When her wealthy husband passed away in 1906, she vowed to donate her fortune to charity. There he persuaded Rav Aharon to return to Slabodka, and thus the future Torah leader was preserved. Once again, the communist noose had tightened and institutions of religious instruction faced an uncertain future. Rav Shach would return home for the Yamim Tovim.) The name Yosef was added at age six when he contracted pneumonia, while Chaim was given together with Shneur because their firstborn, also named Shneur, had died in infancy. (Perhaps they did not want to embarrass him; nevertheless, it was a great source of pain.) He understood that the future of the Torah world lay in the United States. America. [3] A funeral service at the Congregation Sons of Israel Kalwarier on Manhattan's Lower East Side drew 25,000 mourners, with 200 officers from the New York City Police Department assigned to the event. Golda Frank fulfilled her promise, and took as sons-in-law, Rav Moshe Mordechai Epstein, Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer, Rav Boruch Horowitz (rosh yeshivah of Slabodka) and Rav Sheftel Kramer (mashgiach of Slutzk and New Haven). [1] During his tenure, he developed the Lithuanian -style, Haredi but non- Hasidic yeshiva into the largest post-graduate Torah institution in the world. In Krinik, Rav Aharon joined a seasoned group of older students, but had no difficulty keeping up and even standing out with his quick mind and impressive diligence. Following the 1951 passing of his father-in-law Rav Zelig Fortman (a student of Rav Isser Zalman at Slutzk), Rabbi Moshe Sherer was offered to succeed him as rabbi of the prestigious Congregation Knesseth Israel (the White Shul) in Far Rockaway. I cant answer, Rav Zalman Sender replied. There will never be another like her.. It wasnt just the working class who bought into the warm weather fallacy and filled the numerous resort hotels that lined the streets along the lake. Amos Bunim recalled another eulogy Rav Aharon delivered at the funeral of the great Torah supporter Samuel Kaufman on Chanukah 1960: When they asked Rav Aharon to be maspid, he said that youre not permitted to be maspid on Chanukah, but the halachah is that if its chacham bfanav in the presence of a chacham its permitted. The economy was finally on the upswing, but the depression wouldnt end until 1939 and funds were still tight for many. Reminiscing in Pinkas Slutzk, Rabbi Moshe Yissachar Goldberg, later a rav in New Orleans, described the painful scene: That winter day when the yeshivah was exiled from Slutzk to Kletzk is well preserved in my memory. A lot of them were meshumadim!, Rav Aharon did not back down. When they felt themselves beginning to suffocate, one of them told Rav Aharon they couldnt remain any longer. From that point on, every day the principal would send the young genius fresh eggs, fruit and other vegetables. No such thing. Though hed been released, the intrusion left Rav Aharon with a feeling of uncertainty regarding the future, as well as a sense of urgency. This theme was sustained by Rav Moshe Shapiro, who extolled Mr. Wolfson as the fulfillment of Rav Aharons tireless bidding: Rav Aharon passed away 50 years ago, but his precognition endowed him with the faith that Reb Zev would bring blessing to the Jewish People. Following World War I, the Lakewood Township embarked on the construction of a memorial to local soldiers who had perished, inviting famed cantor Yossele Rosenblatt to sing Kel Malei at the consecration. Rabbosai, from college there will never be a Rav Leib Malin, hed tell his students, many of whom faced down resistance from family and friends for studying in a backward institution. The Yeshiva, which now boasts more than 5,000 talmidim is a testament to his devotion and passion for Torah learning.18"x24" BannerEasy to display with metal eyelets; easy to store, just roll it In March, 1944 the Nazis invaded Hungary, and the last bastion of Jewish life in Europe came to a tragic end. The towns rav, Rav Chaim Shimon Herensohn, recalled that his father and predecessor had invited Slabodka to establish the branch there upon its founding in 1897. Most of the 2,000 Jewish residents in visa worked at local tanneries, which dominated the local economy. There were a few precocious children in the shul there, and he paid for train tickets for two of them to go to Slabodka. The Yeshiva began very humbly; Rabbi Ezra Novick, one of the earliest students, reports that when he joined the Yeshiva, there were only three students. Henry Morgenthau Jr., Hon. Something like I would imagine the Chasam Sofer and Rav Akiva Eiger spoke. He became the son-in-law of Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer, another great Talmid Chacham, and they had mutual respect to a high degree. To rescue such a child and give him the chance to study Torah, there is no greater chesed in the world! Rav Aharon ruled against this leniency, even for those medically required to eat meat, concerned for the precedent such a dispensation would create. Even as the yeshivahs deficit grew, the mashgiach, Rav Chatzkel Levenstein believed that the yeshivah needed its own building, and a building campaign was initiated. In Slutzk he was paired with the Beis HaLevis son Chaim, who would soon light up the world as a young rosh yeshivah in Volozhin. Nobody is interested in that stuff anymore!, Rav Aharon replied firmly, I wont allow you to ridicule my religion; the Soviet constitution guarantees freedom of religion., The agent was stunned by his response. To his left are his brothers-in-law, Rav Sheftel Kramer and Rabbi Pesach Frank. There is a need for effective teachers and for the right kind of rabbis and Lakewood will produce these too. There were plenty of scientists and engineers. Rav Simcha Wasserman, a student of Rav Aharon in Kletzk, had arrived in the US and during this period assisted his rosh yeshivah with rescue activities. At the time of his arrival, the United States was considered a Torah wilderness-meaning that there were few yeshivot (learning centers) and only a . Rav Shmuel Charkover, rosh yeshivah of Bais Hatalmud, shared with his student Rav Michel Shurkin that as a 14-year-old, Rav Aharon penned a kuntres on Maseches Mikvaos that dazzled the Torah world. Minsk began to take notice of the young boy learning diligently in the Butchers Shul. But in the wake of the Holocaust, great Torah scholars were an endangered species. The departure was painful, both for those who were leaving and those who remained in Slutzk. Fearful of these. Early life. Take the Friday night train. The stunned students reluctantly obliged, and following a hasty kiddush in the train station, boarded the Vilna-bound train and arrived there Shabbos morning. Rav Aharon was the Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakkai of his time, tasked with picking up the pieces after the staggering destruction of the Holocaust. Birth of Rabbi Shneur Kotler, RY BMG-Lakewood, Birth of Rebbetzin Sara Pesha Schwartzman. And since he has the ability, he must persevere! In From Kletzk to Siberia, Rabbi Alter Pekier writes: On Erev Shabbos, November 8, 1940 the yeshivahs faithful secretary Reb Berel Starobin was typing Rav Aharons chiddushim when agents of the NKVD burst in and began conducting a search. On the contrary, if you see that you are capable, you must realize that you were given a greater responsibility. It was also a symbolic and no less daring personal crossing for Rav Aharon. There was, however, a problem. How important it is to realize that this is the work of one man. A talmid of Volozhin, Slabodka and Kelm, Rav Archik served as rabbi of many cities over the course of his long career, including Siemiatycze, Tsaritsyn (Stalingrad), Shadova, Poltava, Suvalk, Lomza, and Shavli, and a few others. So he came back the next day, well prepared. Prior to Pesach of 1905, Rav Aharon journeyed to Minsk and joined a kibbutz of older talmidim at the Katzovisheh (Butchers) Shul. In order to build, create, and motivate a new generation, he could not look back, only forward; he had to kindle, then nurture a fire strong enough, bright enough, and enduring enough to illuminate the entire Torah world. This further deepened the yeshivahs deficit. The Torah worlds First Family: A seudas mitzvah at the home of R. Aharon Kotler in America. rav aharon kotler's sistersour milk bread recipes no yeastsour milk bread recipes no yeast This soon escalated into an organized resistance to the mussar movement known as the Pulmus Hamussar. Ultimately, the Alter departed from his yeshivah and established Yeshivas Knesses Yisrael. He answered that Rav Aharons personal magnetism was what drew him in, but even more so, he was impressed that Rav Aharon spoke with such enthusiasm and persuasiveness while maintaining his integrity, something he rarely encountered among other rabbis who solicited him. The Torah world watched as its emerging leader proceeded to build one of the greatest yeshivos of the era. Rav Naftali Trop had recently passed away, and the students in Radin invited Rav Isser Zalman to deliver a shiur, after which they pleaded with him to remain as rosh yeshivah. Some roshei yeshivah felt that the college challenge could be solved by creating an external college option for yeshivah students. The smaller Yeshivos followed the lead of the larger Yeshivos, and either escaped with them to Japan and China, or were arrested by the communists and sent to Siberia or Kazakhstan. He wasnt able to make it and Menashe Rabinowitz (who would later lead the Yamim Noraim davening at Beth Medrash Govoha) filled in for him at the event. ), At the behest of the Ridbaz, Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer led a group of 14 students from Slabodka to open a yeshivah in Slutzk. Rav Aharon Kotler was a man with a fiery passion for Torah and a deep love for his students. On October 28, 1939, the Red Army withdrew from Vilna, and the next day the Lithuanians staged a military parade through the city center. Son of Rabbi Shneur Zalman Pines-Kotler, ABD Sislowitz and Sara Pesha Pines Rav Isser Zalman conveyed the Frank familys position to the Alter of Slabodka, emphasizing the pain this was causing his mother-in-law, the elderly widow. Rav Aharon in an animated discussion with Rav Avraham Farbstein while attending the engagement party of of future Mir rosh yeshiva Rav Refoel Shmuelevitz 15 Shvat 1962. The Vaad HaYeshivos attempted to centralize fundraising efforts on behalf of the yeshivos within the Kresy region. So why does the rosh yeshivah attend these meetings? the driver asked. We studied together with his father of blessed memory, and we spent many a mishmar (all-night learning session) together. But I persuaded him and persevered, visiting him five times until he was convinced.. His approach to learning was creative and vital. It was a desperate time for Jewry in general, but most certainly for the outnumbered and outgunned Orthodox Jewish community.. Death of Rabbi Aharon Kotler, Rosh Yeshivas Kletzk & Burial of Rabbi Aharon Kotler, Rosh Yeshivas Kletzk "Svislovitzer Ilui", "Lakewood Rosh yeshiva", "Reb Aron". The following day saw the Alters return. When Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky was encouraged by Rav Aharon to open his yeshivah in Philadelphia, he expressed concern: what kind of chinuch would his children receive in a city that lacked a proper religious educational infrastructure? In interwar Poland, one would be hard pressed to find a rosh yeshivah younger than Rav Aharon Kotler; most of his fellow roshei yeshivah were twice his age. Rav Noach himself was questioned as to his preference to which he responded softly that had he wanted to stay in Kletzk, he never would have come to Mir. Hashem grants a person the zechus to be able to accomplish, and he has special abilities; he witnessed a special Hashgachah Min Hashamayim to be successful, because now it is possible to achieve success. Now, upon its invasion of Poland, the Soviet Union annexed eastern Poland including Vilna, and presented Lithuania a doomed offer it couldnt refuse. Many young orphans found themselves in Aix-Les-Bains after the war, and Rav Leibel realized that if he didnt act quickly, he would lose these drifting young Jews to the various secular refugee aid groups. At this point, it was anathema to him to abandon his talmidim and he politely turned down the offer, still seeking a collective solution to the growing predicament. Back in 1897, a portion of the Slabodka student body revolted against the Alter of Slabodkas educational approach. During the week, the longtime mashgiach Rav Nosson Wachtfogel ran the yeshivah. Upon seeing Rav Aharon after five years, Rav Isser Zalman said, Er hut azoi fil geshtiggen (he grew so much), ich hub em nisht derkent (I didnt recognize him)!. But Rav Aharons vision has prevailed. Zeirei Agudath Israel leader Mike Tress was sitting at his Shabbos table in Williamsburg on Friday night when his doorbell rang. The tremendous zechusim (merits) that you have, is something that you receive reward for in this world. Havent seen one of these in a while.. Mrs. Golding also founded the yeshivahs sisterhood, galvanizing local women to support young men dedicated to Torah learning. However, he hired the cab driver with one condition: The cab driver had to pick up anyone on the road that was also travelling there. Shteim-esrei vchetzi twelve-thirty, came the answer. The Alter, in his genius, was likely testing their resolve. The edited memorandum was then presented to David K. Niles, a Jewish advisor to President Roosevelt. The other side of the coin is the financial struggle, which is MAR bitter.. While the best and brightest of Torah Vodaath and RJJ emerged as the core American talmidim of Rav Aharon, some Kletzk survivors who had spent the war years in the Soviet Union or Shanghai were there for stints as well. When Rav Aharon got on the line, the caller respectfully referred to him as Kletzker rosh yeshivah. Rav Mottel exclaimed, Kletzker rosh yeshivah? Rav Yechiel Mordechai Gordon of the Lomza Yeshivah was traveling to Detroit, as it was already scheduled for him earlier, therefore I dont know yet where we will be for Pesach.. Hed clarify that his fundamental position hadnt changed; it was rather counterbalanced in individual cases when specific needs arose (such as financial straits, the military draft, etc.). Dor-Shav (Dershowitz), Zecharia (2022). On that day in 1941, Rav Aharon described thechain of Torah that commenced at Har Sinai andwas composed of links of various quality someof precious metals and others of baser materials.He described the historical sequence of thetransmission of Torah from Rabban Yochanan benZakkai through the Rishonim and finished withrecent Torah leaders: Rav Chaim Brisker, Rav MeirSimchah of Dvinsk, and Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzinski.Reaching a fevered pitch, he began his plea, urgingthe assembled yeshivah students to forge anotherlink in the dynastic chain. Crossing the border wasnt just an escape from the anti-religious communists to the safety of Poland. Rav Aharon was once in the midst of delivering a shiur in Kletzk during the snowy winter when the chimney became clogged. There are about 230 students in this yeshivah, 40 of whom are still in Vilna. In order to evade conscription, Rav Moshe obtained papers that named Shneur Zalman the only son of the Kotler family, thus exempting him from the draconian Czarist decree. It is well-known for quite a while that yeshivos are engaging in decentralized fundraising based on their individual needs. While their fellow Jews were suffering in Europe, there were no sweets or meat to be found, with the exception of Shabbos. In 1885 he was appointed rabbi of Maltch. Known in his youth as the Svislovitzer Ilui, the Torah prodigy from Svislovitz, his fame had spread throughout the Torah world of Lithuania, and he had risen to become the head of the Yeshiva of Kletsk. The rest, approximately 80, will be given to us by the Vaad HaYeshivos, as they promised that they would be ready right after the holiday. At the bottom of the letter Rav Aharon adds a note saying, Perhaps the bookstore will accept a note from the Vaad promising payment shortly., Rav Aharons approach to communal leadership was the same as his approach to Torah study: the establishment of firm principles, broadness of scope and a most detailed conclusion. "It's a curse," Ted's wife Joan tells her sister-in-law Jackie Kennedy, the fresh widow of JFK, who was assassinated the year before. Prior to delivering the shiur, Rav Aharon would review it with a few select talmidim. On October 10, the Lithuanian government signed a mutual assistance treaty with the Soviets, in which Vilna and its environs would be returned to the country in exchange for Soviet military bases on its territory. -Rav Shaul Kagan. Well, vos is zein nomen whats his name? Rav Mordechai asked. Can a bird boast that it is able to fly to great heights? I go, Rav Hutner answered, simply to hear Rav Aharon Kotler utter the word Torah.. R' Aharon Kotler very nearly got on a train to leave yeshiva and study mathematics in Moscow, and his sister spent the rest of her life regretting that he didn't do so; I thus find it unlikely that he would solve a Communist's challenge to solve a calculus problem. Reb Shraga Feivel left instructions that no hespedim be delivered at his funeral. Rav Shneur Zalman refused to take part in the polemics some were hurling at his opponent, but those close to him saw that he was suffering greatly. Der Rebbe hot gegeiben ah brachah Say Amen, the Rebbe gave you a brachah!. Ultimately this dialogue led to the establishment of Bais Medrash Elyon in Monsey. Connect to the World Family Tree to find out, Yosef Chaim Shneur Zalman Kotler, Sarah Schwartzman (born Kotler),
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