So why does the rosh yeshivah attend these meetings? the driver asked. He agreed to sell his property at a discounted price. Rav Hillel Bishko played an integral role in the kollels founding. But I persuaded him and persevered, visiting him five times until he was convinced.. A secret clause of the agreement was the division of Poland. He was introduced to admirers who would become his loyal supporters. When the final border was drawn between the Second Polish Republic and Soviet Russia in 1921, Slutzk found itself on the Soviet side, where the Yevsektsiya Jewish section of the Communist Party worked mightily to eradicate religious life. He understood that the future of the Torah world lay in the United States. 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. Around the same time, Rav Hillel Bishko came to Lakewood on a fundraising trip for the kollel and delivered a rousing speech, alluding to what the Nazis were currently doing in Europe, dramatically saying, Dear Friends, I am here to invite you to the funeral and burial of Torah.. The incredibly successful dinner was lionized in a documentary produced by the grandchildren of Irving Bunim entitled, An Unprecedented Gathering in Support of Torah, the highlight of which is the keynote address of Rav Soloveitchik: When I look at Rav Aharon or listen to his words as they flow forth impatiently, rapidly when I feel his presence, I feel bound by a sense of achrayus and am reminded of Gedolei Yisrael. Those rabbis also encouraged advanced American yeshivah students to study in Mir and Slabodka, which generated publicity as well. They decided to form a kollel, where they could sequester themselves from the modern currents of America and swim in the sea of Torah and mussar as they had in Europe. A report on that Knessiah in Hapardes states that, Rav [Elchonon] Wasserman, Rav [Aharon] Kotler, Rav [Mordechai] Rottenberg from Antwerp and rabbis from Czechoslovakia and Hungary were in agreement in rejecting any proposal for a Jewish State on either side of the Jordan River, even if it were established as a religious state, because such a regime would be a form of heresy in our faith in the belief in the coming of the Messiah, and especially since it would be built on heresy and desecration of the Name of G-d.. Tell your rabbi that hed better appear at our headquarters by tonight!. On Friday afternoon Rebbetzin Chana Perel Kotler advised a group of yeshivah students to wire Rav Aharon and inquire whether to pursue the original plan due to the changing circumstances on the ground. 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. I cannot even describe the bitterness and pain we felt upon my departure. Rav Hutner saw great potential in the young genius and pleaded with him to devote himself exclusively to Torah study. A talmid of Rav Shlomo Heiman in Torah Vodaath, Rav Schorr traveled to Kletzk following his marriage to study under Rav Aharon, remaining there for a year until the American embassy advised him to return home in the summer of 1939. Reb Aharon founded a yeshivah in Lakewood, New Jersey. Some roshei yeshivah felt that the college challenge could be solved by creating an external college option for yeshivah students. Rav Aharon was never satisfied with words alone; this was a call for action. Rabbi Nathan Baruch contends that Rav Aharon felt that a public forum was not the proper venue to highlight the plight of the Jews, because he believed the nations of the world reveled in the tragedies befalling the Jewish People. The creation of a farm settlement project, where the time of these men could be divided between tilling the soil and the continuation of their studies, would be a step forward in giving them a certain degree of independence and security. The curse mandated that Kennedy should never see joy from his descendants. And of course we have the regular expenses of feeding the yeshivah. And grow it did. 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. I met Rav Aharon Kotler in 1953 when I accompanied my father on a visit to Rabbi Kotlers then-very small yeshivah in Lakewood, New Jersey. America has embraced and nurtured a vision of Torah learning for its own sake. During this time, Rav Aharon refused to commit to Lakewood. 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. While the Kotler name carries with it a glorious history, Reb Aaron is a student of his mother, nee Rischel Friedman. Many books could be and in fact have been filled detailing Rav Aharons rescue activities during the war years. Reb Shmuel Teitzmaller, whose family owned the local construction firm that built the yeshivah, described this exuberance decades later in a Beth Medrash Govoha newsletter: You could see a simple laborer or one of the balabatim grab a free moment, run over to the construction site, grab a few bricks and hand it to a bricklayer. Thank you. Rav Aharon Kotler, ZTL FIRST TRIP TO AMERICA Rav Aharon came to the United States in 1935 to raise funds for the Yeshiva. While he reverted back to the prestigious Pines name later on in life, his son Arke would maintain the Kotler surname, and ensure that it would become a name enshrined with gold letters in the history of the Jewish nation. He continued as if he had never stopped. Rav Aharon himself once stated, Rav Reuven pulled me out of many blottes (mires)., (Rav Elazar M. Shach witnessed the efforts of the Alter to protect his endangered students, and described the effect that this defensive mode of chinuch had upon him. He was orphaned at the age of 10 and adopted by his uncle, Yitzchak Pines, a rabbinic judge in Minsk. Rav Aharon insisted that Rav Boruch Kaplan quit his position at Torah Vodaath and go work alongside wife, Rebbetzin Vichna Kaplan, who had founded the first Bais Yaakov Teachers Seminary in America. Rav Archik had once been engaged to one of the Frank daughters. Still, Polands economy was mired in an even worse depression, and Rav Aharon hoped that Jewish hearts and wallets would open to their needy brothers abroad. Brother of Malka Pines and Dvora Czerbuchowski. The outbreak of World War II in Europe sent dozens of North American yeshivah students fleeing back home. Irving Bunim funded the initial purchase with donations from his brother-in-law Isidor Farber as well as his friends Samuel Kaufman and David Shapiro. [10] A committed anti-Zionist,[11] Kotler also helped establish Chinuch Atzmai, the independent religious school system in Israel, and was the chairman of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Agudath Israel. As of 2011, Beth Medrash Govoha is run by his grandson, Rabbi Malkiel Kotler, and three of his grandsons-in-law, Rabbis Yerucham Olshin, Yisroel Neuman, and Dovid Schustal. Though his pleas generally didnt find a receptive audience, he and other rescue activists did manage to find an ally in the form of Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau Jr. Irving Bunim shared Rav Aharons role in awakening a sleeping giant in his memoirs: I recall when our great rebbe called on Secretary Henry Morgenthau. The mutual respect between the two was immeasurable. Rav Aharon Kotlers sister Malka was relentless in trying to convince him to leave Slabodka, enroll in university, and join the modern world. Though the Lithuanian government was well aware that the Red Army tended to stay and even expand in any territory under their control, they conceded to the demands of the Soviets. [9] Along with Rabbi Eliezer Silver , Rabbi Avraham Kalmanowitz and others, he worked day and night, using both private and government channels to try and save lives. He encouraged him to forge ahead with the plan. [8], Upon the death of his father-in-law, he inherited his father-in-law's position of rosh yeshiva of Etz Chaim Yeshiva of Jerusalem. On December 7, 1941, at the funeral of Rav Dovid Leibowitz, Rav Aharon spotted Mr. Cohen out of the corner of his eye and once again thanked him profusely for his selfless act. The House. It was a lesson that many young Americans absorbed, because in addition to producing a cadre of future Torah leaders, Rav Aharon sought to educate a new generation of balabatim about the primacy of supporting Torah and mitzvah observance. 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. Fifty years later, almost to the day, at Mr. Wolfsons levayah, the rosh yeshivah Rav Malkiel Kotler, declared, The relationship between my grandfather and Reb Zev was that of a father to his son. America. [3] At first, he settled in New York City's Upper West Side, and in 1949, he moved to the Borough Park neighborhood of Brooklyn. But what can I do? And act he did, with a fiery resolve that ignited a growing cadre of talmidim, activists, and supporters to act as well. Let us begin our journey with some amazing stories about Rav Aharon Kotler zt"l. The rosh yeshiva was na'eh doresh and na'eh mekayeim, he practiced what he preached. He choked up, and remained crying at the podium for ten minutes without saying a word. The house of the rabbi shone with the splendor of(his son) the gaon. But what sustains the Jewish world is Torah., 1957 Agudath Harabbonim Convention in Rockaway Park (counterclockwise from bottom center): Rav Chaim Tzvi Kruger, Rav Avraham Yaffen, Rosh Yeshivas Novardok, Rav Meir Cohen, Rav Pinchas Teitz, Rav Dovid Lifshitz, Rav Eliezer Silver, Rav Aharon Kotler, Rav Simcha Elberg, Rav Shimon Morduchovitz and Rav Yaakov Yitzchok Ruderman. His elder daughter Malka was ensnared by the secularist movements that captured the hearts and minds of the local youth. By the end of the month Warsaw capitulated, and Poland was divided between the two aggressors. And while he supported and interacted with many different types of faithful Jews enjoying a close relationship with the Kopyczynitzer Rebbe, the Satmar Rav and the Tchebiner Rav he was unfailingly true to his roots and identity. This would fill the need for obtaining the desired college degree while not compromising on the curriculum and attendance of the yeshivah framework. After hovering at around 150 talmidim for several years, the yeshivah experienced a growth spurt in the early 1930s and by 1932 counted 230 talmidim. An early student at the yeshivah described how it was such a novelty at the time, that visitors to Lakewood hotels would occasionally peer into the windows of the beis medrash and stare in astonishment at the men avidly learning. For two months the bochurim subsisted on sweetened water and black bread, with their diet supplemented on Shabbos when the townspeople hosted them for meals. Over the years, I had many discussions with Rav Joseph Ber Soloveitchik. For saving 24 rabbis from the Nazis, and with Rav Aharon Kotler s blessing, Joe Bonanno - the Mafia godfather - lived to 97 years old and died in bed. In 1956, Rav Aharon enlisted Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik to serve as guest of honor at the Chinuch Atzmai dinner, (correctly) surmising that his presence and endorsement would draw a large, diverse audience of supporters. At an emergency fundraising meeting, he put it in approximately these words: I dont want you to misunderstand me; I dont want to mislead you. She was to remark to her friend that she had never seen her father-in-law raise his voice or get angry at anything. The wedding was celebrated on 8 Adar, 1914 in Slutzk. Toward the end of 1943, due to the dawning reality of the scope of the Final Solution, the Vaad expanded its rescue operations beyond yeshivah students and Torah scholars to the general rescue of European Jewry. If I knew how to type, I would do it myself for Rav Aharon! he told them. When RIETS began searching for a new home as it grew under the Meitscheter Illui in the 1920s, the Gould Estate (currently Georgian Court University) was one of the locations they considered, before settling on Washington Heights. In November 1954, Rav Aharon delivered a eulogy at the massive funeral of Harry Herskowitz, a devoted layman for whom he had great respect. The economy was finally on the upswing, but the depression wouldnt end until 1939 and funds were still tight for many. Years later he heard that this child had somehow ended up in America and opened a yeshivah. In the middle of the wedding, shells were fired, a large explosion was heard and the room went dark. He agreed to the proposal to join the White Plains Kollel, subject to three stipulations: The yeshivah would be located out of town, he would retain complete control of spiritual matters, and hed devote the bulk of his time toward rescue efforts as long as the war continued. Tell him, perhaps he is afraid of losing his post; he should be mindful that the life of one single Jew is valued higher than his entire prominent position., Morgenthau indignantly replied, What did he say?, Afraid of embarrassing him, I generally conveyed there comes a time in a Jews life the Rebbi cut me off and said, Nein nein Bunim, zugt em vus ich hub gizugt tell him what I said!, When he heard the translation, Morgenthau put his head down for a long time. In fact a Kollel at Lakewood, N.J. has been established for this purpose. Among the younger group, there were three younger bochurim [known to be exceptional], they were almost yingerlach (children): The Vishker Illui, Hershke Semiatytcher, and last but not least Arke Sislovitcher. Slutzks 10,000 Jews comprised more than 75 percent of the population. Rav Aharon returned home prior to Elul of 1936 with a feeling of satisfaction, knowing he had saved the yeshivah in Kletzk from potential closure and could pay up its debts. Last year you gave me ten dollars. The youngest of them all was Arke Sislovitcher, a child of 13 or 14. The tremendous zechusim (merits) that you have, is something that you receive reward for in this world. Once again, the growing yeshivah of Kletzk was left in the able hands of Rav Aharon. Henry Morgenthau Jr., Hon. The initial Sephardic immigrants to America in the 1700s built beautiful synagogues, he told Bunim. Rabbi Alter Pekier continues: Many rabbis and Jewish leaders from various Lithuanian towns came to Vilna to take leave of Rav Aharon. Well, I dont sell cigarettes after chatzos on Erev Shabbos, the man said. In Poland, when there were many yeshivos, people would say, if you would like an approach full of life (lebedeigkeit) then go to Kletzk. Rav Aharon shared his worldview with Irving Bunim, pointing to American history as proof. Rav Ruderman remained bothered by this for quite some time. Examinees would know the test went well if they were invited into his home for tea and cookies afterward. Ultimately, Rav Aharon's students opened day schools, yeshivos and kollelim around the world. He probably couldnt. After a short while, he informed them that the yeshivah was likely too crowded for the upcoming zeman. Together with Rav Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz, he was involved in the founding of Torah Umesorah in 1944 and served as chairman of its rabbinical administrative board. Kotler died at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City on November 29, 1962. In 1903 he died suddenly, a death that many blamed on his pain over the upheaval. His stanzia (lodging place) was two blocks from the yeshivah, and the young teenager was often fearful to walk alone late at night. He didnt have to think over what he was saying, and what he wanted to say now. Though he was well known for his association with Agudas Yisrael policies and ideology, and for his opposition to Zionism, he was single-handedly responsible for keeping the pro-Zionist Mizrachi faction within the Vaad Hatzalah. Rav Aharon Kotler was a man with a fiery passion for Torah and a deep love for his students. Her descendants include the leadership of Chevron-Slabodka, Beth Medrash Govoha, Ner Israel, and other Torah institutions. Every so often, individuals emerge in Jewish history who, by dint of their personality and intellect, profoundly change the topography of Jewish life. The news of Volozhins closure spread quickly as students returned home to their respective cities and villages, among them the town of visa (Sislovitz), located 250 kilometers from Volozhin in Grodno Province, where a respected alumnus of the yeshivah, a rav named Rav Shneur Zalman Pines, was hosting a bris for his son, whom he named Aharon. A handful of these improvised yeshivos became formal institutions and gained some renown, such as the famous Blumkas Kloiz and a yeshivah run by Rav Shlomo Goloventzitz, which served as a feeder for Slabodka. Many of the stories have become the stuff of legend. Shortly after her marriage, she developed an illness that left her crippled. Some 45 of the good bochurim were left behind however to be on the watch as it were and it was only about three weeks ago when the Soviets requisitioned their building where they remained on the mishmar and studied until the last minute. Rav Aharons focus on his studies was such that he regularly forgot to eat his meals. I go, Rav Hutner answered, simply to hear Rav Aharon Kotler utter the word Torah.. So he came back the next day, well prepared. He was exhausted, and told his Rebbetzin that he wanted to rest a while before leaving. A farewell party in Kletzk for Nochum Uzder (6th from left, bottom row). Rav Aharon told him, Your children will not have to worry. Today his children and grandchildren are major supporters of Torah. There is a need for effective teachers and for the right kind of rabbis and Lakewood will produce these too. The emergence of an experienced administrator for the kollel, helped it gain both legitimacy and financial backing for its initial months. Due to fundraising concerns, yeshivos generally refrained from overt association of this sort. Immediately. Rav Aharon was proud of his wifes comprehensive knowledge of Tanach and would often pose an intricate question to her, smiling when she provided not just one, but two satisfactory answers. Prior to his passing, Reb Shraga Feivel Frank requested of his wife to ensure that their four daughters all married young men who were fully engaged in a life of Torah. That was Tof-shin-yud-gimmel, through Tof-shin-yud-zayin [2], '53-'57, approximately. Contrast that with the current era. Even more astounding is that his reach wasnt limited to the United States. 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. After a certain point, the Alter no longer worried about Rav Aharon being influenced negatively and set out on another mission: to prepare Rav Aharon to be a Torah leader. He and his family were martyred during the Holocaust. After the war, he walked to Bratislava with an older cousin. Rav Mordechai Elefant is to his left. Early life. Two months later, following a short stay in Minsk, the 11-year-old orphan was sent by his uncle Rav Yitzchak Pines to study in the yeshivah in Krinik, under the leadership of Rav Zalman Sender Kahana- Shapiro, whom the Pines family was acquainted with from Volozhin. After a few minutes, Rav Aharon proclaimed, You must open a yeshivah and send all the bills to my home address!. In hindsight, this relatively overlooked aspect of Rav Aharons early leadership served as a prologue to his later efforts to build Torah across the ocean. In a letter penned in Toledo, Ohio, he addresses a query on the subject of masneh al mah shekasuv baTorah, and apologizes because of the great exertion and due to the weakness of my health, as I caught a cold and cant elaborate., He continued: In Columbus, Ohio $130 dollars was collected; Yesterday evening, we came to Toledo, the rav here Rabbi Nechemia Katz (brother-in-law of Rav Moshe Feinstein) studied at our yeshivah in Slutzk, and of course he is trying to do everything possible He also wrote that he considered traveling to Cleveland for the coming Shabbos, but received word that representatives of the Slabodka yeshivah had preceded him. The world will yet survive without another one. As the yeshivah grew in size, Rav Aharon worked to ensure it grew in quality as well.
Allstate Company Holidays 2022,
Fae Creatures Of Sonaria,
Bladen County Property Tax Office,
Is Myer Closing Down Permanently,
Pistachio And Raspberry Tart Masterchef,
Articles R
