Agra D’Pirka, the brainchild of Ezra Klein, was born in 2009, after he noticed that people were learning daily in many scattered locations in Flatbush. It occurred to him that if these baal habatim were learning in a central location with the proper structured environment, it would raise their Torah learning to a whole new level.
Little did he realize that his revolutionary weekday morning learning program would mushroom into 20 locations around the U.S. in the next 17 years. Today, Agra D’Pirka – l’ilui neshmas Reb Ezra’s mother, Pesi Rochel Klein, a”h (whose initials spell out “Pirka”) -- provides 5000 shiurim annually to the Torah public, provided by 100 magidei shiur.
On October 12-14, you can partake in the great merit of partnering with Agra D’Pirka (and have your donation doubled by matching donors!) in their Causematch campaign, causematch.com/adp. Its $600,000 goal will help keep these vital programs running.
Agra D’Pirka is tailored to local professionals, business owners, college-age students, retirees, and anyone else interested in serious limud haTorah. The basic structure of this kollel includes a blatt shiur given by a preeminent magid shiur from approximately 9:15 to 10:15 in the morning. After a short break, there is a second shiur given by various maggidei shiur on a weekly rotation. Simultaneously, there are many private chavrusas who join the kollel to take advantage of the kol haTorah resonating in the bais medrash. Participants are treated to a light breakfast served at all locations.
The Baltimore branch meets at Khal Ahavas Yisroel Tzemach Tzedek (KYATT), led by Mora D’Asra, HaRav Dovid Heber. The Rav explains, “The chabura hears two high level shiurim daily as if they are back in yeshiva. Our social hall which was empty all day is turned into a Bais Medrash with the kol Torah. This chain of kollelim throughout the U.S. is a zchus for all of Klal Yisroel and especially for communities that sponsor them.”
When I asked Rabbi Moshe Garfinkel what he felt the greatness of Agra D’Pirka is, he joked, “I’m sure the wives would say it gets their husbands out of the house, but the men in Baltimore would say at the top of the list is our Maggid Shiur, Rabbi Yankel Herskovitz. The time and effort he puts into preparing for his shiur is not to be believed. He wheels in a suitcase full of seforim and reads from them. It’s obvious he spends about 40 hours of preparation for the five hours of actual learning we do per week. The very impressive array of guest speakers who are among the world-class scholars speaking on a variety of subjects, keeps the shiurim varied and interesting.”
Reb Tzvi Willner concurs. “Rabbi Herskovitz is a real throwback Rebbe — the kind who gives a shiur the way a Rebbe would in yeshiva. He’s an outstanding baal masbir, with a real koach for explaining the Gemara and leading his chaburah. He’s humble, exact, and precise in everything he says.
“I was part of the program for a year and a half. Eventually the schedule started conflicting with my business, and I had to step back. But I think about that year all the time. I miss it, and I hope to find my way back to it someday.”
Attendee Simcha Retter mentions, “This program gives my day structure to accomplish what retirement is for. I start the day on the right foot so I can accomplish more after the program.”
Rabbi Yankel Herskovitz shares, “I don’t have enough words to express how wonderful Agra D’Pirka is for me. Though I said a Daf Yomi for many years, this shiur gives us an opportunity to delve into the depth of a blatt Gemorah. Without the strict discipline of having to cover a blatt Gemorah every day, I have opportunity to discuss the many commentaries, history, Halacha, השקפה, and מוסר. And most important to me is the guys challenge - often resulting in my having to do ‘homework’ to answer a question.”
Agra D’Pirka is also a win-win for the families of the participants. As one Agra D’Pirka wife, Malkie Darabaner, put it, “It has been giving my husband, Josh, a social life with people his own age and the ability to go learn every day, ever since he stopped working over 15 years ago. When we moved to Lakewood from Brooklyn three years ago, we found out that there was an excellent Lakewood branch of Agra D’Pirka. It really helped make our move and his Torah learning seamless.”
Notes Agra D’Pirka Administrator Rabbi Chaim Fuhrer, “Having been involved with Agra D’Pirka since its early days, I’ve had the privilege of helping it grow from a local initiative into a vibrant, nationwide Torah movement. The daily shiurim across multiple communities have enriched my life immeasurably, and the constant interaction with our choshuve maggidei shiur remains one of my greatest sources of inspiration. Our mission has always been simple and ambitious: bring world‑class Torah learning to every major Jewish community — and we’re well on our way.”
Rabbi Noach Isaac Oelbaum, shlit”a, Mora D'Asra of Khal Nachlas Yitzchok, Agra D’Pirka’s Flatbush flagship location, concludes, “Agra D’Pirka has exceeded beyond all expectations with great siyata d’shmaya. My bracha is that it should continue to grow and enrich the lives of all the participants for many, many more years.”
For questions regarding tax-deductible donations or the campaign, please contact Amy or Shoshana, 212-661-9400.
To donate: causematch.com/adp
