For the Bochurim, By the Bochurim

Title: For the Bochurim, by the Bochurim

Location: Grodno, Poland

Document: Yiddishe Togblatt

Time: 1922

This Sunday, 9 Cheshvan will mark the 85th yahrtzeit of Rav Shimon Shkop. The authors hope to present a more complete profile of Rav Shimon in the future.

Appeal For The Grodno Yeshiva

Letter from the esteemed Rabbi, the Gaon Rav Shimon Yehuda Shkop of Grodno:

A significant number of my friends who studied with me in the yeshivos of Telz, Maltch, and Brynsk now find themselves in the United States. As it is now very difficult for me to sustain the Shaar HaTorah Yeshivah, which I now lead in Grodno and which is in great need, I turn to you to support it. This support will not only sustain the yeshivah but will also be an expression of gratitude toward me. Please, each of you, contribute according to your ability.

I have appointed my brother-in-law, Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Olshwang of Chicago, to serve as the contact for all donations. Any contributions to support the yeshivah can be sent directly to him, and he will ensure they reach us.

With a broken heart due to the dire situation of our holy Torah and with hope for the rebuilding of Zion and Jerusalem,

Shimon Yehuda HaKohein Shkop, rosh mesivta of the Shaar HaTorah Yeshivah, Grodno.

Rabbi Olshwang is the rabbi of the Mishnah U’Gemara Society. He can be found either in the Mishnah U’Gemara synagogue or at his residence, 717 West Roosevelt Road.

When the German army captured Grodno during World War I, a group of refugee yeshivah students remained in this historic Jewish city. Amid the wartime mayhem, Yeshivah Shaar HaTorah emerged through the determination of the students themselves. In 1916, with no rosh yeshivah or formal institution, a group of them formed a committee, gathering resources and laying the groundwork for a new Torah center in Grodno. They secured a building, arranged funding, and created the structure of an established yeshivah.

The Yesod V’Shoresh Ha’avodah beis medrash, established in honor of the esteemed Rav Alexander Ziskind, rav of Grodno and author of the foundational sefer by that name, hosted the yeshivah during the early years. Local lay leaders led by Reb Reuven Soloveitchik rallied around the cause, offering wisdom and encouragement. Rabbi Dr. David Winter, a German army chaplain stationed in Grodno, was instrumental in securing financial support from Ezra, a Jewish-German organization that assisted with monthly expenses. Talmidim recalled Dr. Winter’s warmth and hands-on approach during those challenging times.