Community Magazine December 2019

KISLEV 5780 DECEMBER 2019 49 up at 5:30am to say the shiur , she gets up at 5:15am to wake him.” The article had a profound impact, and at a meeting of the Daf Yomi Commission, it was decided that the women should be invited as an expression of deep appreciation and gratitude for their indispensable role in the success of the Dam Yomi enterprise. And so 3,000 seats in Madison Square Garden were set aside for women. Since then, the percentage of women’s participation has grown with each Siyum, reflecting the recognition that the entire family is involved in the Daf Yomi project, and that the husband’s daily learning is a great source of pride for the wives and children. 1997: 10th Siyum HaShas, Madison Square Garden and Nassau Coliseum Remarkably, the Siyum HaShas grew to the point where even Madison Square Garden was no longer adequate. The need to accommodate larger numbers led to the formidable logistical challenges entailed in broadcasting the event in two different locations – something which we had never done before. There was also the problem of common perception – as people viewed Madison Square Garden as the “main” venue, and regarded the second location – Nassau Coliseum, way out in Long Island – as secondary. This problem was resolved when one of the leading sages of the United States, a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, Rav Avrohom Pam, zt”l , agreed to grace the dais at Nassau Coliseum, along with other distinguished rabbinic figures. This immediately changed people’s perspective, and Nassau Coliseum was viewed as an equal option to Madison Square Garden. With great siyata diShmaya (divine assistance), the complex synchronization of two separate venues was executed flawlessly. The program, like the previous Siyum celebrations, was emotional and awe-inspiring, resulting in an explosion in the number of people learning Daf Yomi. The SiyumHaShas had become one of the greatest sources of inspiration for Torah study. 2005: 11th Siyum HaShas, Madison Square Garden and Continental Airlines Arena The Siyum once again took place in two locations, Madison Square Garden and its Felt Forum, for a total of 25,000 seats, as well as Continental Airlines Arena in the Meadowlands with another 20,000 seats. It was also broadcast to over 70 cities around the country through satellite technology. Amazingly, the tickets virtually sold out in both venues as soon as they went on sale. The requests for seats became so intense that just ten days before the Siyum, the organizers rented the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center to add another 10,000 seats. Cities across the country tuned in via a satellite hook-up, with more than 7,000 people in Toronto, 5,000 each in Los Angeles and Chicago, and many thousands more in cities across the nation viewing the event live. The outside world began to notice the vibrancy of the Torah community, with hundreds of articles appearing in both religious and general publications covering this remarkable display of Jewish unity and honor for Torah. 2012: 12th Siyum HaShas, MetLife Stadium The 2012 Siyum HaShas marked the greatest leap of faith yet – the organizers made the difficult decision to transition from indoor arenas to an outdoor stadium, placing the participants at the mercy of the elements. The previous Siyum required a total of 57,000 people, and so a jump to 90,000 seats at MetLife Stadium in Queens did not seem unreasonable. Still, a lot of hard work would be needed travelling across the New York area and the entire country to ignite enthusiasmandensure that peoplewould attend. And attend they did. Ticket sales were off the charts, with attendees from New York and literally all over the world, including some 500 participants from Mexico, for whom we arranged a special Spanish language translation from both English and Yiddish. The mood was tense as the date of the Siyum approached and the forecast was for rain. Thousands of ponchos had been donated to be ready for the event. The rain began, and an hour before the starting time, it was pouring so hard that it was impossible to keep the seats dry. Everyone who came early huddled inside, hoping that the rain would stop, but ready to soldier on if it did not. At 7pm, the rain suddenly stopped, the sky turned glorious blue, and the Siyum began under a clear, star-filled night. The audience was amazed, and everyone felt that because of the great merit of Torah, Gd was smiling broadly down at us. 2020: 13th Siyum HaShas, MetLife Stadium As Agudath Israel prepared for the upcoming 13 th Siyum, it made the greatest leap of faith of all…deciding to go back to MetLife Stadium in the dead of winter. The debates were fierce. An indoor event would necessitate interconnecting five different stadiums. What should be done? The response, fromall sectors and communities, almost uniformly, was clear, firm, and unequivocal: If football fans can sit outside in the cold weather to watch a football game, we can certainly do the same for Torah. The decision was made to go back to MetLife. The 13 th SiyumHaShas will be held at MetLife Stadiumon 4 Tevet, 5780/January 1, 2020. With Hashem’s help – the same help that made every previous Siyum such a resounding success – the event promises to be the most spectacular celebration of Torah learning and unity in recent Jewish history. For more information, please visit thesiyum.org , and find out how you can be part of this historic moment, and experience the power and inspiration of the Siyum HaShas.