Emotion gripped the assemblage. Wide-eyed with awe, everyone watched the Gaon and Tzaddik,HaGaon HaRav Shimon  Galei, shlita, walk into the hall of the White Shul in Far Rockaway, arm-in-arm with the Nasi of Dirshu Rav Dovid Hofstedter, shlita. It was just a harbinger of what was to come in a night full of spiritual and emotional highlights that brought together some five hundred members of the Far Rockaway-Five Towns communities.

Ostensibly a siyum on Chelek Gimmel of Mishnah Berurah that was recently completed in Dirshu’s Daf HaYomi B’Halacha daily halacha program, the event was really much more! Held on Sunday, January 4, the gala siyum marked a renaissance of Dirshu learning and programing in the community, bringing a tremendous enthusiasm and outpouring of interest in joining one of Dirshu’s programs of accountable kevius ittim l’Torah such as the Amud HaYomi and the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha.

In addition to Rav Galei’s powerful words of chizuk, riveting drashos were given by HaGaon HaRav Shlomo Avigdor Altusky, shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Darchei Torah, Rav Eytan Feiner, shlita, Rav of the White Shul, Rav Dovid Hofstedter, shlita, Nasi Dirshu, and Rav Moshe Tuvia Leiff, shlita, Rav of the Agudas Yisrael Beis Binyomin Shul in Flatbush. The event also featured deeply uplifting music with Baruch Levine, and the Tnuah choir, added an elevated dimension, creating a particularly festive atmosphere.

There were so many highlights. There was Rav Dovid Hofstedter’s deeply personal story of what brought him to the maamad, there was Rav Shimon Galei’s spontaneous singing that fired up the entire assemblage, there was the spirited dancing after Rav Altusky made the siyum and the Gedolim on the dais danced with each other setting the tone for the unique simchas haTorah that permeated the atmosphere, and there were the passionate words of Rav Moshe Tuvia Lieff quoting Rav Shach on how a person should approach the upcoming perek of Arvei Pesachim in the Amud HaYomi program…

The evening began before the actual siyum did.

When word got out that Rav Shimon Galei would be available, in advance of the event, to personally meet with people to advise them and give them brachos, throngs came. Some two hundred Yidden lined up more than an hour before the event was slated to begin, waiting for their turn to speak with the Gadol and Tzaddik. People came to ask him to daven for shidduchim for themselves or their children, others came to ask him to daven for their children who were struggling with Yiddishkeit, yet others came to ask him to daven for sick family members… Through it all, Rav Shimon, with his unique, deep way of feeling the pain of another, took all their burdens onto his own shoulders.

Throngs stayed to join in the beautiful kumzitz led by Baruch Levin and the Tenua Choir as they sang inspiring songs, happy songs that were a testament to their inspiration and joy as the Far Rockaway and Five Towns communities truly joined the transformational movement that is Dirshu!