YOSEF MASHINSKY MONSEY FULL
Projections for the upcoming Shmittah estimate that approximately one third of the land farmed privately by Jews will be in full observance of Shmittah, under the auspices of Keren Hashviis. Since its inception more than 35 years ago, the cumulative growth in the number of Shomrei Shvi’is for each Shmittah cycle has been extraordinary. Keren Hashviis was founded in 1979, by Rav Binyomin Mendelsohn zt”l, Rav of the Komemius settlement together with his son and successor, Rav Menachem Mendel zt”l. The driving force behind this revolution is the organization Keren Hashviis – the financial arm of Israel’s National Center for Shmittah Observance. Even more remarkable perhaps, is the diversity of the individual farmers, who have made the conscious decision to observe shmittah exactly as prescribed in the Torah without any compromises, despite the often overwhelming financial sacrifice of forgoing their primary source of livelihood. One of the most dramatic manifestations of Kiddush Hashem in our time is the exponential growth of Shomrei Shviis in Eretz Yisroel. Rav Mendelsohn arrived in the US with a special delegation to provide a firsthand report on the preparations for the unprecedented number of farmers undertaking full shmittah observance for this coming year. The featured guest at both asifos was Rav Yisroel Yitzchok Mendelsohn, Av Beis Din Moshav Komemiyus-Yerushalayim and Nasi of Keren Hashviis. At each of these emergency gatherings, communal rabbonim, roshei yeshiva, admorim and manhigim, were urged to spearhead a grassroots effort to facilitate the active participation of their kehillos in securing ample funding for farmers seeking to observe shmittah this coming year. Leading Gedolei Yisroel in Eretz Yisroel and the US have called two special asifos this past week, one in Monsey and one in Brooklyn.
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