Baltimore, MD - May 21, 2017 - They came from near and far. And what a Kiddush Hashem they experienced!  On the morning of May 12th, over 750 grandparents arrived at Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim/Talmudical Academy of Baltimore to see firsthand the warm, loving, caring, and happy atmosphere that their grandchildren experience every day.  They walked away from an event that will be hard to forget. 

Talmudical Academy, now in its 100th year, is the oldest Jewish day school outside of New York, and presently has a total enrollment of over 1,000 boys in preschool through 12th grade.  The yeshiva prides itself on producing genuine Bnei Torah, who are prepared to assume positions of leadership throughout the Torah world. Among the TA's alumni are world-renowned Roshei Yeshiva, Rabbonim, Mechanchim, and lay leaders.

It had been 2 years since TA had their last Grandparents’ Day. The entire TA staff and faculty worked very hard to ensure a magnificent day for the grandparents.  Special projects were created in each classroom, and the walls of the school were adorned with artwork.  The building was prepared, volunteers were in place, and all were ready for a glorious day.

And what a day it was.

Upon arrival at TA, each grandparent received a customized program giving them directions and times for their grandchildren classrooms, “proud to be a TA Grandparent” buttons, and “Grandparents’ Day” tumblers to bring home as souvenirs.  The grandparents were then treated to an elaborate breakfast in TA's multipurpose room.

During breakfast, grandparents had the opportunity to participate in the “Centennial Sefer Torah” that is being written this year as part of TA’s 100th year celebration.  Grandparents were able to purchase letters in the sefer Torah in honor of their grandchildren, and custom certificates were printed for the grandparents to present to their grandchildren in their classrooms.  Afterwards, grandparents who travelled from out of town had the opportunity to write the actual letter in the Sefer Torah together with their grandchildren. Local grandparents will have that opportunity at a writing event in the very near future.

After breakfast, grandparents were escorted and ushered by middle school talmidim and staff members to their grandchildren’s classrooms to partake in a lesson specifically prepared for the day. Many of the lessons were very interactive, with both grandparents and grandchildren participating. The sight of so many grandparents learning together with their grandchildren, literally transmitting the mesorah to their future generations, was indeed beautiful.

After the class sessions, grandparents and talmidim together proceeded back to the multipurpose room, which had been transformed from a banquet room into an auditorium.  Rabbi Yehuda Lefkovitz, president of TA for over 30 years addressed the massive gathering of 1,500 grandparents, students, teachers, and staff.  He remarked how lucky we are to be able to share the Torah education that is happening in TA with grandparents. It was not long ago, when many of TA's students didn't have grandparents, having perished at the hands of the Nazis, Y”S.  Rabbi Lefkovitz encouraged all of the talmidim to take advantage of the special bracha that they have – the opportunity to grow up with grandparents and gain from them.

Next, the program continued with a short video presentation about the history of TA over the last 100 years.  Next, there was a choir performance by Rabbi Yaakov Wealcatch’s 5th grade class, followed by a second video presentation giving the grandparents a sense of the scope and goals of the yeshiva.  The beautiful assembly finished with a short kumzitz led by TA parent and alumnus, Mr. Gobbie Cohn, together with TA Rabbeim, Rabbis Yitzchok Dinovitzer and Eli Scheller. Over 600 talmidim singing together arm in arm, brought many in the audience to tears.

TA was especially honored to be joined by HaGaon Harav Shimon Galay, Shlita from Bnai Brak, who was in Baltimore visiting his family.   In addition to the Rav joining his grandson, a talmid at TA, in the Grandparents’ Day activities, the Rav also addressed the Yeshiva’s Mesivta talmidim with Divrei Chizuk and Bracha.

Grandparents’ Day ended with a hot piece of Erev Shabbos potato kugel for all of the guests, and a feeling of ruach and exhilaration by all who attended.  May TA, and indeed all of Klal Yisrael, have the zchus to be able to continue to unite grandparents with grandchildren next year in Yerushalayim habinuyah.

 





























































































































































































































































































































































































































































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