HAFTR reports on its Poland trip

As Jews around the world celebrated Yom Ha’Azmaut, students who participated the Abe Scharf z”l HAFTR Poland Mission were treated to a special dinner program at Chosen Island by Mr. and Mrs. Marty Scharf.

Rabbi Gedaliah Oppen, principal of Judaic Studies, related a story from the Ponovicher Rav who, while standing in front of the Arch of Titus in Rome, proclaimed: “Titus! Titus, where are you now? You thought you would destroy Klal Yisroel, but just look around, there is nothing left from you but an isolated stone structure, while Klal Yisroel is here alive and vibrant.”

Rabbi Oppen noted that “in Poland, we stood at the same place where Hitler ym”s and thousands of Nazis stood spewing their venom of anti Semitism, hoping for the eradicating of the Jewish nation. And yet, there we were, a group of yeshiva students, proclaiming, where are you enemies of Israel and where are Klal Yisroel?”

The students shared reflections on the mission, as well as their gratitude to Mr. and Mrs. Scharf for making it possible. One student related that upon returning from the mission, he learned from his parents that he is a descendant of one of the rabbis of Tykocin, a shtietel whose Jews were massacred.

Rabbi Moshe Hubner, rebbe to the seniors, explained why it is essential to daven at the kevrei tzadikim, thereby deriving inspiration and strength from those who were closer to the source, Matan Torah.

Faculty and students who participated in this year’s mission were: Rabbi Gedaliah Oppen, Rabbi Moshe Hubner, Mrs. Melodie Scharf, Reb’ Yehudis Oppen, Mr. Yehuda Moseson, Dr. Marvin Wertenteil, Rabbi Boruch Oppen, Shoshana Bach, Ashley Baruch, Henny Berkowitz, Andrew Bokor, Nery Braver, Caleb Brown, Hannah Chaikin, Tzvi Gettenberg, Alyson Glaubach, Jason Glaubach, Kelly Goldman, Shaindy Goldsmith, Yoni Kastner, Deena Kopyto, Ezra Lent, Yisroel Mindell, Coby Neumann, Chaya Oppen, Ayelet Rosenbloom, Allison Scharf, Yehuda Segelnick, Arielle Sharafi, and Jeremy Solomon.