Before Shavuos over 120 men and boys joined to celebrate the Pirchei Agudas Yisroel of Cincinnati’s incredible Hasmodah program. Young boys accompanied by their fathers, joined in a BBQ seudah recognizing the boy’s accomplishment of learning over Pesach in their own free time.
This Pesach, Rabbi Shai Scherer, Pirchei Agudas Yisroel director and event/program coordinator, celebrated the 75% of the boys in Cincinnati Hebrew Day School who spent collectively over 350 hours learning Torah over their school break. “The school doors may be closed but the learning never stops,” he exclaimed.
Mr. Melech Mann, proud father of three boys who participated, shared a story about how Rabbi Shlomo Freifeld z’l, used a bein hazmanim trip to a pizza restaurant in the Lower East Side for a higher purpose.
Rabbi Weinrib, the Morah Di-Asrah of CZE, followed that story by sharing the following message with these boys; “Mesiras Nefesh is giving up what’s important to you. Giving up free time, for a boy, is an act of mesiras nefesh and demonstrates their love for the Torah and for Hakadosh Boruch Hu.” He commended the boys for the mesiras nefesh that went into learning a record-breaking 350 hours voluntarily over the Pesach break.
The boys enjoyed a delicious BBQ Gala Seuda and were then presented with awards, as well as gift certificates to the local Seforim store, Yaacov’s Place, Kinneret Grill or Play it Again Sports.
Rabbi Scherer and Pirchei Agudas Yisroel of Cincinnati hope to continue on this monumental accomplishment and to grow even further over the next Bein Hazmanim.