Volume 67, Issue 8

L’man Achai Campaign Remembers Victims Through Torah
by Alan Goldsmith

Striving to give true identity and depth to victims of the Palestinian intifada, a student-run initiative has organized students from over sixty schools and synagogues to engage in Talmud Torah in the memory of individuals who lost their lives.

L’man Achai, organized by students at all Yeshiva undergraduate colleges, as well as Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS), has undertaken a tremendous effort, contacting congregations, schools and chapters of NCSY, sending thousands of small cards with the names and pictures of those who lost their lives. The receivers of those cards have a whole array of areas from which to learn, including all books of Tanach, as well as chapters or even perhaps tractates of Mishnayos or Gemara.

The primary organizers of the mission are RIETS students Naphtali Weisz and Yehuda Willig. Weisz expressed confidence that the program will achieve its objective. “We’re hoping to raise awareness for the victims of terror in a meaningful war through Torah learning,” emphasized Weisz. “It already has, because a lot of people have been getting in touch with us, and they’re very excited about the project, feeling that they’re involved in something important.”

Willig does not talk to the press.

Culminating the effort, on March 13 a siyum will be held in Lamport Auditorium, with organizers hoping that half of the attendees come from the Wilf and Midtown Campuses of Yeshiva, with the remainder from high schools and yeshivos in the New York-New Jersey area. The featured speaker will be Rabbi Stuart Weiss, an American-born rabbi who made aliyah with his family. This past September, his son Ari was killed in a terrorist incident. In response, he founded an outreach center whose mission is to unite Jews through Torah learning in the memory of his son and other victims. In addition to the speech, a video presentation and other speakers will bring the L’man Achai message to the assembled gathering. Lastly, a special book will be made and distributed to those who attend, with copies sent to participating schools.

Schools with students that have agreed to be a part of this mission include Yeshiva, Lander College, and several other universities. All Yeshiva University high schools are participating, not to mention HALB, TABC, Mayanot, Columbus Torah Academy and Ida Crown Academy of Chicago. Synagogues range from the Young Israel of Woodmere to a women’s Tehillim group in New Rochelle to Congregation Anshe Sephard of Memphis.

Recently, following coverage in Jewish newspapers, the initiative reached the height of briefly being the lead breaking news story on the Jerusalem Post on January 30. Through extensive efforts, the numbers of individuals who know about and participate in it have kept on growing steadily.

Organizer and SCW Torah Activity Council President Lisa Grundman stressed the benefits of the program. “L’man Achai is bringing together the YU community, as well as the Jewish community at large, and producing a great kiddush Hashem,” she said.¨

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