en I settled in Baltimore in 1979, it was understood that “learning in kollel” meant the kollel of Ner Israel, established just 20 years prior. Today, 250-plus kollel fellows learn at Ner Israel’s Kollel Avodas Levi, and dozens more learn in other local kollels, which seem to have sprung up overnight. In part two of this series, I highlight some additional kollels that contribute to Baltimore’s reputation as a makom Torah, a place that is conducive to growth in Torah.
The Baltimore Community Kollel
In March 2000, the
Baltimore Community Kollel opened its doors as an early morning kollel with an
inclusive mission to enhance the love of Jewish learning and practice for all Jews
– young and old, learned and novice – regardless of background or level of
observance. In Elul of 2003, the morning kollel was transformed into a
full-time kollel. (It is the longest running full-time kollel within city
limits.) The Kollel bought its current building on Labyrinth Road in 2005 and
moved in almost 20 years ago.
This bustling Kollel
is under the leadership of Rosh Kollel Harav Nesanel Kostelitz, Rav Eliezer
Lachman, and Rabbi Zechariah Stern, with Director Rabbi Mordechai Bamberger. In
any given week, its full-time kollel members connect and learn with 200 men and
boys, who drop in to learn Torah through the Kollel’s various programs. The
Roshei Kollel are present to answer shaylos
(halachic questions) most days and evenings. In addition to giving classes at
the Kollel, Rabbi Moshe Schuchman serves as its Shabbos rabbi.
The Kollel
provides tutoring and chavrusas,
mentoring for boys, and community programs that include classes and shiurim for seniors, a daytime gemara shiur, a parsha shiur, as well as regular minyanim – all fueled by coffee and cake.
The Kollel prides itself in its relaxed davening pace.
The Baltimore
Community Kollel does not stop there, though. It addresses very specific needs
on an individual level – from tutoring children with disabilities and those
with weak educational backgrounds to making bar mitzvas, vorts and sheva brachos. It has also provided job
placement services, shadchanus,
general counseling/mentoring, and hospital and nursing home visitation.
Explains Rabbi
Bamberger, “Once we are involved with people and their lifecycle events, we get
involved with them on a higher level than just learning and tutoring for
children and adults. It’s not just Kollel yungeleit
who come through the Community Kollel’s doors; it’s balabatim and their kids, too.”
For more
information, contact: BaltCommKollel@gmail.com or Rabbi Bamberger,
443-527-4622.
Ohr Hatorah Kollel
The Ohr Hatorah
Kollel is unique in that it was started, five years ago, with the goal of
helping the bachurim of Yeshiva
Gedolah Ohr Hatorah. The Kollel yungeleit
learn the same mesechta as the bachurim but have their own chabura during the morning seder, which adds a steady presence and kol Torah to the beis medrash. The greatest impact is in the afternoon seder, when the Kollel yungeleit are paired up to learn with the
bachurim. This gives the bachurim a chance to be mentored by an
older chavrusa and to develop
meaningful and lasting relationships with chashuve
bnei Torah.
Presently, there
are 15 full-time Kollel yungeleit,
plus a few other lomdim who choose to
learn in the beis medrash of Ohr
Hatorah. They are in close contact with the Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Dovid Hoffman,
who oversees the Kollel throughout the day. Those wishing to join the Kollel
should speak with the Rosh Yeshiva to determine if it is a good fit for them.
Executive Director
at Yeshiva Gedolah Ohr Hatorah, Rabbi Yisrael Friedland, remarks, “The Kollel
is an essential part of the Ohr Hatorah family! The Kollel families come along
on the Yeshiva's annual Shabbos Chizuk Retreat, and there are a couple of N’shei
events each year for the wives of the Kollel yungeleit and hanhala.”
Kollel D’Baltimore
There are close to
100 men learning in the beis medrash of Shearith Israel under the
general leadership of the shul’s Mara
D’Asra, Harav Yaakov Hopfer. The beis
medrash is open to all men in the
community. The learning is comprised of multiple chaburas or learning groups. Kollel D’Baltimore is comprised of 10 full-time
yungeleit who learn first, second,
and night seder. In addition, they
have an Oraysa chabura under R’ Moshe Dinovitzer and a night kollel chabura under Rabbi Eden Goldman. The night
kollel learns b’iyun, in depth, which
gives the chabura a complete
understanding of the Gemara. They just finished hilchos ta’aruvus and basar v’chalav and hope to start Masechta Kiddushin very soon!
Shares Rabbi
Goldman, “The beis medrash is packed night after night. Many
times you can barely hear your chavrusa
sitting just across from you! The wonderful kol
Torah is the greatest testimony to
our success! There is a phrase in Yiddish, “rischa
d’oraysa,” the flame of Torah burns
bright in the beis medrash – baruch Hashem!”
Everyone is invited
to come and learn their own limud,
and any of the roshei chabura would be happy to assist –
whether help with the sugya at hand
or finding a chavrusa.
Rabbi Goldman
concludes, “There is a phrase in Yiddishz: ‘shteign
in lernen.’ This translates as growing in learning. Growth doesn’t just
mean in knowledge. Torah transforms a person! It transforms a family and
ultimately a community. There is no greater bracha
than a kollel (or yeshiva) in a community!”
The Baltimore Community Kollel for Mechanchim
This past Elul,
the Baltimore Community Kollel for Mechanchim,
under the tutelage of Rabbi Menachem Dreyfuss, started its 36th year.
The 20 kollel members – rebbeim from local mosdos, such as Bais HaMedrash and Mesivta of Baltimore, Torah
Institute, Talmudical Academy, and Toras Simcha – receive a monthly,
privately-funded stipend to learn in the beis
medrash at Agudath Israel Park Heights for eight hours weekly.
“The Kollel opened
in 1989 with the help of Harav Moshe Heinemann, who gave us a lot of
encouragement, as did the other rabbanim
and roshei yeshiva in the community,”
says Rabbi Dreyfuss. “The Kollel yungeleit
learn the same mesechta as all
yeshivos. Their shteiging has
increased their yedias haTorah (knowledge
of Torah) so their excitement for learning can carry over to their talmidim.”
Kollel Nachlas HaTorah
Kollel Nachlas
HaTorah opened its doors at Congregation Machzikei Torah on Rosh Chodesh
Shevat, 5775. The Rosh Kollel, Harav Nechemiah Goldstein, created and runs the
well-structured program from 9:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Sunday through Friday,
after Machzikei Torah’s 8:30 a.m. Shacharis minyan.
Harav Goldstein
gives shiurim on a variety of topics
throughout the week, including Chumash, Navi, Gemara, Mishna Berura, Rambam,
Mesilas Yesharim, Hilchos Shabbos, Jewish history, and more.
The members of the Kollel, whose ages span a
wide range, come from diverse backgrounds, and there is much wide-ranging and
lively give-and-take among the participants. Harav Goldstein’s extensive and
deep knowledge enables him to answer a broad spectrum of questions and expose
everyone to a host of halachic opinions and illustrative stories spanning
periods from the Rishonim to current poskim.
New members are
always welcome. For more information, please contact Harav Nechemiah Goldstein
at 410-358-1019.
Agra D’Pirka
In 2009, when Reb
Ezra Klein founded a learning program for balabatim
in his Flatbush community l’ilui neshmas his
mother, Pesi Rochel Klein, a”h (whose
initials spell out “Pirka”), little did he realize that it would blossom into a
nationwide program. Today, Agra D’Pirka provides thousands of shiurim in 13 cities across the USA to
over 1,000 lomdim. Close to 100 magidei shiur provide cutting edge learning opportunities.
Baltimore’s branch
of this free morning kollel program – which includes a light breakfast – meets
at Khal Ahavas Yisroel Tzemach Tzedek. Its daily magid shiur, Harav Yankel
Herskovitz, was a Daf Yomi magid shiur for several cycles, where the Daf
was taught in depth, including Rashi, and many other mefarshim. He currently says an in-depth shiur in Mesechtas Avodah
Zarah for Agra D’Pirka Monday through Thursday, including daily chazara. On Mondays, Harav Yosef Wagner
gives a shiur in sugyos beshas umitzvos b’parshas hashavua. Tuesday, Wednesday, and
Thursday feature guest speakers, who give shiurim
on Rambam, halacha, sugyos in Shas
and various other topics. Other magidei
shiur include Harav Eliezer Lachman,
Harav Berel Weisbord, Harav Yirmiyahu Benyowitz, Harav Mordechai Shuchatovitz,
Harav Pinchos Gross, Harav Amrom Yosef Yungreis, Harav Yaakov Akiva Sofer, Harav
Shraga Neuberger, Harav Akiva Meister, Harav Chaim Cohen, and Harav Zvi
Einstadter.
As Agra D’Pirka
administrator Rabbi Chaim Fuhrer explains, “Agra D’Pirka is an organized
morning learning program geared towards local professionals, business owners,
college students, retirees, and anyone else who wishes to increase his limud haTorah. It has an impressive
roster of magidei shiur at each of its many locations.
Currently, Agra D’Pirka has hundreds of shiurim
on Torah Anytime and Kol Halashon, enabling limud
haTorah beyond the program’s beis
medrash walls.”
For further
information, please contact Eli Sofer at 917-755-1572 or email: elicsofer@gmail.com.
Rabbi Yissocher
Frand addresses Agra D’Pirka
Congregation Beit Yaakov Night Kollel
Baltimore’s Sefardic
community has grown over the years, comprised of those who have migrated from such
countries as Iran, Syria, and Morocco. Congregation Beit Yaakov was founded in
1992 to accommodate them, as Baltimore’s first inclusive Sefardic congregation.
Starting with only seven congregants, now – over 22 years later – it boasts a
membership of over 150 people.
Recently, Beit
Yaakov started to host a night kollel, where participants study the Talmud and
Jewish tradition. These classes have attracted a crowd of 46 regulars, who
learn with a group of dedicated avreichim
from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. nightly, followed by Arvit and refreshments.
“For many of them,
it’s the first time they’re setting aside time to come and learn,” explains the
shul’s rav, Rabbi Emanuel Goldfeiz. “Most of them were not privileged to have a
formal Jewish education as children.”
For further
information, contact events@bscmd.org, or
call/text Rabbi Goldfeiz: 410-963-5935.
Congregation Beit
Yaakov Night Kollel
