Much effort was invested to ensure a festive and uplifting atmosphere, replete with a proper minyan in Kollel Chazon Dov, where Seeach Sod students prayed alongside members of the community for all the tefillos on the Yomim Noraim, with the Ropshitzer Rebbe shlita, Harav Eliezer Rokeach, serving as chazzan.

The soul-stirring atmosphere that dominated this minyan was described by one community member who wrote to us as follows:

“On erev Rosh Hashanah I heard about a special minyan taking place in the holy city of Yerushalayim. After having participated in this minyan, I am convinced that this was the minyan of the holy Baal Shem Tov. As the well-known story goes, a young boy walked into the Baal Shem Tov’s shul on Rosh Hashanah with a flute is hand. This boy was an unlearned shepherd, who did not know how to read. He did, however, know how to play beautiful tunes on his flute. And so he began to play on his flute, just as he did out on the fields for his sheep. This was his way of pouring out his heart to the One Above. The Baal Shem Tov is known to have said that the boy, in his simplistic purity, succeeded in penetrated the heavens.

“As the special children of Seeach Sod filed into Kollel Chazon Dov’s shul, the joy was evident on their faces. They were thrilled to be able to daven along with a minyan and to hear the Torah reading. When the shofar was blown, the faces of these special boys and men radiated with unadulterated joy. Their enthusiasm fired up inspiration in all the rest of us. It was enough just to see a boy staring into space, his eyes unfocused, and occasionally crying out “Abba! Abba!” Or his friend sitting right next to him, swaying back and forth with such fervor. Yes, all of us, share the same “Abba”, the same father to whom we were all crying out – those of us blessed with able bodies and minds and those with a holy neshamah in a handicapped body.

“It was moving to see the devoted counselors accompanying their charges helping them keep up with the prayers or taking them out for a break. How blessed the Jewish nation is to have such an incredible minyan in its midst! May the One Above bestow his brachos upon the directors of Seeach Sod, who glorify His name, by ensuring that special neshamos can have a taste of prayer. May it be His will that these special tefillos be accepted, along with the tefillos of all of Klal Yisrael!”