the New York area, recognizing its friends and supporters, and bringing chizuk to alumni and others. The late Rosh HaYeshiva, HaRav Nosson Tzvi Zt”l, spent two memorable Shabbatot in Deal during the summer season, and forged a strong connection with many of our Rabbis and philanthropists. Since the passing of HaRav Nosson Tzvi, about two and half years ago, his son and worthy successor, HaGaon HaRav Eliezer Yehudah Finkel Shlita is continuing to build on those very relationships initiated by his father Zt”l, as well as forging new relationships within the community.