After nearly a decade of requests from Jewish communities across the United States, the former chief rabbi of Israel, Rav Yitzchok Yosef, concluded a major and historic visit to communities and Torah institutions throughout California, Texas, and New Jersey.

The trip began last Wednesday at the invitation of rabbonim and community leaders who asked the rav to deliver Torah shiurim in kollelim, strengthen yeshivos and בתי מדרש, and inspire Jewish communities during the ongoing war in Eretz Yisroel.

Upon arriving in Los Angeles, Rav Yitzchok was greeted at the airport by leading rabbonim and dayanim of the city, including Rav Yehuda Moshe and Rav Moshe Norola, together with Israel’s consul general in California, Israel Bachar.

Immediately after landing, the rav joined a large ציבור for Shacharis and afterward encouraged organizers of a special weekly Torah program for professionals throughout Los Angeles, including attorneys, doctors, and other working individuals who dedicate Wednesdays to Torah study and shiurim. Rav Yitzchok emphasized the importance of kevias ittim laTorah.

Later, the Rishon Letzion visited the Or Eliyahu school headed by Rav Goldberg, where he addressed hundreds of students studying in a unique framework that combines prominent local families together with kiruv-oriented families.

That afternoon, Rav Yitzchok delivered an in-depth shiur iyun at the central Los Angeles kollel led by Rav Shmuel Pasman. Speaking before hundreds of avreichim, he spent an extended period analyzing the sugya of tartei l’reiusa in Maseches Niddah, which is currently being studied in the kollel.

That evening, the rav visited the Beis Aharon kehillah led by Rav Moshe Norola. Following a large reception attended by hundreds of community families, Rav Yitzchok spoke for more than an hour, delivering divrei aggadah, kiruv, chizuk, and practical halachic guidance regarding Hilchos Brachos and Sefiras HaOmer.

On Thursday morning, the Rishon Letzion davened at the Shuva Yisroel community led by Rav Shmuel Laniado. The community regularly broadcasts Rav Yitzchok’s weekly shiur from the Yazdim Shul in Yerushalayim.

Following davening, Rav Yitzchok delivered a shiur on Hilchos Basar B’Chalav and encouraged the ציבור to strengthen their observance in those areas.

The rav later made an emotional visit to the Maimonides school in Los Angeles, which serves approximately 1,000 students. In honor of the visit, local organizers closed nearby streets and arranged an elaborate reception as Rav Yitzchok walked through long rows of students accompanied by live music.

Afterward, the Rishon Letzion visited the Beis Yaakov seminary, where he spoke about the importance of building a Torah home and establishing a life centered around Torah learning and kevias ittim.

That evening, Rav Yitzchok delivered another major shiur chizuk in the Valley neighborhood at a community led by Rav Shimon Gabai, which includes hundreds of Israeli families.

One of the central events of the visit took place at a gathering organized by the Israeli Consulate in California under the leadership of Consul General Israel Bachar. Thousands attended the event, including prominent members of the local community and civic leaders, as Rav Yitzchok spoke extensively about the many miracles experienced by Israel during the war and stressed the merit of Torah learners in bringing about those ניסים.

The Rishon Letzion spent Shabbos with the Magen David kehillah led by Rav Yehuda Moshe, where thousands participated throughout the special Shabbos gathering. The main sanctuary could not contain the crowds, forcing organizers to open additional halls for the tefillos and events.

Throughout Shabbos, Rav Yitzchok delivered multiple shmuessen and divrei chizuk. The main shiur on Shabbos afternoon drew extraordinary crowds, with longtime residents of Los Angeles reportedly saying they had not seen anything similar since Rav Ovadia Yosef’s visit to the city roughly 50 years earlier.

On Sunday morning, the rav visited the central Los Angeles yeshiva gedolah and delivered a lengthy shiur klali filled with deep pilpula d’Oraisa. Participants described an atmosphere of intense rischa d’Oraisa among the talmidim and roshei yeshiva.

On Monday, Erev Lag B’Omer, Rav Yitzchok visited several additional educational institutions, including a major Talmud Torah and girls’ school led by Rav Dovid Zargari, who has spent decades building Torah institutions in the city.

As sunset approached, the Rishon Letzion headed to the week’s central event — a massive citywide Lag B’Omer gathering and hadlakah organized jointly for the first time by all the major communities in Los Angeles. Thousands attended the gathering in honor of the special day.

Rav Yitzchok spoke passionately about the importance of achdus among Klal Yisroel and the need to strengthen Torah and halachah study. The evening also included a Siyum HaZohar led by Rav Yair Chodorov before the Rishon Letzion conducted the central hadlakah amid singing and dancing by the massive crowd.

The following day, Rav Yitzchok traveled to Dallas, Texas, at the invitation of local community organizations and the iConnect organization led by Rav Yitzchok Chazan. Organizers described the visit as an effort to recreate the historic trip made by Rav Ovadia Yosef to Dallas in 1976.

That evening, thousands of local residents — men, women, and children — gathered together with the rabbonim and dayanim of Dallas to hear Rav Yitzchok’s keynote address, which continued late into the night.

During his remarks, the rav stressed the importance of building strong religious infrastructure throughout the region, preserving the integrity of Jewish life, and combating assimilation through increased Torah learning, Torah classes, and kiruv activities.

The next day, Rav Yitzchok visited numerous schools throughout the city and encouraged educators to continue bringing Jewish children from public schools into Jewish educational institutions.

“Upon your shoulders rests the future of the next generation,” the Rishon Letzion told the educational staff.

Throughout the entire trip, and due to ongoing security concerns, Rav Yitzchok traveled with a high-level security convoy typically reserved for senior government officials.

At the conclusion of the visit, the rav traveled to New Jersey, where he delivered a shiur at a local yeshiva gedolah, participated in Shacharis, and later gave another shiur at Congregation Adas Israel before returning to Israel.