| Dear friends,
Sunday evening's Siyum on Seder Noshim was a kiddush Hashem and celebration of Torah learning, together with tefillos for our brothers and sisters in Eretz Yisroel.
The Siyum on Seder Nashim continues with four livestreamed events in Miami, Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Denver. See below for more details.
Also please find below a few of the video messages which were shared at the Siyum, along with the transcript of the opening remarks I was priviliged to share that evening:
When this asifah was originally scheduled, the plan was simply to celebrate the Siyum Seder Noshim – marking the approximate half-way point in the 7 ½ year Daf Yomi voyage through Shas, and to commemorate the 100th year since Rav Meir Shapiro zt'l launched the Daf Yomi project at the first Knessiah Gedolah of Agudas Yisroel.
But then the unthinkable: the barbaric attacks of the resha'im arurim against our brethren in Eretz Yisroel, resulting in . . . Rachmana litzlan.
And we were faced with a dilemma: go forward with the Siyum celebration in such a matzav, or not.
We discussed with Gedolei Yisroel, and a decision was made. The Siyum celebration should go forward – in a toned down format, to be sure, but with great joy and pride, recognizing that the hashgochah elyonah is giving us a special opportunity at this historic moment to strengthen our commitment to limud haTorah.
As we are about to start Seder Nezikin, now is the time to strengthen our learning. Especially now, when Klal Yisroel so desperately needs the protective power of Torah magna u'matzla.
The barbarians sought to destroy our Simchas Torah. Tonight we say hayo lo sih'yeh! Tonight we proclaim, v'nismach b'divrei salmud torasecha u'vmitzvosecha l'olam vo'ed!
And so thousands of Yidden gather here tonight with a sense of earnest koved rosh, to mourn the terrible losses we suffered, to daven for the return of the captives and the healing of the injured, to daven for the safety of the soldiers and for the entire am ha'yosheiv b'Tziyon.
But also, at the same time, as we are about to be mesayem Seder Noshim, we gather to rejoice in the incredible growth of limud haTorah – in our yeshivos, in our botei knessios, in our homes – and to invoke its incredible powers of shemirah against all who would do us harm.
On behalf of Agudas Yisroel, thank you for joining us at this very special gathering. Hashem ho'shiah, ha'Melech ya'anenu b'yom koreinu.
With Torah blessings,
Chaim Dovid Zwiebel | 
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