[RERELEASE] A Historic Campaign: The Chofetz Chaim Sefer Torah (replay)

May 16, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

In late 1933, the Jewish world was plunged into mourning. The Chofetz Chaim, the beloved and undisputed leader of Lithuanian Jewry, had passed away at the age of 95. Two months later, the leaders of the Vaad Hayeshivos—the central fundraising organization for the great yeshivas of Poland—met in Vilna and made a decision. They would write a Sefer Torah in his memory, with the proceeds going to save the yeshiva world from financial collapse. What followed was a historic, worldwide campaign that raised money, inspired unity, and produced one of the most remarkable fundraising drives in pre-war Jewish history.

The Vaad Hayeshivos and the Crisis

The story begins with the Vaad Hayeshivos, an organization founded by the Chofetz Chaim and Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski after World War I. The war had decimated the yeshiva world, and the Vaad was created to coordinate fundraising and distribute funds to the struggling institutions of the Kresy region—the Lithuanian heartland now inside Poland's borders. Two overworked and underpaid men, Joseph Shub and Rabbi Yeruchom Berick, ran the entire operation from Vilna. (Both would later be murdered by the Nazis in the Ponar Forest.)

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What you'll learn

1 (00:30) **Episode Introduction & Sponsor** - Host Yehuda Geber opens the episode, thanks sponsor Mikey Stone, and recommends the podcast "The Great Sources" with Rabbi Schneur Burton.
2 (02:50) **Listener Feedback on Philadelphia Episode** - Yehuda reads excerpts from listener letters, adding corrections and insights about figures mentioned in a prior episode.
3 (06:12) **Topic Introduction: The Chofetz Chaim Sefer Torah Campaign** - Yehuda introduces the main story, framing it as the opposite of the tragic fast of Shiva Asar B'Tammuz and a story of dedication and unity.
4 (08:05) **Background: The Vaad HaYeshivos** - Yehuda explains the founding and function of the Vaad HaYeshivos in post-WWI Poland, a unified fundraising body for the Lithuanian yeshivas.
5 (12:38) **The Crisis and the Opportunity** - By the early 1930s, the Vaad HaYeshivos faced a severe financial crisis due to economic troubles, competition, and waning enthusiasm for its regular campaign.
6 (14:52) **Launching the Campaign** - The Vaad issues a proclamation, signed by leading rabbis, announcing the sefer Torah project and asking the public to buy letters or words.
7 (18:42) **A Worldwide Fundraising Effort** - The campaign was urgent, needing to capitalize on the fresh memory of the Chofetz Chaim, and quickly became a global initiative.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

The Lithuanian Yeshiva world in interwar Poland was facing financial crisis. The Vaad Hayeshivas was the umbrella organization which sought to alleviate the financial burden from the Yeshivas. With the passing of the Chofetz Chaim, the beloved leader, as well as founder and head of the Vaad Hayeshivas in September 1933, the Jewish People was plunged into mourning.

The Vaad Hayeshivas embarked on a campaign to write a Sefer Torah in memory of the Chofetz Chaim. Each letter would be sold, and the proceeds would go toward funding the Yeshivas which were in ever desperate straits. This would be a world wide campaign, in which it was hoped that all would desire to partake in this special endeavor. The Sefer Torah was duly written, with individuals from Jewish communities around the world having bought letters and receiving a special certificate as acknowledgement of their participation. Amid great festivities, the Torah was dedicated in honor of the 2nd yahrtzeit of the Chofetz Chaim in Elul 1935, where it was brought from Vilna to Radin.

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