On Sunday October 7th, Beth Gavriel held a historic event, celebrating the Grand Opening of its new state-of-the-Art Mikvah. It was such a Kiddush Hashem to see the entire Queens Jewish Community gather itself for this mitsvah in none other than Forest Hills High School. The night demonstrated more than anything else that אין דבר העומד בפני הרצון, nothing can stand in the way of the Will.
The event began in the stunning new mikvah itself; a small L’Chaim amongst beautiful marble, colorful glass, and a faux fireplace. The VIP guests then made their way into Forest Hills High School’s Auditorium, and were joined by a huge crowd anticipating the wonderful program prepared for the evening. The feeling I got when I joined the 1000 guests was truly heartwarming. It’s always such a pleasure to witness so many Jews excited for a Mitsvah, and the night was just warming up.
The Torah tells us in Sefer Mishlei “In the multitude of people is the King’s glory (14:28)”. Is there any other way to describe Mincha and Arvit being said in the midst of such a large crowd? This was followed by a special Tehillim reading with Beth Gavriel’s Rabbi Israel Itshakov, which encapsulated the night’s feeling of unity, brotherhood and joy in serving the Creator.
Yaniv Meirov, who needs no introduction, then got on stage and invited special Guest Speaker Rabbi Doniel Lander, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Ohr HaChaim. He delivered uplifting words of Torah, highlighting the special atmosphere and elements which combined to bring the community’s dream to fruition. Yaniv then introduced the next Guests of the evening, the community’s very own Bukharian Boys’ Choir.
The Choir’s music infused a taste of culture which added to the unique flavor of the nights programming. Jews from all backgrounds united under the common banner of Hashem’s Mitsvot, all taking part in a pride borne from the rich panoply of Jewish culture. This was followed naturally with the next Special Guest Speaker, the Chief Rabbi of the Bukharian Community of America and Canada, Harav Yitzchak Yisraeli.
Harav Yisraeli was involved with the Halachic facets of the mikvah’s design and preparation. He oversaw many aspects of its completion and continues to guide its management in a way that remains true to the teachings of his Rebbi, Harav Ovadia Yosef Zt”l. He spoke about the connection between the mitsvot we do as a nation and the purity and blessing we bring upon ourselves. He then blessed the crowd with opportunities for more mitsvot and more Torah, so that we can all witness an even brighter future together.
Rabbi Bistritzky was then introduced to the crowd by Yaniv Meirov. Though many in the crowd got to hear Rabbi Bistritzky for the first time, he was actually involved with our community for many years. Rabbi Bistritzky is the Founder and Director of the Mikvah USA organization, which has been guiding Beth Gavriel’s project from start to finish. Mikvah USA has helped tremendously in so many ways with the new Mikvah, and as the Rabbi mentioned, is proud to be part of this tremendous opportunity to further the continuity of the Jewish Nation. Beth Gavriel’s state-of-the-art new Mikvah is Mikvah USA’s 70th project, and represents a Crown Jewel in beauty and sophistication. Yaniv then called up singer and songwriter Eytan, who gave a well-received performance.
The final portion of the night included a warm speech by the world-renowned Rabbi Peysach Krohn, and a live concert by the famous singer Haim Israel. As Haim Israel delivered some of his greatest hits, many of the men in the crowd moved up to the front of the auditorium to join hands and dance. This was a truly beautiful moment to see, because the joy came at the end of some very hard work on behalf of many of those community members. These same people now danced around and around, taking pleasure in the zikui harrabim (uplifting the public). The melody together with the dancing seemed to coalesce into something otherwise intangible; a joy everyone feels but cannot express in words alone.
After the concert, the crowd made their way up the street from Forest Hills High School towards Beth Gavriel for the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. All you could see for hundreds of feet in any direction was smiles, laughter and sheer happiness. As a simple observer to this event, I can only add one thing: thank you.
Thank you to everyone who made this night possible. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard and donated to this wonderful mitsvah, the foundation of every Jewish Community. Thank you, Chazaq, for your innumerable involvement and logistical help. Thank you, Victoria Zirkiev, for arranging all of the entertainment. A special thank you to: EMET, Yaniv Meirov and the entire Chazaq staff, Shmira, and all of the community leaders and Rabbanim. Special thanks to Beth Gavriel’s Head Rabbi, Rabbi Shimonov and Rabbi Ilan Meirov and Rabbi Moshe Moratov for all of their help and guidance. Thanks also extend to Avraham Yakubov and all the other volunteers who helped make this night a reality.
Of course, thank you Mikvah USA for being there for the community. Also a special thank you to Diana Elishaev for tastefully designing the Mikvah; many women in the community will appreciate your work for years to come. A special thank you to Simcha Musheyev who oversaw this entire project as the coordinator and so many other roles as well; your efforts have gone a long way in the community, and is matched only by your humility. A very special thank you is also extended to Boris Mordukhaev, who has and continues to work tirelessly, managing everything on the ground. May Hashem Bless you with strength, and may you always see the fruits of your labor.
Finally, thank you to everyone in the community who cared about this project and asked “When will it be ready? When will we finally have our Mikvah?” Today, thanks to all of those inquiries and words of encouragement, we have the Women’s Mikvah Be’er Miriam & Yaffa dedicated by the Elishaev and Koptiev families; the Men’s Mikvat Ariel dedicated by the Davydov and Zavlyanov families; and the Gerov Dish Mikvah (yet to be built) dedicated by the Gerov family. Together, we taste success, and together, we will open more doors for our future.
By Adam Suionov
Beth Gavriel Celebrates Historic Grand Opening Of Their New Mikvah
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