The Sacred Gathering of Rosh Hashanah in Tzalmon with Our Teacher Rav Berland

Rosh Hashanah 5781

At least fifteen hundred worshippers gathered at our Beit Midrash of the holy Shuvu Banim Breslov community, on Ido HaNavi Street in Jerusalem, for the holy prayers of Rosh Hashanah. Students and admirers of our teacher, the holy Rav Eliezer Berland shlit"a, arrived from all over the country after the gates of the holy Kibbutz in Uman were closed. In the prayer hall, one could feel the holy atmosphere that Breslov Chassidim are accustomed to at the great Kibbutz of the Kloiz in Uman. But, undoubtedly, the highlight of the Rosh Hashanah days was the moving Kibbutz opposite Tzalmon Prison.

Already a month ago, work began on organizing a large and respectable minyan opposite Tzalmon Prison, when Rabbi Aharon Schwartz took up the mantle and shouldered the initiative and complex organization of the prayer and lodging complex at the site. To our sorrow, the prison authorities chose a provocative and inappropriate step and transferred Rav Berland shlit"a to Ayalon, all this to exhaust his loyal students who follow him through fire and water. Once again, an even more extensive organizational effort began, and the students of Rav Berland continued to arrive in droves to stay in the presence of their Rav in Ayalon as well.

This greatly troubled the decision-makers; shortly after he was transferred to Ayalon, they returned Rav Berland to Tzalmon. "The truth is I almost broke," Rabbi Aharon Schwartz confessed to us. "To move all the equipment from the center of the country to the north every single time within a short period was not simple. I said to myself, maybe we should all gather in Jerusalem for prayer in the prayer hall, but my heart screamed that we must have a minyan next to our teacher Rav Berland." And indeed, everyone who finally merited to reach the holy Kibbutz opposite Tzalmon Prison felt a great spiritual elevation.

Within a very short period of two or three days, a wonderful complex for sleeping and prayer was prepared right opposite Tzalmon Prison. Separate prayer tents according to all Ministry of Health guidelines with a large women's section. Sleeping tents with mattresses and artificial grass for the comfort of those staying at the site. Large tents for holding the holiday meals, including a large cooling room and, of course, air conditioning.

Many others preferred to sleep in guest houses in the nearby Moshav Kalanit, or in caravans that they placed on the edge of the complex. And indeed, with great self-sacrifice, several hundred arrived at the holy Kibbutz in Tzalmon, right opposite the location of our teacher, the holy Rav Eliezer Berland shlit"a.

Among the other public prayer leaders who served in holiness, we will mention Rabbi Nachman Fuchs, who led the Musaf prayer of Rosh Hashanah on both days. Rabbi Nachman Menachem, who led the Mincha prayer on Erev Rosh Hashanah, as well as Rabbi Naftali Besanson and Rabbi Grant.

The Baal Tokea on the second day of Rosh Hashanah was Rabbi Aryeh Kupferman, next to whom stood the prompter, Rabbi Nachman Menachem.

There was an atmosphere of great elevation at the site. It is true that it was hot, and despite all the efforts of Aharon Schwartz and all the volunteers and those involved in the work, the short preparation time did not allow for completely optimal conditions. Nevertheless, the self-sacrifice of those who traveled north for the holy minyan, together with the tireless effort of Rabbi Schwartz, brought about a wonderful holy atmosphere throughout the days of Rosh Hashanah.

It should be noted that students of the Rav arrived at the holy minyan from all over the country, of course from Jerusalem, but also from the center of the country, Bnei Brak, Shoham, and so on. Even from Miami, a number of students arrived all the way to Tzalmon.

Photo gallery from the preparations and from the conclusion of the days of Rosh Hashanah