It looked like a kibbutz galuyos – an ingathering of every segment of the Jewish People: Ashkenazim and Sefardim; Chassidim and college students; businessmen and balebatim.
They gathered for an Ohr Somayach Shabbaton, and imbibed the Torah and achdus. The students were local college students who’d, for the most part, already been touched by Ohr Somayach. The mentors were Toronto locals who were mostly discovering Ohr Somayach for the first time. It was amazement at first sight. Incredibly, the son of a Chassidic rebbe was so enamored; he insisted that we do a Shabbaton in his Upstate New York community!
Melave Malka, hosted by the Vogel family, included not only Ohr Somayach students, but also Aish HaTorah and Olami students and staff – bringing the achdus and ahavas Yisroel to an all-time climax.