Thousands Gather in Jerusalem for Massive Talmud Tractate Completion Ceremony

Thousands of elderly Torah scholars convened at Binyanei HaUma in Jerusalem for an extraordinary completion ceremony of the Talmud tractate Chagigah. The event brought together over 2,000 senior participants from 225 kollels operating in 95 cities and towns across Israel, all part of the "Tiferet Zekenim Levi Yitzchak" network run by the Bukharan Jewish Congress. These scholars had studied the tractate intensively over several months and united for the first time under one roof to mark the occasion.

At the ceremony, the participants stood and recited the traditional declaration "Hadran Alach" in a moving moment that filled the hall. The event was led by Rabbi Asher Zigdon, chief rabbi of Harish and head of the local kollel. Prominent rabbis also attended, including Rabbi Zvadia Cohen, the Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and Rabbi David Yosef, the Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel and Rishon LeZion. They emphasized the vital importance of Torah study in old age and its positive impact on personal, communal, and family resilience.

The highlight came when Lev Leviev, chairman of the Bukharan Jewish Congress and the main sponsor of the extensive activities, took the stage. Celebrating his 70th birthday that day, Leviev received enthusiastic applause and pledged to continue expanding support for new kollels within the network. In gratitude for his longstanding dedication, Rabbi David Yosef presented Leviev with a special, beautifully inscribed Torah scroll signed by over 2,000 kollel members. The historic event concluded with a musical performance by singer Yishai Lapidot.