Boca Celebrates Chag Hasmicha

The Boca Raton Jewish community came together Thursday night to celebrate the second Chag HaSemicah of Machon Menachem – Boca Raton Rabbinical College. Fourteen newly minted Rabbonim received their Semicah at the ceremony held at Chabad of Boca Raton on Military Trail.

The Musmochim are: Yisroel Bronstein, Crown Heights NY, Yisroel Duchman, Crown Heights NY, Shmuel Chaikin, Johannesburg South Africa, Boruch Shlomo Gluck, London England, Feivel Clark, Atlanta GA, Yosef Y Hershkop, Crown Heights NY, Amir Kohen, Crown Heights NY, Motty Phshemesh, Boca Raton FL, Mendel Shur  Ontario Canada, Yisroel Raices Postville, Iowa, Yitzchok Shubov  Crown Heights NY, Yehuda Rosenblum, Crown Heights NY, Levi Wilansky, Elisabeth NJ, Diddy Waks, Palm Beach FL.

Many of the talmidim were joined by their parents and family members who flew in especially for the occasion.

Amongst the evening’s speakers was Florida Head Shliach Rabbi Avrohom  Korf whose grandson Yisroel Raices is amongst the musmachim, Rabbi Moshe Denburg, co-director of Chabad of Boca Raton, Rabbi Efrem Goldberg, senior Rabbi of the Boca Raton Synagogue,  Rabbi Berel Gurary, Rosh Yeshiva of Machon Menachem and Yitzy Shubov who spoke on behalf of the Talmidim. Rabbi Leibl Schapiro, Rosh Yeshiva- Yeshiva Gedolah of Greater Miami and Rov of Bais Menachem in Mimai Beach delivered the key note address. The evening was chaired by Machon Menachem Dean, Rabbi Ruvi New, who also acknowledged the generous support of the principal patrons of the Yeshiva, Ari and Gracia Kugler and Mendy and Leah Schurder.

The bochurim who came from as far away as South Africa and England, spent the last year in an intensive and rigorous learning program and  were tested throughout the year by  Rabbi Dovid  Schochet Av Beis Din of Tornoto,  senior member of Vaad Rabbonei  Lubavitch and Rov of the Lubavitch Kehila in Toronto Canada who also oversaw the curriculum and by Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Berel Gurary.

According to the schools’ dean Rabbi Ruvi New,  thanks in large part to the dedication and guidance of the Rosh Yeshivah, Rabbi Gurary,  Machon Menachem, now only in its second year, is quickly gaining a world – wide reputation as a first rate Semicha Program, with applications for the coming year already pending.

One of the Talmidim, Yisroel Bronstein from Brooklyn NY had this to say about his year in Boca Raton: “Studying in an intimate setting gave us extraordinary personal attention from the Yeshiva staff and administration.  In addition, as the Yeshiva is located within a community setting, I gained invaluable experience in hafotzoh , through the various tutoring, mentoring and community outreach initiatives undertaken by the Talmidim”.

Talmidim interested in applying for next year can email:MachonMenachem@gmail.com