But mere ceremony was a foreign concept to Rav Aharon. In the shiur it was just like Lakewood; there was basically nothing external. I would disobey his request but I am afraid of him! With that he sat down, satisfied that he had both complied with the request and also conveyed his sense of reverence. In addition to their regular shiurim, Rav Isser Zalman and Rav Aharon delivered halachah shiurim in hilchos Gittin and Choshen Mishpat to enhance the talmidims understanding of the relevant sugyos they were studying. One of the great Torah builders of the next generation Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel is standing on the far right. 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.). From Lakewood To Yeshiva University: An Interview With Rabbi Aaron Rav Archik had once been engaged to one of the Frank daughters. He chose Lakewood, New Jersey, as the site for his new Yeshiva in America, because its location, far from the distractions of New York City, would enable his students to concentrate on their studies. At his passing in 1962, he was the . His heart pulsed with joy as 25,000 strong rejoiced in lockstep. It eventually became the light that disseminated Torah across France under the leadership of Rav Chaim Chaikin, and yet another initiative of Rav Aharon that wielded a monumental impact. On June 15, 1940 only eight months after the Kletzk Yeshivah escaped to Vilna the Lithuanian government caved to a Soviet ultimatum and the Red Army entered the country. But shortly thereafter, he immigrated to Eretz Yisrael where he assumed a position in the Etz Chaim Yeshiva in Yerushalayim. The Rosh Yeshivah faced Morgenthau across the desk, and Morgenthau told him, Ransom payments we cant allow., The Rosh Yeshivah, his piercing eyes flashing with fury, spoke emphatically [in Yiddish]. How ridiculous!! Back then, it was known simply as the Lakewood Yeshivah, and Rav Aharons leadership role was far from a given. However, the raison dtre of Lakewood is limud haTorah lishmah the study of Torah for its own sake. The Rosh Yeshivah responded, ich kler, efsher iz dos atzlus Im thinking, maybe its just laziness!, At the wedding of Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Twerski. Most of the 2,000 Jewish residents in visa worked at local tanneries, which dominated the local economy. Believing that unity was crucial to rescue, Rav Aharon advised putting aside political and ideological differences and closing ranks among all Orthodox factions to further rescue activities. The Legacy Of Rav Aharon Kotler - The Jewish Press 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. Rav Aharon Kotler zt"l came to America from Europe in 1942, bringing with him an unprecedented level of Torah learning, a pure and uncompromising dedication to Torah, and a Torah that was. Rav Hillel Bishko played an integral role in the kollels founding. Amidst it all was the young rosh yeshivah guiding his students spiritual growth, while providing for their physical needs.. Dor-Shav (Dershowitz), Zecharia (2022). Senior yeshivos like Mir and Slabodka had alumni networks that greatly assisted with this process. 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. You wont do well there, there are many apikorsim there. When the bochur made it clear that he still planned on utilizing the certificate obtained on his behalf by Rav Isser Zalman, Rav Aharon asked him to leave the yeshivah. He considered the Vilna Gaon, an eighteenth century Torah genius of exceptional greatness, one of his spiritual mentors. (Perhaps they did not want to embarrass him; nevertheless, it was a great source of pain.) And grow it did. This would fill the need for obtaining the desired college degree while not compromising on the curriculum and attendance of the yeshivah framework. Right to Left: R. Shneur Kotler (unidentified), R. Aharon Cohen, R. Yaakov Yitzchok Ruderman, R. Aharon Kotler (holding the cup), and R. Yitzchok Chevroni, Reb Dov Wolowitz recalls driving Rav Aharon to a Moetzes meeting on the Lower East Side. The Torah world watched as its emerging leader proceeded to build one of the greatest yeshivos of the era. (His son Rav Shneur had already departed for Palestine using a certificate received from his grandfather Rav Isser Zalman.). Why do you write such nonsense? The rest,as they say, is history. After a few minutes, Rav Aharon proclaimed, You must open a yeshivah and send all the bills to my home address!. Rav Dovid Cohen related to us a postscript to the story. A controversy erupted over the return of a former rabbi to town. Somewhere on the towering dais sat a senior student of Rav Aharons from the early days of Beth Medrash Govoha. 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. Rav Boruch Ber Leibowitz also known for his musical gifts shared how on Seder night, the townspeople of Krinik would gather outside Rav Zalman Senders window to hear him sing. Rebbetzin Baila Hindas father was Reb Shraga Feivel Frank, a student and devoted supporter of Rav Yisroel Salanter. Rav Aharon also delivered schmuessen during those years. The story is told that the Beis HaLevi asked the two youngsters which was a bigger lamdan. The letter described how the yeshivah-farm could also open a cannery that would produce Kosher for Pesach products and serve as a summer camp as well, and ended on a note of optimism: The average worker on the Torah Farm Industrial Project would find more leisure time which may be devoted to the study of Torah, since he need not travel to or from work. Sighet native David Weiss (Halivni) survived the war and arrived in America as an orphan, where he became a student of Rav Yitzchok Hutner at Chaim Berlin. He commissioned Rav Reuven Grozovsky with the unenviable task of censoring Rav Aharons mail. Rav Isser Zalman also exerted pressure on him to depart, writing to him urgently, Lama atem yoshvim al har goesh kazeh Why are you sitting on top of a volcano?. Historian Dr. David Kranzler writes of the somber atmosphere that filled the Kotler home during the war years. 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. This former Union army veteran whose obituary claims that he had done more to benefit Lakewood than any other man was not, in fact, interested in nurturing religious life. Partners in rescue: Rav Aharon with Rav Eliezer Silver and Rav Avraham Kalmanowitz, who tirelessly led the Vaad Hatzalah rescue attempts during the war years. Disappointed, the new Mafia chiefs bid farewell to Rav Shneur and left. For that reason we must daven!. If I say Im bigger, Ill be a baal gaavah and if I say Rav Chaim is bigger, Ill be a liar., Rav Chaim then riposted with glee, I say that Zalman Sender is both!. Arke may have had a shining reputation, but his childhood was marred by tragedy and pain. Not for money, but just to say hello. At one meeting, Rav Ruderman introduced Rav Aharon as one of the geniuses of our times, a rosh yeshivah for outstanding pupils. The man leaned toward Rav Ruderman and requested to speak with him privately. Rav Grossnass relates, Rav Isser Zalman left the room a half hour or forty-five minutes later, and I myself heard him saying, I wouldnt stay in Radin if I was paid all the money in the world, absolutely not! It turned out that the Chofetz Chaim had told him, I envy you. Ha Rav Aharon Kotler - Shema Yisrael Rav Aharon Kotler zt"l (1892-1962) was one of the predominant Torah leaders of his time, in pre-war Europe as the rosh yeshiva of Kletsk, Poland, as the leader of the Vaad Hatzolah during the Second World War, and as the founder and rosh yeshiva of Bais Medrash Govoah in Lakewood, New Jersey. Bunim suggested Lakewood, New Jersey, since it was out of town but not too far from New York. I fully believe that whatever comes out of the Chofetz Chaims mouth is prophecy. He was the synthesis of both previous illuyim. As he gazed out from his place of honor, he could not help but notice that the endless sea of roshei yeshivah, roshei chaburah and rabbanim sitting alongside him easily outnumbered the entire sum of the postwar Olam HaTorah. They were all excited and willing to sacrifice We would work from morning till night in the long summer days and not feel at all tired.. As time went on, however, and the security situation in Poland necessitated emigration, Rav Aharon often penned letters requesting certificates to Palestine on behalf of talmidim who requested his assistance. From the start, it was clear that there was little support among potential donors for what was seen as an extreme concept. Upon returning, they received a stark reminder as to why they had departed America in the first place the lack of a world class yeshivah faithful to European Torah values. Her descendants include the leadership of Chevron-Slabodka, Beth Medrash Govoha, Ner Israel, and other Torah institutions. Yet his sense of responsibility for the wider yeshivah world was astonishingly broad. [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. 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. (Rav Shneurs full name was actually Yosef Chaim Shneur. If a student interrupted, he would yell at him, Du redst vie a shikere Turk! A very symbolic number indeed, as this was the exact number of students that had pioneered the launch of the Slutzk Yeshivah almost a half century earlier. These factors made him more amenable to the idea of traveling to the United States on his own, sensing that he could perhaps facilitate the exit of the yeshivah from there, and expedite the process by breathing new life into rescue work. [5] while the surrounding Lakewood community supports a network of more than 100 other yeshivas[6] and approximately 200 synagogues[7] for an Orthodox population estimated at more than 66,000. Rav Aharon knew his background, and even though he wasnt polished, he treated him like a son.. One student of Rav Aharon related how he was berated by a venerated chassidic leader over his choice to study in Lakewood. Much of the difficulties faced by Rav Aharon in America stemmed from the fact that Kletzk was a relatively new yeshivah and didnt have many alumni serving in prominent roles in America to assist in making connections and collecting multi-year pledges Rav Aharon had received. As is traditional in chassidic circles, the Gerrer Rebbe offered the little boy an apple, which he declined saying he wasnt hungry. MYTH BUSTED: Reb Shlomo Carlebach Was Never Kicked Out Of BMG [WATCH But what is difficult for a Russian principal, was utterly simple and straightforward for an illui from Knesses Yisrael. He is approached by a Mirrer talmid who spent the war years in Shanghai. The Vaad HaYeshivos attempted to centralize fundraising efforts on behalf of the yeshivos within the Kresy region. Perhaps hed be willing to become my communitys shochet.. (This proverbial rite of passage was adapted by many roshei yeshivah, Rav Aharon among them. The Mir rosh yeshivah, Rav Eliezer Yehuda Finkel, understood that if Rav Aharon was exerting such energy to retrieve Rav Noach, then he must be worth keeping, and so argued that he already belonged to Mir. Senior activists advised Rav Aharon that this plan was a fools errand. A few minutes later the Rebbetzin entered the bedroom only to find the Rosh Yeshivah sitting on his bed. Mrs. Bertha Rayner Frank was born in Baltimore in 1847 into a prestigious Jewish family of German origin. Dividing into three factions, the largest went to Salock in northern Lithuania, together with Rav Aharon himself. The problematic sentence read, Its a sad story that after 20 centuries of oppression, murder, and pogroms, youll allow the Nazis plans to separate Jewish prisoners of war., Rav Aharon thought an official might read that line and conclude, If theyre being killed for 2,000 years, whats the big deal if it happens a bit longer?. The yeshivah had been founded in 1897 by the Alter of Slabodka at the behest of the rav of Slutzk, Rav Yaakov David Wilowski (the Ridbaz). 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. It dawned on thousands of refugees seeking to escape the war zone that anyone in the Vilna district on the date of transfer would cross an international border to a neutral country without any need for documentation or passport. After losing a child in infancy, Rebbetzin Chana Perel gave birth to their son Chaim Shneur in 1918, followed by a daughter Sarah in 1921. Rav Aharon Kotler, ZTL FIRST TRIP TO AMERICA Rav Aharon came to the United States in 1935 to raise funds for the Yeshiva. They named it Beth Medrash Govoha. So why does the rosh yeshivah attend these meetings? the driver asked. We discussed this issue at a recent meeting, and it was decided that due to the current distressing financial situation there is nothing that should be done to prevent them from doing so., The poverty they faced was on display in another letter to Rav Yosef Shub where Rav Aharon urged, to give on our account to the bochur, Chaim Yehonasan, 50 volumes of Gemara Kiddushin, which are needed urgently. Photos: BMG Archives, Agudah Archives, DMS Yeshiva Archives, Wolfson Family, Hoberman Family, Kamenetsky Family, National Library of Israel, US Dept of State, Prof. Chaim I. Waxman, YIVO, Torah Umesorah Archives, Chinuch Atzmai Archives, Perr Family, Golding Family, Bunim Family, TAJ Art and Judaica, Feivel Schneider, A child is playing outside a shul. But above all, he argued, there are plenty of people who go to college and so few people who go to yeshivah. Kotler was born Aharon Pines in visa, Russian Empire (historically Lithuania, now Belarus) in 1892.He was orphaned at the age of 10 and adopted by his uncle, Yitzchak Pines, a rabbinic judge in Minsk. Then he rose from his armchair and, looking the Rosh Yeshivah straight in the eyes, said, Tell the rabbi, I am a Jew. Almost from its inception, Rav Aharon was supportive of and active within the Agudas Yisrael political party in Poland. His letters back home from that trip are an important source towards understanding those tumultuous months. Jewish Action | A publication of the Orthodox Union Of course, he did not attend. Rav Aharons message was clear. Back in 1897, a portion of the Slabodka student body revolted against the Alter of Slabodkas educational approach. We went to see Secretary Morgenthau in order to get permission to transfer these funds. 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. There is no doubt that even the greatest rabbanim and lomdim of New York will be amazed when they will have the zechus to get to know the gaon, Rav Aharon Kotler, the Kletzker Rosh Yeshivah, who is great not only in his Torah learning, but also in worldly knowledge.. Mike rushed straight to the home of Rav Gedaliah Schorr and together they ran to consult with Rav Shlomo Heiman, who instructed them to draft a new visa application immediately. Following Rav Isser Zalmans appointment as rosh yeshivah in Slabodka, the Alter wished to hire Rav Aharon Bakst as an additional rosh yeshivah. Sinister as his motivations may have been, Bradshaw arranged the donation of a plot of land, on the other side of the tracks, at the intersection of Park Avenue and Fourth Street for a synagogue. Hes building Torah in, When Rav Mordechai returned home, he had the opportunity to speak at a Torah Umesorah convention, and was still taken by this story. When he lost his money, he stopped hearing from all the rabbis who had solicited him for donations. Thousands of yungeleit sit and learn all day with hasmadah and zeal championed by supporters, fellow bnei Torah who vie for the opportunity to contribute eye-popping sums to their heroes. 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. "Look at the things that have happened. Rav Aharon Kotler zt"l - The 5 Towns Jewish Times Yosef Chaim Shneur Kotler (1918 - 24 June 1982) was an Orthodox rabbi and rosh yeshiva of Beth Medrash Govoha (also known as the Lakewood Yeshiva) in Lakewood, New Jersey from 1962 to 1982. 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. Before the days of commercial airplane travel, urban dwellers looking to escape the cold winters in New York City would travel to Lakewood, where the temperatures were said to be, on average, more than ten degrees warmer. 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. But Rav Aharon trusted the young activist who regularly drove him around and helped obtain appointments with donors. Perhaps Rav Aharons boldest project was undertaken in the last decade of his life, when he initiated the founding of Chinuch Atzmai in 1953. Hakoras Hatov: The Surprising Middah of Winter - Yated.com Aharon Kotler (1891 - November 29, 1962) was an Orthodox Jewish rabbi and a prominent leader of Orthodox Judaism in Lithuania, and later the United States, where he founded Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood Township, New Jersey. Rav Boruch Ber wouldnt hear of it. The knowledge, research and published words of the following distinguished individuals, both past and present, aided in the preparation of this article. After that, he would put down the phone, and continued discussing the shiur, as if there was no interruption, as if he had never stopped. Rav Shneur Zalman was described as short, thin, and weak, traits that young Arke inherited. Their chosen location was White Plains, New York, an outer suburb of New York in Westchester. Even then, he displayed a sense of concern and responsibility for the wider Torah world, taking initiative and accepting burdens far beyond his own yeshivah. His approach to learning was creative and vital. In summarizing the shmuessen, Rav Nosson Wachtfogel once remarked, The rosh yeshivah had just one shmuess the requirement to study Torah, the need to accept upon oneself the yoke of Torah., In eulogizing Rav Aharon, Rav Moshe Sherer utilized the Gemaras description of Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel at the Simchas Beis Hashoeivah celebrations in the Bais Hamikdash. Now that you are with him, fulfill the final law of shlichim, and go to him and tell him, Rebbi I have fulfilled your bidding. Other family members tried influencing him and even registered him in a. In fact, he seldom mentioned it altogether, never evoking the memory of his own yeshivah nor engaging in nostalgia of his decades at its helm. Rav Aharon loved these children. Fourteen-year-old Rav Aharon, however, noticed something amiss. 'Kennedy curse' strikes again? RFK's granddaughter dies at 22 Tears would well up in his eyes. Rav Aharon also managed to include an orphan girl who lived with them named Grunia Winograd on the visa registering her as an adopted daughter. Rav Aharon in conversation with Rav Elchonon Wasserman and Rav Moshe Blau at the 3rd Knessiah Gedolah in Marienbad in 1937. Hefkervelt : Rebbitzen Rischel Kotler A"H a biography - Blogger To that end, pushkes were distributed to shuls and private homes, a publicity campaign was launched to encourage the public to donate in the local pushkes, and gabbaim were hired to oversee operations in each locality and empty the pushkes at regular intervals. You live in the Holy Land and serve as a rosh yeshivah. A third group of older bochurim went to Duksht. Life in Israel: The Frum Version Of The Kennedy Curse - Blogger Youre right, Rav Aharon responded. Local rabbanim occasionally delivered shiurim to the students, but otherwise these improvised yeshivos generally lacked formal structure and authority. Upon hearing that neurologists believe that people have access to only a fraction of their brains potential, he declared to his student Rabbi Dr. Dovid Fox, They never knew Rav Aharon Kotler; every brain cell was full of brilliance!. It was around the turn of the century that Jews began to arrive in Lakewood to fill these needs. Rav Aharon even encouraged talented yeshivah students to participate as well, and many of them were sent along with rabbanim on the road for the Chofetz Chaim Torah campaign. In addition to sacrificing Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer, who was one of his roshei yeshivah in Slabodka, the Alter sent 14 of his finest students to Slutzk. When Rav Aharon visited America in 1935, he observed with sorrow that Baltimore was the only city outside of New York that contained a proper Jewish Day School. There he persuaded Rav Aharon to return to Slabodka, and thus the future Torah leader was preserved. To his left are his brothers-in-law, Rav Sheftel Kramer and Rabbi Pesach Frank. He used his wealth to assist the nascent mussar movement by supporting the Slabodka Yeshivah and other mussar-linked institutions. In an interview conducted with the president of Lakewood Yeshiva, Rabbi Aharon Kotler, a myth and legend that has been well-entrenched in the haredi world about famous Jewish composer and. Leadership meant responsibility, responsibility always translated into activism, and activism invariably took the form of launching initiatives, motivating others, and getting the job done. His first order of business upon arrival in the spring of 1941 was to breathe new life into the splintered Vaad Hatzalah organization in order to revitalize its efforts to rescue Torah scholars and yeshivah students. Yisrael af al pi shechatu yisroel hu.. Rav Aharon had an acute awareness of the Soviets and their methods. The White Plains group sent a delegation led by Rav Mordechai Yaffe to meet with Rav Aharon. "Personal Experiences with Great Rabbis of My Generation". With the eventual formation of the War Refugee Board in January 1944, Rav Aharon and Irving Bunim were able to work with its head John Pehle on several rescue attempts. Rebbetzin Chana Perel made the balancing act possible. While initially his focus was providing them with kosher food and religious articles, he soon realized that would not suffice and contacted the Vaad Hatzalah for help. Vaad operative Rabbi Nathan Baruch would never forget his first encounter with Rav Aharon. It is with this understanding, and for this purpose, that I am asking for your support.. In the seventies, he told me, "The talmidim I have now are much greater than those I've ever had in the past." He attributed this to Rav Aharon Kotler.
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