Beyond the Bricks: Boro Park’s Lakewood Minyan

Looking at Boro Park of today, it is hard to imagine that it was once an extremely diverse place—with Yidden of all stripes and all types making our shtetl their home. We are not speaking of Boro Park of  the 1920’s when it featured a concentration of Italians, Irish, and also some Jews. In the postwar era it was home to numerous litvishe Gedolim, most famously Rav Aharon Kotler, zt”l, who resided in the large apartment building, on the corner of 47th Street and Fifteenth Avenue.

 That’s correct, the Rosh Yeshiva of Lakewood did not actually reside in Lakewood, but in Boro Park, and he would commute to Lakewood multiple times a week.

 Which brings us to the still-existing tribute to the Rosh Yeshiva’s holy presence in our town; Lakewood Minyan, on 16th Avenue, between 51st and 52nd Street—a place that has stood still in time.

 It began in the 1950’s (!) in the apartment of Rav Aharon, zt”l, after he was niftar (during his lifetime, his main place for davening was in the “downstairs minyan” of the Sfardishe Shul). It was called “the Rebbetzin’s Minyan,” and it brought her nachas that the Lakewood talmidim of Boro Park gathered there for a yeshivishe davening every shabbos.

 The small group eventually morphed into a full-time shul, and… the rest is history.

 Over the decades, as the mispalelim gradually grew older, Lakewood Minyan became one of the most prominent places where retirees, semi-retirees, balebatim, yungeleit, and anyone else who wished to be kovei’a ittim l’Torah in a serious environment found a place. “It’s like entering another world,” recalls one longtime lomeid. “Off of one of Boro Park’s busiest main streets, reverberating with the hustle and bustle of olam hazeh, you walk into gan eden, as you witness people of all kinds—including many wealthy men who will not touch their businesses all morning… because they love Torah much more than money—poring over their gemara’s. 

Bein hazmanim was another whole level; if one didn’t come early, they simply could not find an available chair—so jammed was it from wall to wall, with a deafening kol Torah.

 Aside from the character of the place which was designed like a yeshiva in its focus on learning, and its lengthy yeshivish-style davenings, the aesthetics, the scent of the many old seforim, and other features, also transport one to the yeshiva—a unique place indeed.

 As much retirement-aged people have moved out of Boro Park, Lakewood Minyan has been slightly less busy of late. But its mission remains unchanged; here to serve those who love Torah and wish to dedicate themselves to its study. By all indications, this holy corner of Boro Park will continue to serve this population for many years to come.

 “Beyond The…” series is a look behind the sites, sounds, personalities and institutions of our Boro Park Shtetl—a special project of BoroPark24.com. Comments or suggestions may be emailed to [email protected]

Photos by: M.R.