Yeshiva World News21 hours agoIn an extraordinary turn of events at the massive Ateres Shlomo Torah network, thousands of avreichim who had gone three months without receiving their monthly stipends were paid in full Thursday — after an American donor agreed to cover the enormous shortfall on one unusual condition: Rosh Yeshiva HaGaon HaRav Shalom Ber Sorotzkin would accompany him to Uman for Rosh Hashanah.
According to B’Chadrei Chareidim, thousands of avreichim learning in Ateres Shlomo kollelim across Eretz Yisroel had not received their stipends for three consecutive months amid serious financial difficulties facing the network.
The financial strain was attributed in part to the weak U.S. dollar, with the network struggling to close substantial budget gaps while continuing to support its enormous network of yeshivos and kollelim.
The remarkable breakthrough came when HaRav Sorotzkin visited the home of a wealthy donor in Miami.
The donor presented the Rosh Yeshiva with an unusual proposition: “If Rosh Yeshiva comes with me to Uman for Rosh Hashanah — I will cover all the debts that same day and transfer the full amount for the three months.”
HaRav Sorotzkin, carrying the responsibility for thousands of avreichim and their families, did not immediately accept the offer.
Late Wednesday night, he held an urgent telephone consultation with one of the Gedolei Yisroel, explaining the situation and the condition imposed by the donor.
After hearing the details and considering the tremendous financial pressure facing thousands of families just before the Yomim Tovim, the Gadol instructed HaRav Sorotzkin to accept the offer.
HaRav Sorotzkin then turned to the donor with a simple response: “Transfer the money — and I’m coming.”
The Rosh Yeshiva subsequently departed for Uman.
And the donor kept his word.
By Thursday, the bank accounts of thousands of Ateres Shlomo avreichim had been credited with the outstanding funds, with all three months of unpaid stipends deposited in full.
The dramatic development brought tremendous relief to thousands of families just days before Rosh Hashanah, ending a months-long financial crisis with a conclusion few could have imagined.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Belaaz5 hours agoHaGaon Rav Shalom Ber Sorotzkin, Rosh Yeshiva of the mosdos, has landed in Uman on Thursday and checked into the Hotel Zakopna ahead of Rosh Hashanah, making him, according the first Litvish Rosh Yeshiva to spend Rosh Hashanah at the tzion of RebNachman of Breslov.
The move breaks sharply with Rav Sorotzkin’s own longstanding practice. In previous years, he spent the Yamim Noraim period in the United States, meeting with philanthropists and Tomchei Torah to raise funds for his sprawling network of institutions.
This year marked a turn: a senior donor made a different kind of demand.
According to the report, the donor, a close supporter of the Rosh Yeshiva, committed to a massive gift, in the range of millions of dollars and tens of millions of shekels, toward sustaining the Torah and chesed institutions under Rav Sorotzkin’s leadership. But he attached a clear condition: the Rosh Yeshiva would have to join him in Uman for the Yom Tov itself.
Facing that condition, and with thousands of Ateres Shlomo avreichim owed three months of stipends, Rav Sorotzkin chose to accept the arrangement, securing his institutions’ financial footing for the year ahead.
After a phone consultation last night with a Gadol B’Yisrael, Rav Sorotzkin gave the go-ahead: “Transfer the money, and I’ll come.” By this morning, thousands of Kolell families were notified that three months of stipends had been deposited into their accounts ahead of Rosh Hashanah.
Photos from the private Jet show Rav Sorotzkin deep in discussion with his traveling companions en route to Uman, among them Tzali Chap, Sol Heller, Tuli Saffrin, and Zevi Fried.
The exact donation figure and donor identity have not been independently confirmed by Belaaz.
