Dancing rabbis at YU send a Torah message

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Four closed blocks of Amsterdam Avenue in Washington Heights were filled with joyous dancing and music on Sunday, as Yeshiva University celebrated the ordination of its largest class of rabbis.

The 230 musmachim (ordained rabbis) from around the world joined roshei Yeshiva, teachers, family, and friends in the dancing following the Chag HaSemicha event of YU’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS).

RIETS Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Yona Reiss (left) is pictured on page 1 dancing with RIETS Dean Rabbi Menachem Penner. YU Mashpia Rabbi Moshe Weinberger, rav of Congregation Aish Kodesh of Woodmere, is at center in an outer circle.

Musmachim from the Five Towns are pictured at the top of this page.

Top row, from left: Steven Mermelstein, Eitan Lipstein, Yoni Weinberg, Reuven Lebovitz, Avi Miller, Yaakov Trump, Robert Charnoff, Jesse Lempel, Michael Finkelstein, and Seth Grossman.

Bottom row, from left: David Weiss, Saul Haimoff, Zev Aeder, Steven Genachowski, Maury Goldsmith, Daniel Lowenstein, Daniel Schwechter, Yaakov Hoffman, Dovid Bashevkin, Shay Schachter, Benjamin Samuels and Dani Bauer.

Pictured at right: Rabbi Zev Meir Friedman, Rosh HaMesivta of Rambam Mesivta in Lawrence, posed with five of the nine Rambam alumni musmachim. From left, Rabbis Daniel Bauer, Zev Aeder, Zev Friedman, Moshe Winograd, Avram Block, Yitzy Klein, Moshe Laster. (Not pictured: Ari Schwab, Ari Sendic and Jonathan Ziring.)

Said Rabbi Friedman, “It is heartening to see 230 young men who have dedicated themselves to limud haTorah and are trained to be future leaders in communities across America and in Eretz Yisrael. I derive tremendous nachas seeing our talmidim being part of such a wonderful chevra.”