An international Siyum HaShas Talmud study convention is slated to be held at the Jerusalem Great Synagogue next month, featuring world renowned rabbis, including Israel Prize Awardee Rabbi Adin "Even Yisrael" Steinsaltz, known for his numerous translations and commentaries on sacred texts – the most well-known of his works being the monumental Steinsaltz edition of the “Shas,” or Talmud, itself.
Rabbi Steinsaltz published his own edition of the Talmud years ago with line by line translation of the Aramaic text, explanation and comments in modern Hebrew, to facilitate learning. The Steinsaltz Talmud has since also been translated into English, French, Russian and Spanish and has been published in a small-size edition to make it easy to study when travelling. The first four volumes of the complete English edition were published this year in May.
Also speaking at the event, scheduled for August 9, are a rostrum of famous Torah figures, including:
Rabbi Dovid Miller, Mashgiach Ruchani of Yeshiva University and associate director of the Caroline and Joseph S. Gruss Institute in Jerusalem as well as holder of the Benjamin and Charlotte Gottesfeld Chair in Talmud
Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, Chief Rabbi of Efrat, founder and chancellor of Ohr Torah Institutions in Israel and author of numerous Judaic works
Rabbi Dovid Gottlieb,former rabbi of Congregation Shomrei Emunah, Baltimore, MD. In August, 2010 R. Gottlieb and his family made aliyah to Israel, where they currently live in Ramat Shilo, a suburb of Beit Shemesh. Since making aliyah R. Gottlieb has taught in a variety of yeshivot and seminaries and was commissioned by OU Press to write a book about the laws of Yom Tov.
Rabbi Shmuel Hershler, Torah lecturer and Daf Yomi teacher at Yeshurun Synagogue in Jerusalem and rav of Ramot Bet synagogue.
Musical interludes will be provided by Chazan Chaim Adler - Chief Cantor of the Jerusalem Great Synagogue.
Admission to the convention is free, as participants join together to celebrate the completion of a cycle of studying the entire set of tractates of the Talmud, also known in Judaism as the Oral Law, in the seven-year-long Daf Yomi program of study.
Both men and women are invited to attend. Doors open at 6:45 p.m. The evening service, Mincha, will be held at 7:15 p.m., to be followed by the start of the program at 7:45 p.m. The night service, Ma'ariv will be held at the conclusion of the program.
The convention is being sponsored by the International Young Israel Movement – Israel, in partnership with World Mizrachi, RCA-Israel, Yeshiva University Israel Alumni, the Jerusalem Great Synagogue, the Council of Young Israel Rabbis in Israel, and Kollel Torah MiTzion, which sends rabbis and kollel students to Diaspora communities to strengthen Torah and Zionism.
For more information, send an email by clicking here or call (in Israel) 054-482-6649.