The Wandering Jew

Eretz Yisroel November 2022

Part II

By Hershel Lieber

The Boyaner Rebbe, shlita The Boyaner Shul on Rechov Malchei Yisroel The Gerrer Rebbe, shlita The almost completed new Gerrer Bais Hamedrash

In a sense, we were free this Friday night from any chasunah-related obligations. Though this was the aufruf Shabbos, no family seudah was scheduled for Friday night. This allowed us to choose where to daven. I suggested that we go to Boyan, and everyone agreed. The main Bais Hamedrash was only about a ten-minute uphill walk, and we arrived about ten minutes before the Rebbe came in to daven. The gabbaim were extremely welcoming and assigned Heshy Daum and me to the front table facing the Aron Kodesh. Mechel and Ezriel sat right behind us. We soon observed the entire oilem standing up and realized the Rebbe had entered the shul and was making his way to the front. The Boyaner Rebbe, like many Rebbes of the Rizhiner dynasty, davens in a separate room behind a closed door with an opening to enable him to hear the shliach tzibbur. I realized that I should either approach the Rebbe now or I would not have any other opportunity. I stepped out of my place and was followed by Heshy, Mechel and Ezriel. I approached the Rebbe as he reached the front of the shul and stuck out my hand to “nem Shalom.” The Rebbe reciprocated and then asked me my name. I answered the Rebbe, and I added that I was once with the Rebbe for a Shabbos in Lugano, Switzerland. The Rebbe smiled, and I am convinced that he truly did remember.

In November of 1999, Pesi, I, and our friends Beryl and Esther Jachimowitz were in Lugano for a few days. We found out that the Rebbe and his Rebbetzin and one gabbai would be at the Gefen Hotel with us for Shabbos. I was looking forward to meeting the Rebbe of so many chassidim in a private setting.

Thursday evening during Mincha-Maariv at the main shul we had the opportunity to meet and greet the Boyaner Rebbe. He was extremely warm, and we were privy to observe his humility. Although the Rebbe has thousands of chassidim throughout the world, he sat humbly amongst the small group of mispallelim and listened attentively as the Biala Rebbe, the shul’s rav, gave a Mishna Berura shiur between Mincha and Maariv. On Shabbos, we did not walk to the shul and spent the entire time at the hotel. We had exactly a minyan of ten men including the Boyaner Rebbe. On Friday night, I davened kabbalas Shabbos at the amud. When the Rebbe thanked me, I mentioned that my son, Mechel, had asked me on erev Shabbos to inquire from the Rebbe about a story concerning the Rebbe’s ancestor, the Rizhiner Rebbe. The Rebbe told me to meet him the next day a half-hour before Mincha and we could discuss that story. I am still in awe of the experience of spending about twenty minutes sitting alone in discussion with the Rebbe.

After Mincha, I asked the Rebbe’s gabbai if the Rebbe would join the other nine men for Shalosh Seudos. The gabbai said that the Rebbe was here for a rest and would prefer to eat privately with his family. I persisted and insisted that he tell the Rebbe that we would love to have him join us. I was a bit surprised that his gabbai actually acceded to my request but was not at all surprised that the Rebbe accepted my invitation. That seudah was so special, in that we all sat together, talking, eating, singing, and sharing divrei Torah in a completely relaxed atmosphere – almost like with friends.

Back to this Shabbos in Yerushalayim. After kabbalas Shabbos, the Rebbe stepped up to the bimah and collectively wished everyone “Gut Shabbos.” At that point, I was really glad that I had approached him earlier when he walked in. We went back home and had a beautiful Shabbos seudah. The food from Goldie’s was delicious and overabundant. The zemiros and divrei Torah added the requisite spice to propel this evening into a spiritual affair. Mechel brought a very potent bottle of Kirshwasser, which literally added to the evening’s spirit. We sang, talked, and laughed for a very long time. We were tired and knew we were in for a long day the next day, so we went to bed soon after. Mechel, on the other hand, still went with Ezriel to the Belzer Rebbe’s tisch.

Shabbos morning began very early for us. The aufruf took place in the main Gerrer Bais Medrash where

R-L Our son-in-law, Rabbi Pesach Moshe Grossman, the mechutan, Rav Menachem Gershon Schwartz, and the chosson Yisroel Zev After Havadalah at Harav Avrohom Shmuelevitz. Rav Avrohom is seated with his son (l) his son-in-law (r) Standing (l to r) Heshy Daum, Ezriel Lieber, me, Mechel Lieber and Yossi Ostreicher Sitting with the mechutan’s father Rav Boruch Dov Schwartz

The interior of the present Gerrer Bais Hamedrash

davening begins at exactly 7:30. I felt sorry for my sonin-law Moishy and the chosson Yisroel Zev that the Gerrer Rebbe, shlita, was away in Arad and would not be there for this special occasion. This was a partially the reason that the aufruf was planned for Yerushalayim and not in Lakewood. I guess a Rebbe also needs to get away sometimes; whenever he would go away, it would have an impact on some people. There were five other aufrufs in Ger that Shabbos, and they were all affected by the Rebbe being out of town.

We arrived on time at the Bais Medrash on Rechov Yirmiyahu. The building is extremely large to accommodate, at times, over ten thousand chassidim during yomim tovim and other events. The interior was never really finished and has a sparse and empty look. Different from most shuls, which are ornately decorated with fine details adorning the sanctuary, Ger looks very utilitarian where the main goal is to accommodate the throngs of mispallelim. Right next to this building is the new bais medrash, which can accommodate even more people when it will open up officially. I understand that the new Mikdash Me’at will look a lot prettier.

Davening in Gur with its distinct style was not new to me nor to Heshy Daum. We both davened for nearly forty years in the Gerrer Bais Medrash Yagdil Torah and were quite comfortable with its nusach. Mechel grew up there as well. There was an hour’s break between Shacharis and leining for the purpose of learning. Mechel and I had just started the new cycle of Talmud Yerushalmi together, and this was an opportunity to forge a bit ahead. Leining commenced and was highlighted by six aufruf aliyos including Yisroel Zev’s. The shower of pekalach accompanied by Gerrer niggunim brought an atmosphere of joy for the oilam. Pesi told me later that in the Ezras Noshim signs were held up to identify which chosson was getting an aliyah so that his family could participate in the throwing of the pekalach.

The simple kiddush of cake and schnapps was set up downstairs with six distinct tables where the chassanim sat with their parents, grandparents and mechutanim. Then began a procession of almost the entire oilam passing by table after table to give l’chaim and mazal tov to the baalei simcha. This parade of handshaking took almost a full hour, but I felt very good from the many good wishes and brachos that were given by the entire tzibbur.

The kiddush was followed by an aufruf seudah sponsored by Moishy and Faigy for the entire family and the new mechutanim. They rented a section of a first floor apartment in the Schneller Buildings complex where a caterer set up elegant tables and served generous portions of delicious traditional Shabbos food. Moishe spoke well, and we sang zemiros between courses. Needless to say, this beautiful seudah brought the two mishpachos close together in anticipation of the upcoming chasunah.

Shiffy, the kallah, is the daughter of Rav Menachem Gershon Schwartz, a noted melamed in the Gerrer Talmud Torah. His father, Rav Boruch Dov, is also prominent in the field of chinuch. Shiffy’s mother is the daughter of the well-known rav and darshan HaRav Avrohom Schorr. I spent the seudah sitting at the side of Rav Boruch Dov, and we established an amiable relationship that carried forward throughout the simcha period. I was able to discern the fine characteristics and noble middos that both he and his son Menachem Gershon possess. Their genuine smiles and their respectful demeanors added to my enjoyment of being in their company. I know HaRav Avrohom Schorr from the years we davened together at Yagdil Torah. He spoke there very often and during one period gave the Shmiras Halashon shiur on Shabbos. There were a number of occasions that I approached him with halacha questions which reinforced our relationship.

When we returned to our apartment after the meal, we barely had an hour to take a nap. After davening Mincha, we walked over for Shalosh Seudos to Rav Avrohom Shmuelevitz and his family. I got to know the Mirrer Rosh Mesivta of Yerushalayim, the son of Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz, when Mechel took us there on different occasions when we were in Israel. Mechel’s inlaws, Yossy and Gitty Ostreicher, are very close with the Shmuelevitz family, and Mechel ate there many times while he was a bochur learning in Brisk. For this seudah, we were joined by Heshy, Debby, Mechel, Azriel and the Ostreichers. Both Rav Avrohom and his wife were great hosts, and we shared meaningful conversations and divrei Torah. After Maariv at the local Chabad shul, we returned for Havdalah, sang Hamavdil, and took a video and photos. We rushed back by taxi to our apartment since Pesi and I still had a big program scheduled for Motzei Shabbos.

To be continued…

Hershel Lieber has been involved in kiruv activities for over 30 years. As a founding member of the Vaad L’Hatzolas Nidchei Yisroel he has traveled with his wife, Pesi, to the Soviet Union during the harsh years of the Communist regimes to advance Yiddishkeit. He has spearheaded a yeshiva in the city of Kishinev that had 12 successful years with many students making Torah their way of life. In Poland, he lectured in the summers at the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation camp for nearly 30 years. He still travels to Warsaw every year – since 1979 – to be the chazzan for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur for the Jews there. Together with Pesi, he organized and led trips to Europe on behalf of Gateways and Aish Hatorah for college students finding their paths to Jewish identity. His passion for travel has taken them to many interesting places and afforded them unique experiences. Their open home gave them opportunities to meet and develop relationships with a variety of people. Hershel’s column will appear in The Jewish Home on a bi-weekly basis.