The 10-Year-Old With Cancer Who Touched an Entire Nation

At the massive Siyum HaShas gathering in MetLife Stadium, a crowd of nearly one hundred thousand people came together to celebrate Torah learning. Rabbis, Torah scholars, Admorim (Hasidic leaders), and heads of yeshivas all joined hands—along with families, students, and Jews of all backgrounds. It was a celebration of completing the Talmud, known as “Shas,” and it filled the stadium with light, unity, and joy.

But the most unforgettable moment of the night didn’t come from a speech or a famous rabbi. It came from a 10-year-old boy named Shimon Yehuda.

The event host, Rabbi Leish, shared his story—and the entire stadium fell silent.

“Shimon Yehuda ben Rivka Gitl is a sweet, kind boy who learns at the Beit HaTorah Talmud Torah (Jewish school) in Lakewood, New Jersey,” he began. “When he was just 7 years old, doctors found a cancerous tumor in his brain. It was so serious, they said there was no point in treating it.”

In their pain and fear, his parents turned to Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky zt”l, one of the great Torah leaders of our generation. The Rav gave a quiet yet powerful suggestion: Learn a tractate of Gemara together—a full section of Talmud—and when you finish it, make a siyum, a joyful celebration of completing Torah.

And so, that’s what they did.

No matter how hard it got—through surgeries, treatments, and hospital visits—Shimon Yehuda held on to his daily learning of Masechet Berakhot (the first volume of the Talmud). Sometimes in bed. Sometimes in pain. But he never stopped.

Just five weeks before the Siyum HaShas, right before he flew to Florida for a complicated medical procedure, he completed the entire tractate. A young boy with a brain tumor finished Berakhot—and danced with joy.

As Rabbi Leish told the story, the entire stadium—nearly a hundred thousand people—began to cry. They weren’t just hearing about Torah learning. They were witnessing courage, faith, and the heart of the Jewish people.

“This isn’t just another Siyum,” said Rabbi Leish. “This is a Siyum filled with devotion. A little boy, in the middle of suffering, kept holding onto Torah.”

Then, raising his voice to the heavens, he said, “Shimon Yehuda Berotsky is here with us tonight. Please give him a round of applause!”

The cheers and claps shook the stadium.

And then, through his own tears, Rabbi Leish gave a blessing: “Shimon Yehuda, I bless you to complete all your treatments and surgeries—and to one day complete the entire Shas.” At that moment, the crowd shouted “Amen” in unison. One hundred thousand hearts joined together in hope, prayer, and love.