The gedolim of Keren Olam HaTorah visited the Cherry Hill and Philadelphia kehillos on Sunday, June 14, where hundreds turned to see the visiting gedolei Eretz Yisroel and hear their urgent call to action. 

The day began in Cherry Hill at the home of Rabbi Yonah Klahr, the rosh kollel of the Cherry Hill Community Kollel, where several dozen members of the local kehillah gathered to greet the gedolim. One after another, the gedolim addressed those assembled, highlighting the terrible situation in Eretz Yisroel and the dire straits the lomdei torah there find themselves in. Rav Shimon Galei then led the gathering with niggunim before each member of the kehillah came forward to give shalom to the gedolim.

From Cherry Hill, the delegation continued on to Philadelphia, where their first stop was the home of Rav Shalom Kamenetzky. Many bochurim from the Yeshiva of Philadelphia had gathered outside to greet the gedolim, and Rav Shalom, together with Rav Yudi Svei and members of the hanhalah, welcomed them inside for a brief shalom aleichem and a few minutes of warm conversation. As the gedolim departed, the bochurim who had been waiting outside escorted them to their car with more singing and dancing, showing an incredible kavod hatorah for the visiting gedolim.

The delegation then proceeded to the home of Rabbi Biberfeld, Rosh Kollel of the Kollel of Philadelphia, for a reception with local baalei batim. Rabbi Biberfeld addressed the gathering, as did Rav Shmuel Choueka, rav of Ohel Simcha in Deal and a talmid of the Philadelphia yeshiva. Here, Rav Choueka said, are the gedolim, far older than us and no longer as young and sprightly, and yet they are shlepping from city to city to raise money from us. "What a chutzpah!" he declared. By rights, it should be the other way around. We should be the ones running after them to give them our money and save the Torah of Eretz Yisroel.

The day concluded with an asifa at the Philadelphia Kollel, where the benches of the kollel had to be cleared to make room for the large crowd that came to participate. Each of the gedolim addressed the gathering, and hartzige niggunim followed, once again led by Rav Shimon Galai, bringing the visit to a close.