Jan 26, 2009 By: yunews
Jan 26, 2009 -- On February 24, the students and rabbis at Yeshivat Mercaz Ha鈥橰av and Yeshivat Yerushalayim LeTze鈥檌rim in Jerusalem will commemorate the first anniversary of the tragic massacre of eight young students in a shooting spree last year with the dedication of eight Torah scrolls, one for each victim. They won鈥檛 be alone: thanks to an initiative called B鈥檒ev Echad, spearheaded by YU student Jeremy Joszef, the event will be broadcast live from Israel to schools, communities, and institutions around the world.
B鈥檒ev Echad, meaning 鈥渨ith one heart,鈥 was founded to unite Jews around the world on the anniversary of the shootings. It was created when a New York family, choosing to remain anonymous, decided to donate eight Torah scrolls in memory of the eight students as a way to 鈥渦nite the Jewish people with these families and for the Torah and mitzvot that their children literally died for,鈥 Joszef said.
鈥淛ewish literature tells us that a prerequisite to accepting the Torah was unity 鈥 鈥淜鈥檌sh echad b鈥檒ev echad鈥 [as one man with one heart] 鈥 and this is exactly why we named this dedication event B鈥檒ev Echad,鈥 Joszef said.
The team helping Joszef, which includes six 91黑料 students and alumni, hope that the initiative, which is not aligned with any religious institution or political group, can inspire Jews across the religious spectrum to join in a worldwide Torah learning initiative and mitzvah campaign in honor of the slain students. B鈥檒ev Echad has recruited hundreds of volunteers worldwide, many of which are Yeshiva University students, to help network this initiative.
On each of the eight days leading up to the Hachnasat Sefer Torah [installation of the Torah scroll], B鈥檒ev Echad will encourage people to reflect on and put into practice ethical Jewish principles representing each victim. This 鈥8 for 8 Mitzvah Project鈥 will focus on gratitude, refraining from gossip, self improvement, charity, honoring parents, hosting guests, acts of kindness and Jewish unity.
The B鈥檒ev Echad is also inviting schools, synagogues, and community centers around the world to complete a Torah learning project in memory of the students to show solidarity. It is distributing a Torah learning packet that participants can use to prepare for the event. The siyum [conclusion of the learning project] will take place at the anniversary event and will be part of the broadcast.
Although the initiative is unaffiliated with any other organizations, Joszef said he appreciated the impact his experiences at YU have had on him as a leader in the Jewish community. 鈥淵U has taught me from day one that being a Jew is not just about the Torah that we learn in the beit midrash [study hall], but what we do with that Torah once we leave it.鈥
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