A Royal Finale: Forest Hills & Rego Park Families Welcome Gedolei HaTorah

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Ilyabayev, Cohen, And Akilov Families Open Their Homes As The Bukharian Community Rallies Behind Torah In Eretz Yisrael

A distinguished delegation of Gedolei Yisrael completed a day-long journey across Queens in mid-June. The mission saw the rabbinic leadership visit twelve local yeshivot, convene an Asifat HaRabbanim (gathering of rabbis) that united Ashkenazi, Sephardic, and Bukharian leadership at Beth Gavriel, and conduct parlor meetings throughout Queens, including visits to Forest Hills and Rego Park. The evening meetings formed a continuous program, beginning at Ariel Ilyabayev's home in the afternoon, continuing at Rav Daniel Cohen's shul, and concluding near midnight at the Akilov residence.

The white tent erected outside the Akilov residence on 63rd Avenue reflected the attention to detail that has made the family's RBdelaa Lighting & Electrical Supply showroom on Queens Boulevard a familiar name throughout the community. A simple chandelier illuminated the pavilion, where a multi-course meal was served upon blue-and-white floral linens. The rabbinic leadership remained at the residence for an extended period, speaking personally with attendees, accepting well-wishers, and offering individual brachot.

 

Setting the Stage: “Acharon Acharon Chaviv”

As the crowd settled, Rabbi Yaniv Meirov introduced individual Gedolim as they arrived and expressed gratitude to the local organizers and security teams.

"Morai v’rabotai, baruch Hashem, with the ladies and rabbanim here, this is not something we should take lightly," Rabbi Meirov declared, looking out at the packed room of community leaders and families. "This is historic. This has never happened before in Queens."

Rabbi Meirov turned the focus onto the evening's host, acknowledging his work in coordinating the event.

"I want to give a very special thank-you and shout-out to the man who made this happen," Rabbi Meirov declared. "When we met with him, together with Reb Reuven Wolf, he said, ‘I’m in,’ right away—none other than my dear friend, Nisim. Nisim is someone who says and does. He did not want us to take care of anything. He took care of everything—even the security."

Rabbi Meirov detailed the grueling itinerary the sages had endured since morning:

"For the Gedolei Yisrael to come here was not easy," the Rav reminded everyone. "We went to about twelve yeshivot this morning. Following that, we had a meeting with every single rabbi in the community. It was historic. You literally had Ashkenazim, Sephardim, young and old, everyone together. It was gorgeous. We had a massive asifah of rabbanim and Roshei Yeshivah, one of a kind. Then we visited a few homes—here, there, and everywhere. And this is the last stop. Acharon acharon chaviv—the last is beloved."

 

Nisim Akilov Welcomes the Gedolim

Nisim then stepped forward to welcome his guests.

"Before anything else, I really appreciate every one of you dropping everything to come support Keren Olam HaTorah. I truly appreciate every one of you being here."

He moved quickly to thank those who forged the path to this moment, recognizing Rav Tzvi Belsky, his wife, Esther, and his parents. "Without them, I am nobody. Everything I have is because of them, and I love them very much."

He extended further thanks to Rav Reuven Wolf, Rav Yosef Chevroni, Avraham Kaufman, and Rabbi Meirov, noting that he had spoken to the latter more in the past month than anyone else in his entire life. "To this day, I still don't know exactly how Rav Belsky and Rav Wolf found me, but I do know one thing—I am incredibly grateful that this gathering is taking place here tonight."

Nisim grounded the evening in a personal reflection that connected New York to Yerushalayim.

"In 2019, my close friend Ariel Davidov and I traveled to Eretz Yisrael to receive berachot from Rav David Abuchatzeira and Rav Chaim Kanievsky zt”l," Nisim recounted. "Back then, we traveled to the Gedolim. Tonight, the Gedolim came to us. We are truly zocheh. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that one day the Gedolei HaTorah would come to my own home."

Nisim explained that he chose a custom, beautifully crafted T’hilim as an evening memento to provide a gift of daily spiritual utility. The volume contained Hebrew, English, Russian, and English transliteration. "Baruch Hashem, I wasn't the greatest student in school," Nisim shared, "so I know firsthand how valuable transliteration can be."

He thanked Barry Jeremias for his logistical backing, and recognized Ariel Ilyabayev for his support earlier in the day. "Earlier today, Ariel opened his home to the Gedolim and gave this campaign tremendous momentum. I would like to recognize him and thank him publicly for helping make today such a success."

Nisim concluded with a message of partnership:

"Most importantly, I don't want anyone to feel uncomfortable. Nobody should feel pressured. This is your home tonight. Whether your participation is large or small, what matters most is that every one of us becomes a partner in supporting Torah."

 

Shifting the Paradigm: From Crisis to Opportunity

The revered Rosh Yeshivah, HaRav Dov Landau, expressed his personal gratitude to the hosts and the assembled donors. He noted that physical fatigue from the relentless tour required him to depart early, and warmly blessed the participants with success and health before his departure.

HaRav Yaakov Hillel then spoke, outlining how the community should view the current financial landscape facing educational institutions in Eretz Yisrael.

"All those who are gathered here tonight have come together for one purpose—to strengthen the Torah of Eretz Yisrael," HaRav Hillel began. "People often ask how such gatherings come together. The answer is simple. When people recognize sincerity, and they know that something is being done purely for the sake of klal Yisrael, they respond with open hearts."

HaRav Hillel addressed the cloud hanging over the Israeli government's funding cuts affecting the yeshivot. "At first glance, many people look at what has happened and see only a crisis. I see it differently. I see it as a blessing."

For many years, the Rav explained, the yeshivot relied on government funding, which was volatile and tethered to political shifts.

The Structural Shift: Government funding ending is not a tragedy; it is a divinely orchestrated opportunity. The yeshivot are no longer dependent on politics. The yeshivot are dependent upon HaKadosh Baruch Hu. Nothing will disappear. Nothing will collapse. Torah has existed throughout every generation, and with Hashem's help it will continue to flourish.

HaRav Hillel detailed his own institutional burdens, revealing that his institutions require a five-million-dollar monthly budget to operate.

"People sometimes ask me how I sleep at night knowing that my yeshivot require millions of dollars every month just to operate," HaRav Hillel shared. "I tell them something very simple: If I needed only a small amount of money, perhaps I would worry. I would have to make phone calls, visit people, and think about how to raise it. But when the need is so enormous, I know it is completely beyond human ability. At that point, it is entirely in the hands of Hashem. Every month, Hashem provides exactly what is needed."

HaRav Hillel gives a heartfelt berachah to Hatzolah, Chaverim, and Tomchei Shabbos askan Reb Jeremy Golub.

 HaRav Hillel explained that the sages traveled thousands of miles to give global communities the opportunity to partner in sustaining Torah.

 

A Keynote on the Historic Mission

Rav Reuven Wolf explained that the Gedolim personally approached him to help lead Keren Olam HaTorah, and shared why he accepted the responsibility.

"This was not merely another fundraising campaign," Rav Wolf emphasized. "It was a rare moment in which virtually every segment of the Torah world had united under one umbrella to confront a common challenge."

He shared a deeply personal story about his family's Holocaust experiences, recounting his survivor father’s repeated refrain regarding individual family members left behind in Europe: if only another $50 could have been found in time, lives could have been saved. Rav Wolf explained that when the Gedolim approached him regarding the current fiscal threat to the yeshivot, he viewed this campaign as a direct mandate to act.

He outlined the campaign's immediate goals: an absolute need of $144 million annually—amounting to $12 million every single month—to sustain over 1,500 yeshivot across Eretz Yisrael. Rav Wolf emphasized the total financial transparency of Keren Olam HaTorah, explaining that absolutely no overhead or administrative salaries are paid from donations; every single dollar goes directly into the hands of the avreichim and their families. He noted that all streams of the Torah world—Lithuanian, Hasidic, and Sephardic—are fully participating together.

To illustrate the campaign's logistical framework, Rav Wolf detailed the process of establishing the campaign's tax structure with the IRS to ensure seamless, tax-deductible international support. He also cited a historic letter found in the Rothschild family archives, showing how the Torah world has historically relied on the bold, direct partnership of committed lay leaders. He explained that this movement is built entirely on ahavat chinam (unconditional love) between Jews across the globe and the Torah itself.

Concluding with a stirring challenge, he presented the "double your pledge" initiative. Rav Wolf stated that if any donor stepped up to double their commitment and did not subsequently see additional, visible blessing in their business and personal lives, he would personally stand behind the financial difference.

 

An Extraordinary Outpouring of Support

The response to Rav Wolf's challenge and the presence of the Gedolim was immediate. An anonymous commitment of $1,000,000 was followed by the Akilov family, who pledged $360,000 to the cause. The earlier afternoon session at the home of Ariel Ilyabayev in Rego Park had already raised $250,000. Another anonymous donor stepped forward with a $100,000 pledge, alongside a continuous wave of additional commitments verified and announced by organizers throughout the night.