Keren Olam HaTorah swept through South Florida on Sunday, June 14, carrying its urgent appeal to save limud hatorah in Eretz Yisroel. The gedolim on the trip included Rav Don Segal, Rav Yaakov Hillel, Rav Avraham Salim, Rav Malkiel Kotler, Rav Yosef Chevroni, and, later in the day, Rav Asher Weiss.

The day’s first gathering, hosted by R’ Yonel and Johanna Fellous, brought together leading philanthropists from across the community. R’ Ari Stern opened by reflecting on the extraordinary commitment of the gedolei Yisroel and American kehillos to sustaining Torah. Mr. Fellous emphasized that Keren Olam HaTorah supports the full spectrum of Torah institutions in Eretz Yisroel, including Litvish, Chassidish, Lubavitch, and other mosdos. True giving, he added, demands sacrifice: “If it hurts, then we know we are being moser nefesh for Hashem.”

Rav Avraham Salim described Klal Yisroel as one body whose heart is Torah. “We do not need a heart transplant,” he declared. “We have a healthy heart—the Torah.” Rav Don Segal added that Hakadosh Baruch Hu never remains indebted to those who leave their comfort zones to defend His honor and the honor of Torah.

At a second gathering, hosted by R’ Tzvi Bogomilski, R’ Boruch Jeremias explained that genuine fulfillment comes not from comfort, but from shouldering responsibility for others. Mr. Bogomilski then shared a remarkable family discovery. 91 years earlier, Rav Yerucham Levovitz had directed a $30 gift from Mr. Bogomilski’s great-grandfather toward assisting bochurim facing the military draft. Rediscovering the letter just after being approached about Keren Olam HaTorah opened his eyes to the striking parallel challenges confronting today’s bnei Torah and inspired his involvement.

Rav Don Segal stressed that achdus is essential in overcoming the tzaros facing the Torah world. A gezeirah against Torah in Eretz Yisroel, he said, is also a gezeirah against Torah in America. 

Rav Moshe Bogomilski invoked Esther’s call of “lech knos es kol haYehudim,” describing Keren Olam HaTorah as a contemporary expression of that unity. Rav Yaakov Hillel spoke of the mesirus nefesh of avreichim and gedolim, while Rav Asher Weiss underscored Klal Yisroel’s timeless need for “Yavneh v’chachameha.”

At the next gathering, hosted by Mr. Sam Rosenthal and communal partners, Rav Yitzchak Ezrachi drew a lesson from Moshe Rabbeinu’s designation of the Arei Miklat: a person must undertake his hishtadlus with complete dedication, while leaving completion to Hashem. 

Hundreds later assembled at Yeshiva Toras Chaim to greet Rav Asher Weiss, who had flown from Eretz Yisroel expressly for the campaign. He distinguished between fulfilling talmud Torah and deriving true chiyus from Torah through yegiah. Those unable to learn throughout the day, he explained, can become partners in that yegiah by sustaining those who do.

The day concluded at the home of Mr. Hernan Leonov. Rav Efrem Shapiro taught that each generation’s struggles can be transformed into a milchama shel Torah within the beis medrash. Rav Yitzchak Ezrachi closed with an impassioned appeal: material support may be withdrawn, but Torah can never be taken from Klal Yisroel. This, he said, is a moment of pikuach nefesh for the olam haTorah, demanding that every Jew help shoulder the burden.