The visit began with a tour of Seeach Sod’s main complex on Yirmiyahu Street in Yerushalayim. In the Vocational Center for Girls, the visitors observed the special young women hard at work, packaging candies and producing novelty soap items and were amazed by the energy, joy and sense of fulfillment that permeated the air. The group continued to the wing that houses a respite center – a beautifully designed hotel where families can leave their special-needs children for a few days in the event of a family simchah, a Yom Tov, or other circumstances.

The group finally arrived at Kollel Chazon Dov for the climax of their visit: a learning session together with the special bachurim of the kollel. Each guest was paired up with a chavrusa – a member of the kollel and to everyone’s amazement, the learning session took off instantly with a fire and bren that must have lit up the Heavens. Dozens of voices blended together in a chorus of resonating kol Torah as the chavrusos animatedly reviewed Hilchos Shabbos.

The learning session concluded with a poignant message delivered by Seeach Sod’s CEO Rabbi Shimon Levy. After telling the visitors a little bit about the kollel’s study program, Rabbi Levy shared his feelings: “Kollel Chazon Dov is named after my father, Rabbi Dov Levy z”l, the founder of Seeach Sod and father of frum special education in Eretz Yisrael. Indeed, it was his vision, his ‘chazon’ to see regular avreichim learning together with special-needs bachurim. This is true nachas for my father and it is certainly a great zechus for his neshamah.”  

After the learning session, the guests were served lunch in Seeach Sod’s hall, where Seeach Sod’s choir performed and a father of a Seeach Sod student relayed his appreciation for the institution and to the Lakewood visitors who gave of their time to learn with their special brothers. Rabbi Eliezer Apter, one of the visitors, conveyed his powerful impressions of Seeach Sod’s avodas hakodesh and offered warm brachos that the institution should be able to continue creating a kiddush Hashem. After bentching, the guests linked arms with the Seeach Sod bachurim in an exuberant round of dancing.

The entire visit lasted less than two hours but it was slice of time that left a strong impact on both the visitors and hosts.