The famous network of Beis-Yosef yeshivos, founded by the Torah giant, HaGaon HaRav Yosef Yozel Horowitz (the Elder of Novardok) ob”m, have acquired a world-wide reputation for selflessly spreading Torah even during the most trying times of war and pogroms. The network consisted of forty yeshivos with thousands of students deep inside Russia and Ukraine, including places where the word of HaShem has been forever alien. There these yeshivos publicly sanctified the name of Heaven at a time of terrible religious persecution orchestrated by the evil Yevsektziya, until thousands of students were forced to flee for their lives and seek refuge in our country. Here the network continued its unparalleled self-sacrificing work disseminating Torah and working to save the younger generation by establishing great Torah centers throughout the country. Among them is the famed Central Yeshiva here in Ostrovtze together with its nine branches where, to our great joy, close to 600 students are being educated. Among them are precious young men distinguished in their Torah knowledge and fear of Heaven, young men who are destined to become the future luminaries of Israel, great in Torah, mighty in both spirit and deed, giants of their generation and emblems of its glory.

Lately, however, with the awful crisis reigning in the world, the yeshivah, to our great dismay, has been subject to terrible financial pressures. We cannot supply the students with even the most meager rations, while they themselves suffer from abject poverty. Their very survival is at risk, God forbid, due to the enormous expense involved in feeding and clothing these wandering souls from Russia and Ukraine whose sole subsistence is provided by the yeshivah.

Hence, we are issuing this burning cry to all our brothers from the House of Israel wherever they may be — to hurriedly rescue, assist and support this fortress of Yiddishkeit by increasing the existing pledges that each and every one has made up till now, and to generously participate in the establishment of a home to foster the soul of our people, a foundation upon which all the House of Israel may depend in the future.

Be now of mighty assistance to HaShem; open the gates of your heart, loyal to HaShem and His Torah, and hear the voice of Yaakov imploring you to let him continue dwelling within the domain of Torah and the fear of Heaven.

We know that the present crisis is affecting all of you wherever you are; however, we must strengthen and gird ourselves, also in times of trouble, so as to assure the survival of the Torah by whose words we merit eternal life. When you heed our call, HaShem will heed yours. By participating in the rescue of this great center of Torah, you will merit great blessing and success in all your endeavors, together with life, peace, livelihood, wealth and contentment. All the blessings of the Torah extend to those who support it. “Blessed be the one who fulfills the words of this Torah.”

[signed]                        Avraham Mordechai, son of Rav Yehudah Szimanowitz           Director of the Yeshivah