Yeshiva Sha’arei Zion Brings Queens Pride Torah Umesorah Convention

Yeshiva Sha’arei Zion (YSZ) brought a warm and genuine Queens presence to this year’s Torah Umesorah Convention at Kalahari, joining hundreds of mechanchim and school leaders from across the country who gather each year to strengthen themselves in the world of chinuch. For YSZ, it was a chance to step into the national conversation with the quiet confidence of a school that knows who it is and what it wants for its talmidim and talmidos.

The leadership of YSZ — including menahel Rabbi Ephraim Ben Mordechai — spent the weekend immersed in sessions that touched on the real, day-to-day needs of a yeshivah: supporting teachers, guiding children with warmth and firmness, building trust with parents, and keeping the school anchored in Torah values as the community around it continues to grow. They joined workshops, spoke with veteran mechanchim, and took part in discussions that spoke to the heart of what they do every single day back home in Queens.

What stood out most was the sense of belonging. Even in a room filled with schools from across America, YSZ carried the unique voice of the Sephardic community of Queens — its warmth, its humility, and its deep respect for mesorah. The yeshivah’s leaders had the opportunity to share the needs and strengths of Sephardic families who are building a strong future in neighborhoods like Forest Hills, Rego Park, and Kew Gardens Hills, and to hear how other communities are navigating similar challenges.

Throughout the convention, there was a consistent message: chinuch grows when people invest in it — with time, with heart, and with sincerity. That message resonated deeply with the YSZ team, who returned home with fresh ideas and renewed energy. They came back with practical tools for their classrooms, chizuk for their teachers, and a sense of responsibility to take what they learned and bring it into the lives of their students.

As the Sephardic community in Queens continues to expand, the convention reminded YSZ’s leadership that their role is part of something larger — a nation of schools all working to raise children who love Torah and feel proud of who they are. For Yeshiva Sha’arei Zion, the experience was more than professional development. It was a moment of connection — to Klal Yisrael, to the world of chinuch, and to the shared mission that binds every Jewish classroom together.

YSZ returned from Kalahari with a simple message: our community in Queens is growing, our children are thriving, and we are committed — fully and wholeheartedly — to giving them the strongest, warmest, and most authentic Torah education possible.

By Shabsie Saphirstein