A meeting of gedolei Torah was held at the home of Rav Yaakov Bender in Far Rockaway this past Motzei Shabbos to address the shidduch crisis, from which thousands of bnos yisroel are suffering as they wait for their zivugim. The gathering – a continuation of a long series of meetings being held throughout the US to implement the vision of R’ Moshe Hillel Hirsch – focused on a practical solution envisioned by Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch shlit”a to the ongoing crisis. The solution aims to address the age gap that has been a major factor in the crisis. The plan suggests that bochurim travel to Eretz Yisroel by Pesach of their third year in bais medrash, while girls would only begin shidduchim approximately a year after completing seminary. This adjustment is expected to help balance the age gap while ensuring that the impact on bochurim’s limud hatorah is negligible. Among those in attendance were Rav Mendel Slomovitz, Rav Binyomin Cohen and the Novominsker Rebbe, as well as local rabbanim and roshei yeshiva, including: Rav Chaim Yehoshua Hoberman, Rav Mordechai Respler, Rav Moshe Brown, Rav Eytan Feiner, Rav Mordechai Stern, Rav Moshe Perr, Rav Kalman Epstein, Rav Katzenstein, and Rav Sandler. As in previous gatherings held in Lakewood and most recently in Monsey, the rabbanim and roshei yeshiva at this meeting expressed strong support for the proposed approach, viewing it as a vital step to address the needs of shidduchim-age Bnos Yisroel without compromising the bochurim’s growth in Torah. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)