to join the Mesivta more than two decades ago:
“Remember where you come from.” Mr. Sarway
affirmed that today he still remembers where he
comes from — including not only his family’s
proud Sephardic lineage but also his formative
years of Torah learning and development as a ben
Torah at his alma mater, Yeshiva Darchei Torah.
Rav Daniel Gavrielov, an assistant menahel
at the Yeshiva who recently assumed the role of
rav of the Sephardic minyan, spoke of the sofrim
— the scribes — who write Sifrei Torah, and their
corresponding “scribes” of the heart and soul, the
rabbeim who imprint the indelible lessons of the
Torah onto the neshamos of their talmidim. Just
as a Sefer Torah is invalid if even one letter is de-
fective, the “scribes” of Yeshiva Darchei Torah —
led by the Rosh HaYeshiva, Rav Yaakov Bender
— understand that a yeshiva is incomplete if even
one talmid is unable to unlock his full potential. He
expressed his hope that the new Sefer Torah would
be a catalyst for the continued growth and positive
impact that the Sephardic minyan is already having
on the Sephardic talmidim. (Yeshiva Darchei Torah
includes close to 100 Sephardic families, from early
childhood through Beis Medrash.)
The last speaker at the Seudah was the Rosh
HaYeshiva, Rav Yaakov Bender, who thanked the
Sarway and Ghermezian families for the Hachnasat
Sefer Torah and for their support of the Yeshiva. He
fondly recalled Darchei’s first influx of Sephardic
talmidim from Iran during the turbulent revolution
of 1979. From that day on, the Yeshiva has continu-
ously welcomed boys of Sephardic heritage, conso-
nant with its well-deserved reputation as a Makom
Torah where excellence in Torah, Middos and aca-
demics is complemented by an inclusionary ethos.
Perhaps the most poignant moment of the
day was when the new Sefer Torah was about
to be brought into the edifice of Mesivta Chaim
Shlomo and it was greeted by bachurim holding
the Yeshiva’s Ashkenazi Sifrei Torah — a snap-
shot of unity when all the Scrolls, which contain
the same exact sacred words, albeit with different
scripts and diverse encasements — came together
to complete a celebration of the one eternal Torah
that unites all Yidden. !
APPROACHING THE ARON KODESH IN THE MAIN BAIS HAMEDRASH.
MR. SYD GHERMEZIAN.
RAV DANIEL GAVRIELOV,
RAV OF THE SEPHARDIC
MINYAN OF DARCHEI TORAH
AND ASSISTANT MENAHEL.
RAV CHAIM BENOLIEL, ROSH HAYESHIVA,
YESHIVAT MIKDASH MELECH.
RAV YAAKOV BENDER, ROSH HAYESHIVA (RIGHT) SPEAKING AT THE SEUDAT MITZVAH. ALSO SEEN,
SEATED L-R: RAV AVRAHAM BENOLIEL, DIRECTOR, MIKDASH MELECH JERUSALEM; RAV CHAIM
BENOLIEL, ROSH HAYESHIVA, YESHIVAT MIKDASH MELECH; RAV SHLOMO AVIGDOR ALTUSKY, ROSH
YESHIVA, BEIS MEDRASH HEICHAL DOVID; RAV DOVID MOSHE GELLER, MASHGIACH RUCHANI, BEIS
MEDRASH HEICHAL DOVID; MR. SHELOMO SARWAY; RAV MOSHE BENDER, ASSOCIATE DEAN.
More pictures can be viewed at darchei.org/photos
BEDARCHEI HATORAH
WINTER 5780/2020
23