C8 17 AV 5770 Community JULY 28, 2010 HAMODIA Community Connection / By Devorah Klein North Miami Beach: A Growing Community Miami, Florida, is known make ourselves better dren; it is a real nachas!” tage of the Torah atmosphere gamut — there are people on all throughout the world as a warm, mechanchim. It is not easy, but offered by the kollel, and the win- levels, both financially and reli- sunny place to vacation or live. the credit for this goes to Rabbi North Miami Beach Community ters always bring in a large group giously. There is kosher food The city has a large, well-estab- Palgon — it is his hashkafah, Kollel of visitors who sit and learn. galore, with lots of restaurants. lished Jewish community that and it really makes a differ- Several years ago, a group of “The impact that the kollel has NMB has become more of the consists of several smaller com- ence. baalei batim in North Miami had on the community is simply focus in this region in recent munities in various suburbs, “In addition, we don’t just Beach saw the need to develop astounding,” says Rabbi Aharon years — it is a younger commu- each with its own personality, preach individuality, we really some type of organized learning Dovid Singer, director of commu- nity with every amenity and is including Miami Beach, North do it. We deal with each indi- in the kehillah. Beginning with a nity development for the kollel. more affordable than most other Miami Beach, Hollywood and vidual student at whatever Thursday-night beis medrash pro- “People have come to rely upon communities on the East Coast.” Aventura. level he is at so that he can per- gram featuring special speakers, the yungeleit for eitzos and spiri- Bikur Cholim of NMB is Like many communities in form his best. When they leave the program developed into a tual guidance.” another active chessed organiza- America, these cities have seen here, they can go to whatever nightly beis medrash with more Rabbi Schmeltzer comment- tion that provides many services, a growth in Torah in recent yeshivah they want. After beis than forty baalei batim coming ed, “The main purpose of the kol- including transportation to med- years, especially with the addi- medrash, they can go to whatev- to learn. lel is to bring Torah to the com- ical appointments, meals, visits tion of kollelim. This week we er college they want if they “Previously, there had been munity and to uplift the families to hospitals, nursing homes and focus on the North Miami Beach choose to do so. It is hard to pro- no organized place of learning of the community in Torah. It has individuals at home, assistance community, its people and insti- duce both. We have different for baalei batim and the need impacted a large segment of the with shopping, a medical equip- tutions, and the effect that the levels of shiurim, especially in was very great. After the success kehillah and upgraded the level ment gemach, guidance for those North Miami Beach Community bekius, as well as different lev- of this evening beis medrash pro- of Yiddishkeit… There are those from out of town, and a Shifra Kollel has had on the kehillah. els in the secular studies, so gram, we made the decision to who did not know what it meant and Puah division that provides that barely two boys in the bring in a full-time kollel,” to ask she’eilos, and now they meals to families with new A Look at the North Miami Beach yeshivah are in the same class- recalls Rabbi Avi Wakszul, one of come and ask. The children also babies. Community es together all day.” the originators of the program. come to learn, and it has an Bikur Cholim services the North Miami Beach is about a There are seventy bachurim “It was easier to bring the kollel impact on the entire family.” entire Jewish community of half-hour’s drive from the older, in the beis medrash, which is a into the community after they Rabbi Schmeltzer emphasized North Miami Beach and interacts more established Miami Beach major asset for the high school. had a taste of what it could offer that the yungeleit grow and closely with other bikur cholim community. It is a newer, quieter According to the Chofetz them.” develop in their personal avodah organizations in South Florida. It and more affordable place to Chaim outlook, the beis Mr. Chaim Meisels, Mr. Avi through their involvement with can be reached at (305) 690-8949. live in that is further away from medrash bachurim are encour- Blumberg and Rabbi Avi the kollel by giving shiurim and About six months ago, a the beaches and some of the aged to become peer mentors to Wakszul, along with some others, interacting with the baalei batim. branch of Hatzolah was estab- problems they present. A grow- the high-schools boys. embarked on a mission to estab- “You have no idea how it lished to service the communi- ing community, it currently has “In effect, this gives me lish a community kollel in NMB. affects a family when the chil- ties of NMB and Aventura. Its approximately nine hundred another seventy people who are They approached Rabbi Tzvi dren see their father going out to EMTs are required to take an frum families. willing to help out the high- Eliyahu Meir Schmeltzer, the for- learn at night,” said Rabbi intensive course that is about a The city has many shuls. school bachurim — a real mer menahel of Mesivta of Wakszul. “One goes into shul at hundred hours longer than other Some of the largest ones are bonus,” explains Rabbi Miami, and hired him to become night and sees fifty to sixty peo- courses. Young Israel of Greater Miami, Bubovic. “There has to be a rea- the Rosh Kollel. Rabbi ple or more sitting and learning. “Baruch Hashem, we have which was started by Rabbi Zev son that we quadrupled our Schmeltzer put together a group This is truly a community kollel. been very well received,” stated Leff, and is currently under the numbers in the past ten years.” of eight high-caliber yungeleit; There are programs on all levels, Mr. Zalmen Cohen, one of the guidance of Rabbi Dovid six were from Lakewood, one and the participants represent a founders of the organization. Lehrfield; Torah V’Emunah, Bais Yaakov of Miami was living in Eretz Yisrael and true cross-section of Yidden — “Florida does not have a volun- under the leadership of Rabbi Bais Yaakov of Miami one is from Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chassidish, Litvish, kippah seru- teer ambulance service; we are Yeruchum Bensinger; opened in 1983 with seven stu- Chaim Berlin. gah — you name it.” the first one they have heard of. Congregation Shaarey Tefillah, dents. Today it is a growing About two and a half years Rabbi Ephraim Leizerson, But we have managed to gain the headed by Rabbi Efraim institution that educates about ago, the North Miami Beach principal of Bais Yaakov of respect of the municipal servic- Eliyahu Shapiro; and Beis three hundred girls in grades Community Kollel opened its Miami, stated, “The kollel has es.” Menachem, a Chabad shul run six through twelve. Almost all doors. Since then the kollel, changed the community. You The phone lines have been by Rabbi Yosef Marlow. of the graduates attend a year which is housed in the beis walk in at night and hear the kol ringing steadily since Hatzolah North Miami Beach also has of seminary in Eretz Yisrael. medrash of Congregation Torah and feel the powerful went into service, according to several schools, including Rabbi Ephraim Leizerson has Shaarey Tefillah, has had a atmosphere of learning. The kol- Mr. Cohen. In addition to the Yeshivah Toras Chaim/Toras been at the helm of the school major impact on the community. lel members are chashuve yun- excellent services and fast Emes Academy, Bais Yaakov of since its establishment. The yungeleit learn b’has- geleit, and many people’s lives response time offered by Miami, Hillel Community Day “The school is completely a madah for three sedarim each have been changed because of Hatzolah, many elderly winter School and Landow Yeshivah part of the Bais Yaakov sys- day. Many shiurim and programs their relationship with these yun- residents are used to being able (associated with Chabad). We tem,” explains Mrs. Chana are offered throughout the day. geleit.” to rely on Hatzolah in New York spoke with administrators in a Sostchin, administrator at the There is a daily shiur from 9:30- and were anxious to have those few of these schools to get a bet- school. “We take direction from 10:30 for baalei batim, many Chessed in NMB services in NMB. Many times, ter idea of life in NMB. daas Torah, and there has never retired; the group has already Chessed abounds in North Hatzolah volunteers have been been any compromise.” made a siyum on Beitzah and Miami Beach, through a variety able to convince patients to Yeshivah Toras Chaim/Toras Extracurricular activities Makkos, and is now learning of venues. accept treatment and transport Emes Academy play a strong role in the school’s Kiddushin. A daily lunch-and- Mrs. Ellen Weiss has been the from municipal ambulance Yeshivah Toras Chaim and program. The girls engage in learn is attended by over twenty Southeast director of Chai crews. Toras Emes Academy are affili- kiruv activities through a JEP baalei batim, and a Thursday- Lifeline for twenty-five years, “Call volume has been so ated institutions under the program, help children with night mishmar program features overseeing the entire region, large that we are working on direction of graduates of special needs, visit the elderly special lectures by Rabbanim from Baltimore to Texas.