On Sunday, August 24, the Far Rockaway and Queens communities gathered for an uplifting parlor meeting in support of Yeshivat Ahavat Torah of Lakewood, New Jersey, a premier Sephardic yeshivah shaping the next generation of talmidei chachamim. The event was graciously hosted at the home of Rabbi and Mrs. Richard Altabe on Meehan Avenue and featured an inspiring program of personal reflection, words of Torah, and a keynote drashah that deeply moved all who attended.
Rabbi Richard Altabe opened the program by thanking neighbors and friends for coming and expressed special gratitude to his wife, Lisa, for creating a refined atmosphere befitting kavod haTorah. He then spoke personally about why this yeshivah matters to his family. Fresh off a trip to Spain and Portugal to reconnect with Sephardic roots, he described the bittersweet experience of visiting historic Jewish quarters that now function as static exhibits. “It’s history—museum pieces,” he reflected, contrasting that with the vibrant Torah renewal he sees today in America and Eretz Yisrael. Tracing his own lineage to Rav Avraham Zacuto, Rabbi Altabe underscored that Sephardic greatness is not merely the past. “There is a revolution in Torah happening,” he noted, pointing to bustling morning batei midrash in Deal, Lakewood, and Brooklyn. With evident pride, he shared that his son Avraham (Avi) Altabe has joined that wave as a rising talmid chacham in Yeshivat Ahavat Torah. He described the yeshivah’s learning as a thoughtful fusion—Sephardic clarity and warmth married to Brisker analysis—“producing talmidim that klal Yisrael will benefit from today, tomorrow, and beyond.” A short film followed, introducing the yeshivah’s beit midrash energy, its emphasis on practical halachah, and its tailored tracks for different levels.
Rosh HaYeshivah Rabbi Mordechai Aboud then addressed the crowd with heartfelt words. He shared the moving backstory of how Rabbi Altabe, years ago at a community gathering where Rav Avraham Pam, ztk”l, spoke, pledged that if he could secure a brachah from Rav Pam, he would dedicate his only son to Torah. Rav Pam gave that brachah, and Avi Altabe became what Rabbi Aboud described as a “korban to Torah—wholly given over.” Rabbi Aboud painted the picture of a true ben Torah, so immersed in learning that he walks out of the beit midrash still saying over the sugyah. He then stressed the mission of the yeshivah: to instill not only rigor in learning but also mesikut haTorah, the sweetness that anchors a life. “If a person lacks the sweetness of Torah, he will naturally seek out other pleasures,” he said.
Rabbi Aboud also connected the yeshivah to his own rebbi, Rabbi Haskel Husbandsky of Riverdale, whose yahrtzeit was approaching. Rabbi Aboud noted how his rebbi’s brilliance and step-by-step approach to unraveling every sugyah continues to shape the derech of Yeshivat Ahavat Torah. He expressed gratitude to the community for helping each talmid reach his potential and pointed to the school’s rapid growth: from a small founding group to over 50 avrechim/bochurim, with a monthly budget that has expanded from $20,000 to approximately $90,000.
The program concluded with the keynote address of Rabbi Joey Haber, who framed the cause around human dignity and the importance of being truly known. Drawing on the Gemara’s story of Choni HaMe’agel, who awoke after seventy years to a world that did not recognize him, Rabbi Haber explained, “It wasn’t that they wouldn’t give him a seat. It was that no one knew who he was. A person needs someone who truly knows their worth.” He emphasized that Yeshivat Ahavat Torah provides just that—an environment where each talmid is recognized, valued, and empowered.
Rabbi Haber spoke candidly about his own experiences in larger yeshivot where he sometimes felt like “just a number,” compared to the transformative impact of belonging to a small, close-knit circle where every talmid felt responsible for carrying Torah in America. To illustrate the point, he recalled his younger years in Staten Island, where everyone knew him simply as “Joey.” Having a nickname meant being recognized, and “being known,” he explained, makes all the difference in how a person learns and grows. He compared this to the talmidim of Rav Aharon Kotler, who felt unique because they were part of a small group and each believed that the future of Torah in America rested on their shoulders. “That sense of responsibility,” he said, “is what makes learning come alive.”
He also used the Gemara’s image of a fly pecking at a general’s brain to illustrate the epidemic of overthinking in modern life. Just as noise temporarily soothed the fly but could not cure it, he said, so too people today try to drown out intrusive thoughts with distractions, yet the inner turmoil often grows stronger. The true remedy, he insisted, is having rabbeim and mentors who can provide daily guidance and clarity.
He then shared a deeply personal story about his 25-year-old son, who suffered a stroke ten months ago. The outpouring of tefillot and concern from family, friends, and the broader community gave his son a renewed sense of worth. “It gave him new life,” Rabbi Haber said with emotion. “He felt important. People cared, and that gave him strength. That is what this yeshivah does for every talmid: it makes him feel important, valued, and capable of greatness.” He concluded by citing the pasuk in Devarim that sets out the choice between brachah and kelalah, explaining that an individual’s decision inevitably impacts the broader klal. “What you are doing here today,” he told the crowd, “will affect not just these young men, but hundreds, perhaps thousands, who will learn from them in years to come.”
The gathering highlighted the robust leadership of the Rosh HaYeshivah and Rosh Kollel Rabbi Ezra Ben-Haim, with the rabbinic presence of local figures Rabbi Moshe Brown of Agudath Israel of West Lawrence; Rabbi Yaakov Bender, Rosh HaYeshivah of Darchei Torah; and Rabbi Eytan Feiner, mara d'atra at the White Shul, who joined to show their support. Attendees left with a clear sense that Yeshivat Ahavat Torah of Lakewood is not just another makom Torah—it is a movement that marries Sephardic mesorah with top-tier analysis, forms poskim grounded in practical halachah, and cultivates refined middot, tefillah, and derech eretz alongside depth in learning.
By Shabsie Saphirstein
Far Rockaway Community Rallies Behind Yeshivat Ahavat Torah
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