Dear Friends,
2018 was a year of growth and fortitude. We had some incredible accomplishments and endured some difficult challenges, but through it all your consistent support continues to drive the engine of tremendous Torah growth in the Twin Cities and beyond!
As we come to the end of 2018, I want to thank you for your constant support of the Kollel, and to share some milestones that you helped create this year. (if you prefer videos you can scroll down and watch the video below.)
Growth & Expansion:
We welcomed three new couples, Rabbi Dovid & Mrs. Chaya Gitty (Idstein) Bodner, Rabbi Yaakov Nesanel & Mrs. Elisheva (Brog) Finkelman, and Rabbi Yehuda & Mrs. Leah (Seidman) Wolin.
In the Bais Medrash
The Kollel completed its in-depth study of Meseches Eiruvin (laws of carrying on Shabbos) from cover to cover! Come back soon for more about the Grand Siyum on January 30th.
We are producing Sefer Rivevos Mayim, composed of the insights of the Kollel Rabbis on Eiruvin.
The local Kinyan Mesechta chabura, led by Rabbi Shlomo Rothstein, completed their study of Meseches Sukkah.
The sound of Torah learning can be heard in the Kollel on an almost constant basis, from early in the morning until late into the night; and even on Friday night! The afternoons are especially lively, with the Kollel Rabbis, Rebbeim from Torah Academy and Yeshiva of Minneapolis, boys from Torah Academy after school, and the entire 12th grade of the Yeshiva, all coming to learn!
In the Community
The Kollel and the Kenesseth Israel Learning Community came together to host a fabulous Shabbaton at the Oak Ridge Conference Center in March, featuring renowned lecturer Rabbi Yaakov Salomon.
Once again, the Kollel collaborated with Mrs. Giti Fredman of Aish to create an incredible Challah Bake for the International Shabbos Project. Over 400 women attended, and a tremendous time was had by all. The Kollel provided logistics and back-end support.
Programs and Classes
The crowd consistently overflows from the Kollel Library for one of our most popular programs: The Business Breakfast. Topics included online price mistakes, the role of Beis Din, fair pricing, and the interface between halacha and technology.
Yarchei Kallah sessions on legal holidays continue to be highly popular. This year topics included Tefilas HaDerech, Techeiles, Tefillin on Chol Hamoed, where to light the Chanukah menorah, and Moshiach.
Following the Memorial Day Yarchei Kallah on Tefilas HaDerech by Rabbi Yaakov Kaufman, Mr. Ron Mandelbaum came to the Kollel with the idea of creating a Guide to Tefilas HaDerech for the Twin Cities. If you don’t have one yet, stop by the Kollel to pick one up, complete with a map of the optimal locations to say Tefilas HaDerech when traveling from Minneapolis/St. Paul, the full text of Tefilas HaDerech, and selected halachos. Thank you to Ron, Rabbi Kaufman, Rabbi Yechezkel Greenberg, and Rabbi Aharon Stauber of Lakewood for collaborating on this project.
See the Events/Programs/Classes tab for the full list of our ongoing classes, and find one that fits for you!
Women’s Programming
This summer, WPIT debuted Positive Parenting, a guided forum for parents of young children to gain Torah- and experience-based tips and inspiration. The 6-week session left participants wanting even more, and WPIT is gearing up for the next session.
WPIT LIVE events included Purity: An Evening of Inspiration for Yom Kippur, and an Add Some Color to Your Winter paint night.
WPIT hosted several shiurim for the women of the community:
The Women’s Guide to Purim; The Complete Pesach Shopping Guide; and Keeping Cool & Kosher, a guide to the kashrus of popular summer treats; all with Rabbi Eli Markowitz of CRC Kosher.
Megillas Rus: A Lesson in Chesed, with Dayan Yehoshua Posen of London.
These are just some of the highlights of 2018. We look forward to partnering with you for an even more incredible 2019! Thank you for your unwavering and warmhearted support!
