RFK Financial Partners Pledge $70K for Crown Heights Kollel

By COLlive reporter

Businessmen Dudi Farkash, Yehuda Konstam, and Barry Rosinger, partners of RFK Financial Group in Brooklyn, have announced a major gift to the new Kolel L’Horaah Ma’asis of Crown Heights.

The groundbreaking Kolel, led by Rosh Kollel Rabbi Sholom Ber Shuchat and Sgan Rosh Kollel Rabbi Shraga Homnick, was founded by philanthropist Rabbi Shlomo Greenwald, and is the first of its kind in the Chabad world.

It trains over 40 young Rabbis in the practical applications of Jewish Law and prepares them to serve as leading Halachic authorities worldwide.

As they begin their second year, they are holding a fundraising campaign to raise $770,000 in support of the Kolel. During the campaign, the RFK Financial partners have committed to a donation of close to $70,000 over this year.

“The whole idea of Yissachar and Zevulun – and being able to support the future leaders in Lubavitch – is a very big zechus,” Dudi Farkash told COLlive. “My partners, who are not Lubavitch, are always so moved in their travels around the country and the world, meeting shluchim who are knowledgeable in all the aspects of Torah and halacha, it makes a big kiddush Hashem.

“When Shloimy Greenwald came up with this idea, I knew it would be a winner, especially with Rabbi Shuchat, who is a talmid Chochom, at the head. And now we are seeing the fruits of the project, and it is amazing. We are so proud to invest in something that will give a return for generations to come.”

“Dudi Farkash and his partners have been staunch supporters of the Kolel from day one,” says Rabbi Greenwald. “Dudi has not only been a supporter financially but has helped in other ways as well, bringing his father, halachic posek Rabbi Yekusiel Farkash and brother, Rov and author Rabbi Mordechai Farkash, to speak at the Kolel. He has been very instrumental in making the Kolel a reality.”

The Kollel was established to fill a void felt in the Jewish world whereby Bochurim and Yungeleit who study for many years in Yeshivos and Kolel complete their studies with extensive knowledge in Gemara, Rishonim and Acharonim, but didn’t study Halacha and more specifically its practical application in today’s day and age, thus leading to a void in Rabonim who can Pasken Shaalos and lead their communities.

To accommodate the many who are unfortunately unable to make the time to study all day, the Kollel was set up with a “Yisochor/Zevulun” format, where one can sponsor a day, week, month, or even an entire year of learning, thus becoming a “Partner” in someone’s Torah learning.

Many community members have excitedly taken this upon themselves, and the feedback has been incredible.

All the Shiurim delivered in Kolel were streamed live and available afterward on YouTube. This past year alone, over 120 shiurim have been broadcast, spanning the topics of Mikvaos and Ribbis in-depth, various Halachic topics of interest, and Chassidus Shiurim from renowned scholar and author Rabbi Simon Jacobson.

Click here to partner with the Kolel now.