The visit from Texan yeshivah boys was special for another reason

This past week, as part of its annual Yarchei Kallah, a group of eighth-grade boys from Yeshiva Toras Emes in Houston, Texas visited Lakewood’s Beth Medrash Govoha. The roshei yeshivah greeted them warmly, always pleased to see young budding bnei Torah from other ends of the country, and to see the fruits of Rav Aharon Kotler’s dream to spread Torah throughout America by establishing a network of community kollelim.

But the visit from Texan yeshivah boys was special for another reason: Rav Aharon Kotler built Beth Medrash Govoha fueled by the vision of Rav Chaim Volozhiner that the “last station of Torah in galus will be America.” Rav Shach once added to this that Rav Chaim wasn’t merely referring to building Torah in Lakewood or New York. “Ehr meint Texas!” he exclaimed. So the visit from Houston’s Yeshiva Toras Emes to Lakewood’s Beth Medrash Govoha was Rav Chaim’s promise and Rav Aharon’s mission coming full circle.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 902)