The Day The Music Died- Rabbi's Resources, Noach 5784
Dear Shaare Family,
Thank you to everyone who made last Shabbat such a memorable and uplifting experience. Of course, to R’ Pdaya Halperin for his tefilot and for leading the singing at the tish, but also for the sponsors who made the Shabbat possible. A special thanks goes out to all those who attended, who organized and who sang. There is another oneg this Friday night at Ohr HaTorah as part of the Shabbat Project. In a conversation with Rabbi Feigenbaum earlier this week, I described it as a “rematch.” We are among the partner organizations and I hope everyone will be able to attend! This Friday, you can get a double dose of simcha by going first to the Shalom Zachar of Baby Boy Hirschberg, at the home of Susan and Jeremy Hollander at 9 PM at 5965 Meletio. Please Write
You may have already seen a video of Jewish students being locked in a building at The Cooper Union in New York, while an angry mob of pro-Palestinianb student were chanting slogans and trying to break down the doors, The students were fearful for their lives and were eventually escorted out of the building by tunnel by police, who had not yet arrived after 40 minutes (!). So far, the leadership of Cooper Union has been silent. Please flood the inbox of President Laura Sparks at lsparks@cooper.edu demanding a response.
A Larger Than Life Rabbi
It is a sign of our times that, wIth reports of so many people dying or dead in Israel in their under the most horrific circumstances in their tender years, it is almost a comfort these days when someone dies at an advanced age after a full life. The Torah world in Israel is mourning the loss of the great Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Baruch Mordechai Ezrachi at the age of 94. Rav Ezrachi was the Rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat Ateret Yisrael, formerly of yerushalaim and, since 2019, in Kiryat Sefer.
From a young age, as a student in the Chevron Yeshiva, Rav Ezrachi was known for his nimble intellect, his charisma and his diligence in his studies. He married Shulamit, the daughter of Rav Meir Chodosh, the legendary Mashgiach of the Chevron Yeshiva who then served as Mashgiach in Ateret Yisrael. Shulamit, who died in December of 2022, was an author in her own right, who penned biographies of several noted Rabbis including her father. In 1964, Rav Exrachi began the movement called Bnei Torah, geared toward students in Israeli Yeshiva High Schools, especially Religious Zionist ones, in an attempt to introduce them to the Israeli Chareidi Lithuanian Yeshiva world.
He also known for his distinctive appearance, including an extremely tall kippah. Rav Baruch was a proponent of the Slobodka school of mussar, which centers on gadlus ha’adam, the potential for greatness inherent in every person. In Slobodka and other yeshivot that followed in its footsteps, this was manifest in an emphasis on impeccable and stylish dress. Rav Baruch always wore a French-cuff shirt (not common in the world of the Israeli yeshivot) and a handsome tie along with his rabbinic frock and extremely wide-brimmed homburg. Whenever he was at home, he would wear a robe with intricate designs, similar to those that one might find on a chassidic bekeshe. In the picture on the left, he is seen with my dear friend Rabbi Yehuda Cohen, a talmid of R Baruch Mordechai’s for many years.
Rav Baruch was described as the embodiment of “Simchas HaTorah”- the joy of studying Torah. He was at his most animated when delivering a shiur, and when he related a novel idea he came up with or heard from someone else, he did it with passion and joy. He was not afraid to give his students strident mussar, but was heavily focused on building them up, giving the confidence to succeed in life and navigate the challenges they will encounter- all while growing in Torah. He also loved to sing; on Friday nights, students from the Yeshiva would come to his home to hear a shiur, which would be followed by singing niggunim into the early hours of the morning.
May his memory be for a blessing
Last Week’s MSOTW
Last week’s MSOTW was the Central Synagogue in Metullah, just south of the Lebanon border. As the town has been evacuated, the shul stands empty at the moment. May it return soon to full use!
This Week's MSOTW
The people who daven in this shul are watching the events unfolding in the north of Israel extremely carefully, because they have a long-standing connection to that region. Name the shul, where it is located and where its members originate from.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky
Congregation Shaare Tefilla 6131 Churchill Way Dallas, TX 75230
