Torah study in Cleveland
Torah study in ClevelandWorld Bnei Akiva

Thousands of young Jews around the globe, affiliated with the World Bnei Akiva movement, participated in a World Study Night in accordance with a Jewish tradition to stay up and learn on the night of Hoshana Rabbah, the seventh and final day of the Jewish festival of Sukkot.

Participants were able to download an online source sheet, which was translated into a variety of languages, on the topic of "Universalism and the Chosen People.”

The World Study Night was held in dozens of cities around the world including Rome, Zurich, Stockholm, Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro, Cleveland and Detroit. All of the Bnei Akiva chapters that participated in the project were free to put their own creative stamps on the evening. The format for the night’s activities varied among the branches from organized study groups in pairs to parent-child learning as well as games, competitions, and other family-friendly events. All participants were entered into a raffle drawing to win a free trip to Israel.

An English World Study Night of learning and music was held at Bnei Akiva’s Headquarters in Jerusalem and in collaboration with the Jewish Agency for Israel. Hundreds of Bnei Akiva alumni who moved to Israel, along with members of the one-year study/volunteer Hachshara program, participated in the night of learning, which was produced and organized by students from Bnei Akiva’s World Mechina Program.

Attendees enjoyed gleaning from a variety of study sessions, learning in pairs in both English and Hebrew and studying in an open Beit Midrash (study hall). The main classes and lectures were given by Rabbi Doron Perez and Rabbanit Shani Taragin, both of which began at midnight and were open to all. A festive musical celebration started at 2:00 a.m. featuring the band Kumsitz. The entire event was open to anyone interested in learning in English.

"We chose the night of Hoshana Rabbah based on a decision made in January by our World Council, which sought to hold a worldwide night of Torah study as an expression of Bnei Akiva’s mission to teach its students around the world to live a life with the light of Torah in the Land of Israel, based on the principle of ‘Torah Emanating from Zion,’" said Roi Abecassis, Secretary General of World Bnei Akiva.

Bnei Akiva is a Jewish religious Zionist youth movement, which inspires and empowers young Jews all over the world. The movement works to instill in Jewish youth a sense of commitment to the Jewish people, the Land of Israel and the Torah with an emphasis on the value of Aliyah (moving to Israel). Bnei Akiva, which is the largest Zionist youth movement in the world, is active in 22 countries and 43 cities with over 100 branches represented by over 100 shlichim (emissaries).

The Hoshana Raabbah program was made possible thanks to the Gotlib family and for a Refua Shlema, health and long life, to Rachel bat Devorah Bluma Gotlib.

(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Simchat Torah and Shmini Atzeret in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)