Pirchei Agudas Yisroel’s Midwest Asifa L’Bnei Aliya 2022

Has a Pirchei event ever before featured a duck? Last week, the Midwest Pirchei Agudas Yisroel held an Asifa L’Bnei Aliya for 7th grade Talmidim – bar-mitzvah aged boys – who joined together to mark this milestone year in their lives, heading towards their mission and goal in becoming true b’nei Aliyah.

The Asifa, at Kalahari Convention Center in Sandusky, Ohio, was attended by over 400 boys from Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Toronto and South Bend.

Where does the duck come in? The Asifa started with four exhibits, the one about animals in the Torah including live animals for the boys to see. The other exhibits included showing these bar mitzvah-aged boys how to adjust their Tefilin, how to make tzitzis, and a presentation about animals.

Chaver Motzes Gedolei HaTorah Rabbi Aharon Dovid Goldberg, Rosh Yeshiva, Telshe, Cleveland, spoke to the boys about the difference between aspiring to be a gadol and aspiring to be just a regular mentsch.

Other speakers included Rabbi Nosson Muller, Menahel, Yeshivas Tiferes Tzvi, who spoke about how important it is to make correct choices; Rabbi Labish Becker, executive director of Agudas Yisroel, on being mekadeish sheim shamyim and personal responsibility; Rabbi Anshel Helman, Menahel Telshe Yeshiva Cleveland, on our obligation to be mekadesh shem shamayim; and Rabbi Leibish Lish who kept both the boys and their adult chaperones spellbound with a story.

The Asifa concluded with an inspiring and energetic kumzitz led by R’ Shloimie Taussig and CLEZemer, followed by two hours for the boys to enjoy Kalahari Waterpark.

In addition to Rabbi Becker, Rabbi Yitzchok Ehrman, COO of Agudas Yisroel of America, and Rabbi Ephraim Levy, national director of Pirchei Agudas Yisroel of America, attended as representatives of Agudah’s national office. “It was heartwarming to see so many boys come together b’achdus,” said Rabbi Labish Becker. “I was extremely impressed by the decorum and the middos that these boys showed. A special Yasher Koach to Rabbi Yitzchok Kahn, Menahel of Hebrew Academy of Cleveland and to all the Askanim who worked tirelessly, making this event possible.”

“The purpose of this Asifa was to instill the chashivus for being a Ben Torah in these boys, and to teach them that being bar mitzvah means so much more than putting on a hat. And I think we accomplished that goal, with the boys leaving with an increased sense of chashivus and purpose,” said Rabbi Kahn.