Leviev Visits the Yeshiva His Grandfather Could Only Dream Of

Lubavitcher Yeshiva was honored today with a visit from renowned philanthropist and supporter of Jewish education, Mr. Lev Leviev together with his daughter Chagit and son Yehoshua. A special presentation connected the Yeshiva to his own family history.

Lubavitcher Yeshiva was honored today with a special visit from renowned philanthropist and supporter of Jewish education, Mr. Lev Leviev, who toured the Yeshiva together with his daughter Chagit and son Yehoshua.

During the visit, Mr. Leviev walked through the Yeshiva’s expanding campus, visiting classrooms. As he passed through the halls, the sound of Torah filled the beautiful newly renovated building.

Rabbi Yossi Langsam shared with Mr. Leviev the tremendous growth currently underway. After recently completing one major building project, the Yeshiva has already begun construction on an additional expansion.

Mr. Leviev expressed how impressed and inspired he was by the growth of the moisad, the energy in the classrooms, and the dedication being invested into building a stronger future for Torah and Chassidishe chinuch.

At the conclusion of the visit, Rabbi Yosef Simpson, Menahel Moisad, presented Mr. Leviev with a special plaque of a ksav yad kodesh from the Rebbe on the unique importance and tremendous zechus of tzedakah, especially when connected to chinuch.

For the Leviev family, the visit carried a deeper meaning.

A special video presentation prepared for the visit traced the story of Tomchei Temimim, from its founding by the Rebbe Rashab in Lubavitch, to the mesirus nefesh of the Frierdiker Rebbe in Soviet Russia, to the Rebbe’s constant investment in the talmidim of the Yeshiva, whom he referred to during Birchas Habonim as “the Rebbe’s children.”

The presentation then connected that story to Mr. Leviev’s own family history.

Over a century ago, in the same era that Tomchei Temimim was founded in Lubavitch, the light of Chassidus reached Samarkand, where a cheder was opened by the Chabad chossid Rav Leib Eliezerov. Among the children who learned there was a young boy named Zevulun — Mr. Leviev’s grandfather.

That flame continued in Tashkent, where Zevulun’s son, Avner, lived as a proud Yid under Soviet oppression. Despite danger and interrogation, he remained steadfast, performing bris milah for Yiddishe children in secret, at great personal risk, and raising a family with deep emunah and mesirus nefesh.

In that home grew a young boy named Lev. He learned Torah quietly in a time when Torah learning was forbidden, kept Shabbos with pride, and held strongly to his Yiddishkeit even when it came at a cost.

What began with the Rebbe Rashab in Lubavitch, what the Frierdiker Rebbe kept alive through golus, and what the Rebbe sent his talmidim and shluchim to ignite around the world — was alive in that home in Tashkent.

That same young boy would later go on to help build yeshivos, mosdos, and kehillah infrastructure across the world, ensuring that countless Yiddishe children could learn Torah openly, proudly, and with dignity.

Those who participated in the visit noted how powerful it was to see the story come full circle: from hidden Torah learning under Soviet rule, to the open Kol Torah now echoing proudly through the halls of Lubavitcher Yeshiva in Crown Heights.

The visit was not only a tour of a building under construction. It was a glimpse into a living chain of chinuch, mesirus nefesh, and growth — floor by floor.

As Lubavitcher Yeshiva continues to grow hecher un hecher, the visit served as a powerful reminder of the mission of Tomchei Temimim: to raise talmidim who carry the flame of Torah and Chassidus, and who go on to light the world around them.

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