Pinchas Shapiro, son of Rabbi Meir Shapiro zt”l, recited the formal Kaddish. In his remarks, the chief rabbi made recognition of Rabbi Shapiro’s pioneer accomplishments as chief rabbi of Buenos Aires in establishing sixteen full-time Israeli shochtimat the 60,000-acre Santa Elena meat farm in Argentina, from where kosher meat was and continues to be exported to Israel.
Rabbi Menachem Rokeach, Bercher Rav, was maschil haShas and began the Shas study cycle anew. Rabbi Avraham Hecht thanked everyone for participating and noted the important presence of Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Metzger as well as the participation of Sephardi Chief Rabbi Shalom Amar in the “apology event” involving leaders of Congregation Shaare Zion that took place in late March (My Machberes, April 6). Rabbi Hecht said he was overwhelmed.
Rabbi Yaakov Hecht closed the session with renditions of cantorial compositions in honor of the Siyum HaShas. Rabbi Abraham Stone, rabbi emeritus of Congregation Adas Yeshurun of Flatbush and longtime Jewish Press columnist, was honored with Birkas HaMazon. Those in attendance basked in the presence of the chief rabbi and the glow of Torah achievement.