Membership
HISTORY
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In
early 1973, at the urging of Rav Shneir Kotler, Rav Noson Wachfogel and
Rav Dov Lesser, zichronom leberacha, Rav Chaim Davis, a founder of the
Toronto Community Kollel, and Reb Gershon Wiesenfeld z"l of Bais
Hatalmud, were chosen to start a community Kollel in Northern New
Jersey. This new concept in establishing a Kollel in well established
communities was fashioned after the successful Toronto Community
Kollel. The Passaic community was chosen as the site of this new mokom
torah because of the enthusiastic welcoming of Rabbis Katz, Wasserman
and Weinberger and a few lay leaders. Also, Passaic is a community that
had a long tradition of Torah scholarship. Also, Passaic is centrally
located in Northern New Jersey and is close to New York, both important
for future growth. The mission of the kollel was to nurture talmidey
chachomim into Torah leaders and to have an impact on Jewish life in
the community. By mid 1973, Rav Wiesenfeld took ill and was
questionable if he would be physically able to fulfill his duties. At
that time Rav Chaim Davis invited Rav Meir Stern to join and start a shiyur for post high school students.
In 1993,
after Rav Davis raised the majority of the funds to erect a most
beautiful campus for the Kollel and Yeshiva Gedolah and left the
Yeshiva on solid financial footing, Rav Davis turned his attention to
establish a different mokom
torah that would focus its direction towards the community and kiruv.
In 1995, the property at 210 Aycrigg Ave. was purchased for the new
home of Bais Medrash L’Torah. Bais Medrash L’Torah, or BMT
as it became more popularly known, started with 14 bochrim and 14
Kollel members plus community members who were seeking a warm
atmosphere to learn and daven. Rav Davis, Rosh Yeshiva, said daily
shiyurim and Shmuzim on Shabbos. Rav Noson Wachfogel ztvk"l, the
Lakewood Mashgiach, came to BMT on several occasions to give
chizuk to the bochrim and Kollel. Nine months later, the Bais Medrash
of bochrim was forced to close due to the City of Passaic’s
zoning issues. However, the Kollel and community members continued with
Rav Davis serving as Rosh Kollel and mora d’asra.
Passaic’s
first Yarchey Kallah was started in the winter of 1997 with many
prominent Roshei Yeshiva and Rabbonim presenting enjoyable shiyurim for
the community.
In the
summer of 2005, the Temple Emanuel building at 181 Lafayette Avenue was
purchased with a special grant from Mr. Oscar Davis. A new sefer Torah
was written in honor of the occasion of moving to the new facilities
after Succos. The celebration by the Passaic/Clifton community was a
tremendous Kiddish Hashem with over a thousand people dancing in the
streets from 210 Aycrigg Ave to Lafayette Ave and into the newly
renovated Ballroom. During the festivities, the building was dedicated
in memory of Oscar Davis' father, Mr. Isadore Morris Davis and
currently bears the name Zichron Moshe.
In 2006, Rabbi Yitzchok Weinstein, son-in-law of Rabbi Davis, commence the first blatt shiur for those learning Daf Hashevua in BMT’s library. Shortly thereafter, a Mechanchim Night Kollel was started, learning Daf Hashevua with chaburos given by Rav Yitzchok Davis, Rav Davis’ son.
In 2015, a full time Kollel was founded with 10 outstanding talmidei chachomim from BMG and Eretz Yisroel. The Kollel, named Kollel Birkas Shmuel, is in memory of Reb Shmuel Yaakov Shoenig of Detroit, MI, father-in-law of Rav Chaim Davis. Both Rav Yitzchok Weinstein and Rav Yitzchok Davis serve as its Roshei Kollel. In addition to the weekly shiurim and divrei musur from the Roshei Kollel, KBS is priviledged to host a live monthly hookup of divrei chisuk from the well known mekubul Rav Gamliel Rabinowitz of Yerushalayim.
Currently, BMT offers a daily vosikin minyon, a Kollel minyon and a minyon in the main shul. It also hosts YBH’s Jr. High with over 100 talmidim.
Now with
this most magnificent citadel of Torah learning and living, it is Rav
Davis’ fervent desire to continue to provide even more programs
of learning and chessed for the community and Klal Yisroel.
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