The Avenue O Synagogue is one of the vibrant shul’s serving the Syrian Community of Flatbush. It is led by Rabbi Shmuel Beyda. One year ago, the shul partnered with Kollel Am Ohr, of Yerushalayim. Kollel Am Ohr is a wonderful Sephardic Kollel led by Roshei Kollel Rabbi Yehuda Abikasis and Rabbi Pinhas Mussari. It is under the administrative leadership of Rabbi Shlomo Dayan. The Kollel was handpicked by the Shuls, Rav, Rabbi Shmuel Beyda.
On Shabbos Parshas Bo the shul held its first annual renewal celebration. In honor of the occasion, Rabbi Eli Cohen, a well-known community Rabbi and powerful speaker addressed the event. Rabbi Cohen brought out the beauty of an Adopt-a-Kollel partnership and the fact that becoming a partner does not require a great investment of funds. For the amount one spends on a Pizza Pie, a person can partner with the shul’s Kollel. He impressed upon the members the fact that the Kollel is producing Dayanim, rabbinic judges that will be the next generation’s Rabbis. It is important for aspiring Dayanim to be able to study Torah with calm and serenity and not have to worry about where their next meal will be coming from, Rabbi Cohen said.
There was a tremendous increase in participation for this year’s renewal and many shul members signed up at the Motzoei Shabbat Avot Ubanim program and on Sunday morning. Adopt-a-Kollel Gabbai Albert Steinberg has been especially instrumental in making the partnership a success.
