Thousands Attend Second Hakafot Celebrations at Rekhasim Yeshiva

Thousands of yeshiva students, alumni, and guests from across Israel gathered at the Rekhasim Yeshiva on the evening following the holiday for the "Second Hakafot" celebrations, widely considered the largest in northern Israel. The event featured hours of dancing and concluded around 4:30 AM. The festivities were accompanied by singers Oshi Landsman and Yoeli Davidovitch. Yeshiva officials described the event as "hours of joy and elevation, in an atmosphere of holiness and purity, truly a wedding with the Holy One, Blessed be He." The Second Hakafot marked the end of a holiday filled with Torah study and prayer sessions attended by hundreds of students.

The Simchat Torah events began with a special two-hour study session held in silence as preparation for the holiday. Following this, the Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Yitzchak Sofer, delivered a speech to the students, urging them to increase their Torah study and set significant goals for the coming year. After evening prayers and the holiday meal, the first night's Hakafot commenced, lasting until 3:00 AM. The following day, students continued with prayers, Torah readings, a Kiddush, and additional Hakafot. In a special ceremony honoring the Rosh Yeshiva, students committed to studying over a quarter of a million pages of Talmud for him, signifying a strengthened commitment to Torah study for the new year.

Earlier, on the night of Hoshana Rabbah, the yeshiva held a special study session for the second consecutive year, with hundreds of students participating. A special Sukkah was erected for the occasion, where students studied throughout the night. The Rosh Yeshiva gave a halachic discourse, after which the students continued their study sessions until the morning.