Har Bracha Yeshiva’s end-of-year evening this week was filled with emotion, gratitude, and a strong sense of purpose.
Held in the study hall, the event was marked by a noticeable absence: several students were away on reserve duty, currently serving on the front lines in Gaza. In their place, parents attended on their behalf, taking part in an evening that marked both the conclusion of a meaningful chapter at the yeshiva and the beginning of new missions in their sons' lives.
The event brought together yeshiva students, their families, Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, class rabbis, educational staff, and public representatives. A shared theme resonated throughout the evening—a deep commitment to the integration of Torah study, educational leadership, military service, and national responsibility.
The gathering served as both a farewell and a celebration. Students from the younger class are about to begin their military service in combat units, while those from older classes having completed five years of intense Torah learning, are now setting out on diverse missions. Some will enter the world of education and rabbinical work; others will serve as military officers or participate in national and community leadership programs, both in Israel and abroad.
Rabbi Melamed spoke about the challenges the students faced during their time at the yeshiva, from the COVID-19 pandemic to the current war in Gaza. “It is precisely through these trials that you have connected deeply to the Torah and to the essence of the yeshiva,” he said. “You are leaving here not just with knowledge, but with strength and purpose, ready to bring light wherever you go.”
During the evening, Rabbi Barel Shevach and the yeshiva’s military coordinator addressed the students and distributed personalized gifts—a compact edition of the Pninei Halacha series—to each student heading into service, to support their continued Torah study even while in uniform.
Students reflected on their experiences from the past year, while parents shared heartfelt thanks for the educational and personal guidance their sons received. The evening also featured conversations between parents and class rabbis, a review of the yeshiva’s educational and community initiatives, and words of blessing for the path ahead.