Bonai Chavivai encourages bochurim to not just learn, but to “own” a masechta of Gemara

Photo: Shmuel Heinemann Photo

Over 1,500 people gathered for the annual Bonai Chavivai siyum, to celebrate 300 bar-mitzvah age bochurim completing — and reviewing, reviewing, reviewing and reviewing again — a masechta of Gemara. A division of V’haarev Na, Bonai Chavivai encourages bochurim to not just learn, but to “own” a masechta of Gemara in honor of their bar mitzvahs, and in the trademark words of Rav Dovid Newman, to “know it in your bones.” Every boy present chazered “his” masechta a minimum of ten times — some chazered the masechta in its entirety up to 101 times — and the boys were treated to a gala affair befitting the accomplishment.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 946)