HaRav Yitzchok Raitport Visits Oholai Torah

HaRAv Yitzchok Raitport is a longtime friend and supporter of Oholei Torah, going back with Reb Michoel Teitelbaum a”h, the founder of the mossad..  He is also very close with Rabbi Joseph Rosenfeld, Executive Director of Oholei Torah.

On 4 Shvat, Rabbi Raitport visited many classes in the Yeshiva, as well as the newly-built wing of its recently purchased building at 639 Eastern Parkway.  He was visibly impressed with the expansion of the Mossad, but even more so with the high level of learning.

Rabbi Raitport then came to Oholei Torah’s Raitport Beis Medrash, where he was greeted by many Roshei Yeshiva and Magidei Shiurim.  The Zal was rearranged special for his Shiur, and the Hanhala came up to sit on the Bimah Hakavod, together with Rabbi Raitport, for this event.

In general, Rabbi Raitport has a special connection with the Beis Medrash, as he invested much support, both financially and morally, taking a constant interest in the gashmius and the ruchnius of the bochurim.  It is in that z’chus that it is called the Raitport Beis Medrash. HaRav Raitport feels at home there and has a special connection with many of the Hanhalas Hayeshiva. 

Rabbi Nosson Blumes, Director of Devlopment at Oholei Torah, toured the building with Rabbi Raitport and introduced him to the talmidim.  Rabbi Blumes made special mention of the nachas that Rabbi Raitport’s father a”h must have, that on the very day of his yahrzeit, his son is giving a shiur in the Beis Medrash that he was so instrumental in building.  He also gave brochos to Rabbi and Mrs. Yitzchok and Shaindel Raitport that they should have continued nachas and simchas from their family, as well as from the talmidim at Oholei Torah.

Rabbi Raitport delved into the Sugya that the bochurim were learning – Mesechta Pesachim – and enlightened them about many chidushim and thoughts that they hadn’t noticed before.

And after the Shiur, Rabbi Raitport davened Mincha at the ammud, as is customary on the day of the yahrzeit, and then he sat with a few chosen talmidim and Reb Yisroel Friedman, Rosh Yeshiva, to speak at length about learning and to delve further into the shiur that he gave.  Rabbi Raitport also gave to his dear chaver, Reb Yisroel Freidman, Rosh Yeshiva, a set of his latest seforim, D’rushei B’dvar Hamelech, which covers every Yom Tov of the entire year, all of which was printed in just the past year.

Rabbi Raitport’s greatest nachas is to see the bochurim sitting and learning, delving into the depth of the sugyas, and truly understanding what the Gemara is teaching us.  “Az bochurim horevehn in lehrnin, this is the great nachas that I can have.  And it’s a z’chus for me and my family”, Rabbi Raitport said, “to be part of such a Mossad Kodesh”