It's Smicha Season: 14 New Rabbis....

More than 250 members of the South Florida community gathered on June 13 to celebrate the ordination of 14 new rabbis from the first yeshiva in Palm Beach County.

The Boca Raton Rabbinical College Machon Menachem opened nine months ago with 14 rabbinical candidates from around the world as its first class.

"These 14 new rabbis are now sent to spread the word of the Torah to the world," said Rabbi Ruvi New, dean of Machon Menachem and spiritual director of the Chabad of East Boca who spoke at graduation ceremony.

"But they are not just 14 individual rabbis," he noted. "They are 14 points of light that will impact the world in the coming days, weeks, months and years."

Palm Beach County Commissioner and longtime Chabad supporter Steven L. Abrams also addressed the graduates.

"This is the first post-secondary yeshiva located in Palm Beach County, so we can take pride in our graduates not only for their achievement, but also because they are the first ever ordained rabbis in the county," Abrams said.

The school which was hosted by the Chabad of East Boca, brought together the aspiring rabbis from cities such as Melbourne, Australia and Montreal, Canada to complete their final year of Judaic education. Over the past nine months, the young men have had the opportunity to study in a unique communal setting, which has allowed them to facilitate and lead community outreach programs in addition to a rigorous study regimen.

Shmaya Futerfas, 22, of Brooklyn, N.Y. said he was "honored" to be among the school's first graduates.

"I am confident that as the first class of rabbis we have built a strong foundation for the future students, and I'm honored to have helped pave the way," he said. "Following graduation, I plan to continue to study Torah in New York because one is never finished studying Torah as there is always more to learn." continue....