"This is the day Hashem has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." The precious flowers, the tinokos shel beis rabban (pure school children) of the Nechamat Zion Talmud Torah, under the presidency of our teacher, the Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, merited an uplifting and magnificent Chumash Party (celebration marking the start of Torah study) organized by "Shuvu Banim Institutions."

This week, on Tuesday of Parshas Shelach, during the days of the "first ripe grapes," the parents of the students in classes 1A and 1B from the Nechamat Zion Talmud Torah (elementary school) gathered together. They were joined by grandfathers and family members for the holy "Chumash Party" ceremony, where their sons and grandsons begin to study the Holy Torah, accompanied by prayers to Hashem that the Torah shall never depart from their mouths or the mouths of their offspring forever.

The sublime event was held with great splendor and beauty, as is fitting for a place of the Shechinah (Divine Presence), where the young "holy flock" begin to receive and learn the Torah. The Sanhedria Community Center on Minchat Yitzchak Street in Jerusalem, where the Chumash Party was held in honor of the Torah, took on a festive atmosphere with impressive and magnificent designs. A professional decor company was specially hired to provide decorative curtains that were spread over the students' stage and the head table, to honor and appreciate the significance of the time and place. Elegant booklets were produced, filled with Torah material regarding the importance of the day, as well as the order of the ceremony so that parents could follow along. One of the parents shlit"a, who witnessed the feverish preparations before the event, remarked enthusiastically that just as Hashem beautified Mount Sinai with flowers in honor of the giving of the Torah, so too are you beautifying this place for the reception of the Torah by our dear children.

At 12:00 PM, the precious students entered one after another, their heads adorned with royal crowns and wearing luxury vests, walking under an impressive Chuppah (canopy) accompanied by a Sefer Torah to the sound of song and music. The children stepped gracefully toward their places on the magnificent stage, amidst immense excitement and the blessing of "Shehecheyanu" (who has kept us alive and brought us to this season), for the time they had anticipated and hoped for over many weeks had finally arrived. The children were greeted with words of blessing by their dedicated Melamdim (teachers), Rabbi Mordechai Porush, Rabbi Eliyahu Ruda, and Rabbi Aharon Bick. The pure children burst into songs of praise, melodies of joy, and stirring tunes of longing, with requests to our Father, the Merciful Father, that they merit to learn and to teach, to observe, to do, and to fulfill.

Throughout the entire event, a significant number of the community's rabbis participated and sat at the head table: the honorable Rabbi Moshe Tzanani shlit"a, Rabbi Michael Gol shlit"a, Rabbi Eliyahu Succot shlit"a, and Rabbi Meir Malka shlit"a. Also attending were the Dayan (rabbinical judge) and Moreh Tzedek (halakhic authority) of our community, Rabbi Nachman Cohen shlit"a, head of the Kollel Hora'ah. The event was further honored by the presence of the elders and distinguished members of Anash (our community): Rabbi Avraham Chananya shlit"a, Rabbi Menachem Azoulay shlit"a, Rabbi Nachman Horwitz shlit"a, Rabbi Avraham Hajbi shlit"a, Rabbi Emanuel Goldblum shlit"a, Rabbi Shlomo Gabbai shlit"a, Rabbi Shlomo Chaim Richter shlit"a, Rabbi Meir Ness shlit"a, and Rabbi Binyamin Schiff shlit"a. Also present were Rabbi Pinchas Bick shlit"a, a member of the institutions' management, and Rabbi Nachman Edri shlit"a, director of the 'Breslov Chochma U'Daat' Yeshiva.

Until the very last moment, hope beat in everyone's hearts that we would merit the appearance of our teacher, the Rav shlit"a, as he has done in recent years—coming to participate in the joy of the Torah, to instill a love for the Holy Torah in the young children of the holy flock, and to derive nachas (spiritual pleasure) from his students who are like his children. Every year, the Rav is accustomed to learning the first verses with the children and distributing the Chumashim (Five Books of Moses) to them. This year as well, the production team prepared specifically for his arrival, and a special stage was set up. The young children, who have not tasted the taste of sin, prepared and signed a special personal invitation for our teacher, the Rav shlit"a, which was delivered into his holy hands in the days preceding the event. However, to our regret, due to his medical condition, the Rav shlit"a was unable to participate as he does every year in the magnificent Chumash Party.

The ceremony was opened with remarks by Rabbi Moshe Tzanani shlit"a, one of the prominent rabbis of the community. Rabbi Tzanani spoke at length about the greatness of the day and the significance of the time when young children begin their study of the Chumash. He also praised the "Nechamat Zion" Talmud Torah and noted his great admiration for the accelerated growth of the community's institutions, which are constantly increasing and multiplying, may it be Hashem's will.

During the party, the educational consultant of the Talmud Torah, Rabbi Yitzchak Lebel shlit"a, delivered a speech regarding the education of the young children, the holy flock. Rabbi Lebel described the process each child undergoes from the moment they enter the Talmud Torah in the nursery class, their development in learning, social skills, and the acquisition of reading, until they stand ready on this day to begin studying the Chumash. Rabbi Lebel noted that he serves as an educational consultant in other Talmud Torahs as well, and each time anew, he is amazed to see the immense investment and dedication shown by the staff for the success of the children.

Afterward, the supervisor of the kindergartens, Rabbi Avigdor Levy shlit"a, spoke. He began with a story from Tractate Sanhedrin in the Jerusalem Talmud (page 66a) about the Sages of Israel who went to Rome and found children playing in the sand saying, "This is the first tithe and this is the second tithe." Thus, they knew they were Jewish children and had a place to stay, and the Gemara continues with everything that happened in that merit. We see from this the great importance of investing in students so that their entire development is according to the Torah. He praised the actions and vision of the energetic director of the institutions, Rabbi Natan Chananya shlit"a, who has made it his mission that the Nechamat Zion Talmud Torah be the number one Talmud Torah in Jerusalem in all aspects. To this end, remedial classes and private tutors were opened for children who struggle, with everything done in total holiness and a Jewish way according to the values of the Holy Torah. He also praised the investment of the Melamdim throughout the year in teaching reading, ensuring every single student knows how to read the holy letters and words, as well as their investment of hours upon hours for the success of the party.

On behalf of the parents, the dear Melamed Rabbi Natan Hajbi shlit"a spoke. He is intimately familiar with the great investment given in the Talmud Torah for the success of every student and expressed feelings of gratitude to the director and the staff for their investment in this precious treasure. How wonderful it was to see the charming, excited children sitting like kings on the stage, adorned with crowns of "Na'aseh V'Nishmah" (we will do and we will hear), ready to receive the Torah. Tears of emotion welled up in the parents' eyes as they watched the scene, and even the community rabbis shlit"a sitting on the head table were seen following the entire order of the ceremony using the elegant booklet produced especially for the occasion. The heavenly beings rejoiced and the earthly beings were glad when the young children—the grooms of the event—began to learn word-for-word with their teachers the first three verses of Parshas Vayikra, which speaks of sacrifices: "When a man among you brings an offering..." Hearts stirred with emotion and with a prayer from the depths of the heart that this holy study, done in a time of joy, be engraved in their very bones, so that they may offer up their desires and longings to Hashem and cling to Him all the days of their lives, and that this Torah shall not depart from their mouths or the mouths of their offspring, Amen.

Upon the conclusion of the word-for-word study, the holy congregation burst into the song: "Fortunate are you, Torah scholars, for the words of Torah are most beloved to you. How I love Your Torah, it is my conversation all day long." The young children were quickly lifted high, and stormy dances broke out in the hall as all hearts rejoiced in the joy of the Torah. The community rabbis shlit"a joined the dancing, descending from the head table to dance with the grooms of the event who were on their fathers' shoulders, bestowing their blessings upon the children. Where is the pen that can describe the boundary-breaking joy when the children were lifted high and carried on their parents' shoulders with affection, going out in a dance for the Tzaddikim with supreme excitement and pure joy in an enthusiastic dance. Fortunate is the nation for whom this is so.

Below is a photo gallery: