Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim Montreal

Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim Montreal in Canada was founded by the Frierdiker Rebbe on the 3rd of Cheshvan 5702 (1941).

Early History

The Frierdiker Rebbe appealed to the Canadian government to grant visas to the Tomchei Tmimim students from Shanghai. The Canadian government agreed, and out of eighty visas distributed to all yeshiva students in Shanghai at the time, the yeshiva received nine visas. On the 2nd of Cheshvan 5702, nine Tmimim who received visas were sent: Yosef Rodal, Aryeh Leib Kramer, Yosef Menachem Mendel Tenenbaum, Menachem Zev Greenglass, Moshe Eliyahu Garlitzky, Yitzchak Hendel, Yosef Weinberg, Yosef Tzvi Kotlarsky, and Shmuel Stein, with the goal of strengthening the community and establishing a Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim in Montreal. (These nine bochurim were students of Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim Otwock before studying in Shanghai).

They traveled by ship from Shanghai to San Francisco, California and from there by train to Montreal, The day after their arrival, the yeshiva opened. Rabbi Aryeh Leib Kramer served as its director from then until his passing. Rabbi Yitzchak HaKohen Hendel stood at the head of the yeshiva.

The Frierdiker Rebbe's Instructions to the Students

About a week later, on the 9th of Cheshvan, the Frierdiker Rebbe sent a long letter to the Tmimim students detailing his holy instructions for their activities in the city as well as special instructions regarding the new yeshiva students:

• Two students should review Chassidus in two Chabad synagogues in the city every Friday night, and do the same between Mincha and Maariv on Shabbos, with different students reviewing each time while the others listen
• All students should eat the two Shabbos meals together, singing Lubavitch nigunim slowly during the meals. One student should review Chassidus and they should tell stories
• Since Sunday is a day off in Canada, they should publicly review a Chassidus maamar (can be one already said on Shabbos), specifically a maamar about divine service
• To bring close the Anash who were swept away by the "many waters" to worldly life, to breathe new life into them
• To bring close young people in every possible way "search thoroughly with great effort and toil" and bring them into the yeshiva
• Try to visit non-Chabad synagogues as well, convey regards from our brethren overseas, tell in detail about the suffering and arouse that we need to help free them through the pidyon shvuyim work under the Rebbe's direction
• Visit the rabbis and discuss Torah with them, "put aside humility and study well some sugyos and debate them among yourselves and discuss them with the rabbis to remove any notion that in Tomchei Tmimim they don't learn nigleh or that the knowledge of nigleh is weak"

Development of the Yeshiva

During the month of Cheshvan, the Frierdiker Rebbe sent the renowned mashpia Rabbi Shmuel Levitin to help establish the yeshiva in its first steps. Later the Rebbe instructed to arrange a working committee to manage Tomchei Tmimim, which would be chosen by the local Anash. The Rebbe instructed to appoint R' Yehuda Albert as head of the committee - apparently an activist who helped and supported the yeshiva greatly. Rabbi Levitin left the yeshiva shortly after the 10th of Kislev 5702, about a month after arriving at the yeshiva.

Less than a month after the yeshiva opened, the nine students conducted major outreach among the city's Jews and gathered twenty-four young students from among the city's synagogues, for whom they established two classes of a yeshiva called "Achei Tmimim", temporarily in the Chabad Nusach Ari synagogue on Park Avenue.

The Frierdiker Rebbe was not satisfied with the success, and about a week later sent a letter to Rabbi Levitin, complaining that they had gathered "only" twenty-four students. He gave practical instructions on how to gather more students. As part of the outreach, the students published a newspaper called 'Der Chaver' for a year calling on young parents to send their children to yeshiva.

Meanwhile, young men who had traveled from Germany to England were arrested because they spoke German and were suspected of spying for the Germans. These young men were sent to a detention camp in New Brunswick, Canada. After the Frierdiker Rebbe worked to free them through Rabbi Levitin, in Pesach 5702 they joined the yeshiva, including Aharon Klein, Yehuda Sputz, and Reuven Tzvi Yehuda Feigelstock, who became close to Chabad Chassidus thanks to this rescue.

A year later in 5703 the yeshiva had over two hundred students. The Frierdiker Rebbe sent a letter saying that thank G-d after great effort that the students exerted, there should have been at least five hundred students.

In 5710 Rabbi Yehuda Chitrik was appointed as the spiritual director of the yeshiva. On the 15th of Shvat 5712 the Rebbe instructed him to establish Ach Tmimim Hashluchim.

On the 19th of Kislev 5716 the yeshiva celebrated together with five hundred students the first semicha ceremony recognized in Canada. The impressive evening was held at Young Israel with participation of all the city's Jews. The students were tested by Rabbi Hirschhorn - the chief rabbi of Montreal. The Rebbe instructed to make it a big celebration and the mayor and congressmen were invited. The Rebbe sent a special representative, Rabbi Shlomo Hecht, who made a great kiddush Hashem.

The Yeshiva Building

As the yeshiva expanded, there was a need for an organized and large space. The yeshiva administrators began planning to buy a large, beautiful building to comfortably house all students. Until this plan materialized, the yeshiva was housed in a local orphanage, where they received several rooms to run the yeshiva.

Meanwhile, the Frierdiker Rebbe began demanding that Montreal anash and activists arrange to buy a new, spacious building for the yeshiva. The Rebbe sent letters to activists who helped the yeshiva greatly - not to spare their money and ensure a proper building for the yeshiva, and Hashem would reward them.

Indeed, in mid-summer that year they succeeded in buying a large building suitable for the yeshiva. For the building dedication held on 15 Kislev 5704, the Frierdiker Rebbe sent a letter to the yeshiva students, blessing them and the entire community and rabbonim with mazal tov for acquiring the building. The celebration itself was held with great splendor with participation of city rabbonim and visiting rabbonim, led by the Rashag - the Frierdiker Rebbe's son-in-law and executive director of Tomchei Temimim who came to Montreal.

The Frierdiker Rebbe's letter showering rare praise on the students who established the Montreal yeshiva:

"With G-d's help, with mesiras nefesh, tremendous effort and sweat, they established thank G-d the yeshiva in Montreal, which was - like other cities - devoid of any moisture of Torah and without etc. etc. and with Hashem's kindness the Temimim students succeeded in building on Montreal's ruins a tower of Torah light."

Over the years the building became too small to contain everyone and on 23 Iyar 5722 a new building was dedicated at 6405 Westbury.

After R' Peretz Mochkin's passing, the yeshiva expanded into his house (building adjacent to the yeshiva) number 6355, until 19 Kislev 5760 when a fire broke out in this house, in one of the rooms, while the bochurim were in middle of a farbrengen for 19 Kislev.

On 26 Sivan 5767 a new magnificent building was dedicated at 6355, where the zal of the yeshiva gedola moved, and in the adjacent building - 6405, a fourth floor was built for cheder students, which also houses the mikvah and community shul.

(In Iyar 5769 the yeshiva staff called a meeting announcing financial difficulties; but ultimately, with great effort, the yeshiva was preserved.)

As of 5784 about forty bochurim study in the yeshiva.

Past Yeshiva Staff

• R' Yitzchak HaKohen Hendel - Rosh Yeshiva and Mashgiach
• R' Aryeh Leib Kramer - Rosh Yeshiva
• R' Menachem Zev Greenglass - Mashpia
• R' Meir Chaim Chaikin - Maggid Shiur
• R' Yerachmiel Binyominson - Maggid Shiur
• R' Isaac Shwei - Rosh Yeshiva
• R' Yosef HaKohen Rodal - Rosh Yeshiva
• R' Yehuda Chitrik - Menahel Ruchani
• R' Chaim Eliezer Ashkenazi - Teacher
• R' Yehuda Sputz - Board Member
• R' Reuven Tzvi Yehuda Feigelstock - Board Member
• R' Yosef Yitzchak Sputz - Director
• R' Aharon Eliezer Tzeitlin - Teacher

Current Administration and Staff

• R' Shmuel Mordechai Kramer - Board Member
• R' Aryeh Leib Kaplan - Current Rosh Yeshiva
• R' Shalom Ber Cohen - Ram (formerly Mashpia)
• R' Yitzchak Meir Gurary - Head Mashpia
• R' Tzvi Hirsh Gurary - Mashpia
• R' Moshe Abba Stern - Ram and Board Member
• R' Mordechai Wenger - Mashgiach and Menahel Ruchani
• R' Yisroel Kaplan - Mashpia and Menahel Ruchani

Notable Alumni

• R' Mordechai Shmuel Ashkenazi - Rav of Kfar Chabad
• R' Levi Bistritzky - Rav of Tzfat
• R' Moshe Eliyahu Gerlitzky - Mashpia and Gabbai in Montreal
• R' Aharon Yaakov Shwei - Beis Din member in Crown Heights
• R' Chaim Shneur Zalman Marozov - Mashpia in Montreal
• R' Yosef Menachem Mendel Tenenbaum - Director of Tomchei Temimim Ocean Parkway
• R' Shalom Dov Ber Stambler - Rebbe's Shliach in Warsaw, Poland
• Rabbi Avrohom Osdobo - Beis Din member in Crown Heights
• R' Yisroel Yosef Hendel - Community Rav and Mashgiach in Migdal HaEmek
• R' Avraham Shmuel Bukiet - Mashpia in Or Simcha, Kfar Chabad
• R' Aharon Eliezer Tzeitlin - Senior Anash and Mashpia in Tzfat
• R' Yitzchak Yaakov Rosenstein - Ram in Toras Emes, Jerusalem
• R' Asher Farkash - Mashpia in Buenos Aires, Argentina
• R' Shneur Zalman Farkash - Mashpia in Argentina
• R' Elimelech Farkash - Teacher in Toras Emes
• R' Shlomo Chananya Maman - Director of Tiferes Menachem in Beitar Illit