A prize ceremony and the renewed distribution of the Shas ○ Words of inspiration from the community’s rabbanim to the precious young men ○ Chanukah songs and songs of awakening ○ A fiery, flame-like shiur from the holy Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a ○ The Siyum HaShas by the young men of the group ○ Distribution of “Chanukah gelt” from The Rav Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a ○ An engaging and original “clickers” program

As every year, this year as well—on Thursday night, the sixth candle of Chanukah 5783—a Chanukah gathering and Siyum HaShas took place. And after three years, the young men of the “Bnei HaNe’urim” group, led by R’ Nachman Hass הי"ו, merited that our guide who shows us the way and illuminates our paths—The Rav Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a—would come and participate in the Chanukah gathering.

The gathering was held in the “Karl Neter” auditorium in Ramat Eshkol. From 8:30 PM, hundreds of bochurim began filling the hall—hundreds of young men, from first-year students of yeshivah ketanah through the bochurim of yeshivah gedolah. At the opening of the event, the chassidic rabbi R’ Shlomo Almalich shlit"a addressed the bochurim and strengthened them in matters of Chanukah. After that, booklets of a “Fixed Learning Schedule” were distributed, as R’ Nachman Hass began handing out, one after another, tractate by tractate from the Shas that the group’s bochurim will learn until Chanukah 5784. After the distribution of the Shas was completed, the chassidic rabbi R’ Michael Gol shlit"a spoke. He spoke on Torah 8, connected to Chanukah, and strengthened the bochurim with majestic stories of the tremendous diligence of The Rav shlit"a in Torah and in serving Hashem. After the uplifting talk of R’ Michael Gol shlit"a, gifts were distributed to the bochurim who completed Shas: a beautiful, high-quality siddur bound in genuine leather. Following the gift distribution, the chassidic rabbi R’ Meir Malka shlit"a spoke as well, adding even more with a fascinating shiur from Likkutei Halachos on matters of Chanukah—and how a bochur must take these teachings into practical halachah l’maaseh.

At 9:45 PM they began singing songs of awakening—some of them Chanukah melodies. And in the midst of the powerful singing of hundreds of bochurim, The Rav shlit"a entered the auditorium. Hundreds of bochurim stood in his honor and continued singing: “U’minotar… u’minotar kankanim…” (“And from the remaining… and from the remaining jugs…”). For half an hour they sang heartfelt songs together with The Rav shlit"a, with tremendous arousal.

After more than half an hour, The Rav shlit"a began delivering a shiur with thunderous intensity, his eyes closed, to the precious bochurim. The Rav shlit"a opened with Torah 8, “Ra’isi Menoras Zahav” (“I saw a golden Menorah”), which speaks about Chanukah. He continued, speaking like a burning flame, about the miracle of Chanukah: that they merited to overcome Greek culture—soccer and all kinds of sports—and he aroused the bochurim to distance themselves from these things. After that, he spoke sharply about the danger of the internet and unfit devices, which drag a person down to the lowest depths. Later in the shiur, he spoke about the greatness of the days of Chanukah—days when one can strip away physicality and merit lofty levels, especially one who goes out for Hisbodedus in the field during Chanukah. Toward the end of the shiur, he strengthened the bochurim regarding using time properly—especially that they must use the hours outside the yeshivah schedule to learn The Rav shlit"a’s fixed program: eight pages of Gemara and five chapters of Rambam, and to complete them each year. At the conclusion of the shiur, The Rav shlit"a led an acceptance of the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven, with the roaring voices of hundreds of bochurim: “Shema Yisrael,” “Hashem Melech,” “Hashem Hu HaElokim.”

After the shiur, Rabbi Nachman Lapid went up. In the past year he merited to become a chassan, yet at last year’s gathering he accepted upon himself to complete the final tractate, Niddah. He completed Shas together with The Rav shlit"a, and afterward recited the Kaddish of the Siyum HaShas. As soon as the Kaddish ended, the orchestra burst into song with the joy of Torah, and all the bochurim began dancing—rejoicing in the completion of Torah together with the joy of Chanukah.

In the midst of the singing and dancing, the bochurim of the “Bnei HaNe’urim” group passed by one by one and received “Chanukah gelt”—Chanukah money—from the holy hands of The Rav shlit"a, a gift from the “Bnei HaNe’urim” group. After the distribution of Chanukah money to the hundreds of bochurim was completed, The Rav shlit"a left with song and dancing toward his vehicle, and returned to his holy home.

Meanwhile, in the auditorium the Chanukah gathering continued with an engaging “clickers” program, in which the bochurim were required to answer—using a remote—within the fastest time frame. The competition was divided into teams and individuals. The program included questions about the history of The Rav shlit"a, halachos, and even entertaining questions that increased joy—while carefully ensuring that the questions would not offend anyone. After the clickers program ended, gifts were distributed to the bochurim: the siddur “KeChitzim B’Yad Gibor” (“Like arrows in the hand of a mighty man”), which contains everything a bochur in our holy community needs—from Chatzos through The Tikkun HaKlali, with additions and prayers.

Only at 1:30 AM did the annual gathering of the “Bnei HaNe’urim” bochurim come to an end—amid singing and dancing. The bochurim left joyful, filled and overflowing with the tremendous light they merited at the annual Chanukah gathering. That light will accompany them with powerful strength for the coming winter zman, carrying an immense store of love of Torah and yiras Shamayim, in the path of Rebbe Nachman, as The Rav Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a illuminates for us.

Before you is a breathtaking photo gallery from the Chanukah gathering with the participation of The Rav Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, courtesy of “Machon Keren HaTzaddik”: