Thousands of Students Gather in Jerusalem for Daily Rambam Event

Thousands of students from hundreds of Hesder Yeshivas and high schools affiliated with the Ministry of Religious Education (Hemed) filled Jerusalem's Sultan's Pool this week for a celebratory event marking the Daily Rambam program. The previous day, thousands of girls attended the same venue, with combined attendance described as exceptionally high. The program, which encourages students to voluntarily study daily portions of Maimonides' "Mishneh Torah," has seen record participation in recent years. During the evening event, participants marked the completion of the "Book of Seasons," studied over the summer, and began the "Book of Women." The gathering included a ceremony of accepting the yoke of heaven and fostered an atmosphere of the Ten Days of Repentance.

Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, Chief Rabbi of Safed, led the ceremony and blessed the young attendees. Rabbi Moshe Shlomo Amar, the Rishon LeZion and Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, also graced the event with his presence. Rabbi Yishai Gertler, the national supervisor for elementary education in Hemed, told the audience, "When you study the Daily Rambam, you are connected to a special unit of thousands of young men who are studying the same chapters on that day." Rabbi Avraham Zerbib, a former torchbearer, shared his personal experience, stating, "I used to study the Daily Rambam throughout my military service."

Alongside the serious discussions, students participated in interactive quizzes with prizes, including bicycles and a communal barbecue. They also danced to performances by singers Akiva and Elyatzur, hosted by Naor Carmi.