Gedolei Yisroel Visit Brazil for Keren Olam Hatorah | מסע גדולי ישראל ב’ברזיל עבור קרן עולם התורה

A delegation of gedolei Yisroel descended on São Paulo Monday for a single, intensive day of chizuk and fundraising on behalf of Keren Olam HaTorah, the coalition supporting the yeshivos of Eretz Yisroel through the financial crisis precipitated by the Israeli Supreme Court’s ruling against government funding for bnei yeshiva.

The mission — anchored by Rav Yaakov Hillel, Rav Malkiel Kotler, Rav Avraham Salim, Rav Shimon Galay, Rav Chaim Peretz Berman, and Rav Yosef Chevroni — moved through batei medrash, kollelim, chadarim, and private homes from morning until late into the night.

The day opened at the home of Mr. Jack Stern, where Rav Hillel told the crowd that Hashem will surely save Klal Yisroel, but the chiyuv of hishtadlus rests on us. A visibly emotional Rav Galay said forces in Eretz Yisroel are attempting to be oker the Torah. “It’s not me speaking. It’s Hashem asking.”

Mr. Ezra Erani then recounted how Keren Olam HaTorah came to be. When the Supreme Court moved against the yeshivos, he called Jimmy Khezrie, and together they reached out to Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsh, eventually bringing him and Rav Dov Landau to America. Mr. Reuven Wolf emerged as the lay leader.

The historical parallel was given to them by Rav Shmuel Birnbaum zt”l: when pre-war Poland sought to force secular studies into the yeshivos, the Chofetz Chaim, in fragile health, could not travel to Warsaw, and Rav Elchonon Wasserman and Rav Shimon Shkop tried in his place without success. When a letter eventually reached the Chofetz Chaim, he rose immediately and traveled to Warsaw. This is more than pikuach nefesh, he said. “To us,” Mr. Erani told the room, “money is less than pikuach nefesh.”

Mr. Wolf followed with the numbers: $250 million raised to date. The goal now is to double last year’s commitment.

The delegation then moved on to Hamaor Talmud Torah, the cheder of Mr. Yoni Stern, and to Kollel Halichot Sofia, founded by Koby Shalev Shasho. At Beit Yaakov, the kehilla of the Safra family, Rav Hillel stressed that the Torah is both a yerushah and a chiyuv. Mr. Wolf reminded the crowd that Keren Olam HaTorah has carried the yeshivos for two years through a 40 percent funding cut. “Now we are beginning year three.”

The day culminated at the home of Mr. Alberto Safra. Rav Hillel disclosed that the Ahavat Shalom yeshiva alone costs $5 million a month to operate — a number that cannot be reached through ordinary calculation, only through siyata diShmaya.

Rav Kotler then delivered the night’s most pointed remarks. “My grandfather had a very hard time with the budget in Lakewood. I get nothing from Keren Olam HaTorah.” But “ki miTzion teitzei Torah” does not exclude Lakewood — the din is four amos shel halacha, anywhere it is found. He closed with a mesorah from his father and grandfather: “We don’t ask money for BMG. We ask money for Torah. And we don’t only ask money for Torah — we ask for connection to Torah.”

Mr. Wolf closed the evening: “The Baron Rothschilds of our generation are our gedolim.”