Batei Horenstein (“Horenstein Homes”) is one of the venerable neighborhoods built in Jerusalem outside of the Old City walls. It was initiated and financed by Dovber (Berel) Horenstein, a sugar magnate from the town of Radomyshl in the western Zhytomyr region of Ukraine, then part of the Russian Empire. Horenstein controlled a sprawling business, benefiting from several lucrative imperial contracts.
Yet, seemingly out of nowhere, he decided to sell everything and move to the Land of Israel, then part of the Turkish Ottoman Empire, and invest all his resources into creating a new community, consisting of 30 homes and assorted communal buildings.
The project began in 1908 and was completed in 1912, with the goal of providing affordable homes for poor Torah scholars. It was considered modern for its time, built to what was described as “European standards.” At its heart, the Horenstein Homes had a large ritual pool (mikvah), which also served as a bathing facility for many surrounding communities. One of the innovations of this project was that it was built entirely with Jewish labor, not just Jewish capital. Today, this area is incorporated into the Geula neighborhood, south of the Old City of Jerusalem.
The contract signed upon the completion of the construction, led by seasoned building contractor Eli Cohen, has survived. The document praises Cohen for completing the project “in the best possible fashion.” Indeed, the emergence of this neighborhood was covered by the media at the time and received a fair amount of praise. The benefactor, Horenstein, died in 1918, having seen his project turn into a great success. What possessed him to embark on this initiative? This is the story that is told:
In his hometown of Radomyshl, there lived a poor man who was struggling to come up with the money he needed to marry off his daughter. Despite his best efforts, he was still considerably short of the required amount. Reviewing the matter with his wife one evening, she advised him to approach the famous philanthropist Dovber Horenstein, as he was known for being both pious and compassionate.
Horenstein welcomed the man warmly and asked him to calculate the total sum needed for the wedding. Realizing that this was a unique opportunity, the man made sure to include every potential expense, including providing a furnished home for his daughter. The number he came to was sizable.
“I’ll grant your request in full on one condition,” said Horenstein, who was as generous as people said. “You must send me an invitation to the wedding.”
“Of course, it would be my honor and pleasure to invite you to the wedding,” said the man, struggling to believe his good fortune.
But in all the excitement and flurry of activity leading up to the wedding, the bride’s father forgot to send an invitation to his benefactor. While the bride and groom were being led to the chuppah, Horenstein was sitting at home completely unaware of the celebration.
Then things started to go badly wrong. Robbers broke into the Horenstein mansion and bound the couple with rope.
“Where is the money?” the thugs demanded, waving their weapons menacingly. Having no other choice, Horenstein led the criminals to where he kept his valuables.
Having loaded all the loot into bags, they notified the homeowners that they were about to be killed. Facing what seemed like his final minutes of life, Horenstein vowed that if he survived this ordeal he would sell his business and donate all the money to build homes for the poor of Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, the poor man’s heart was bursting with pride as his daughter entered into holy matrimony. The ceremony ended with the traditional breaking of the glass, and the band broke out in song. Suddenly, he remembered that he had not invited the man who had made this whole celebration possible!
Although the wedding celebration was well underway, he explained the situation to the groom’s father. They both agreed that they owed a huge debt to the benefactor and they should go over to his house to personally apologize and invite him for the wedding dinner.
Word got out about what had happened, and the whole wedding entourage decided that the only right thing to do was for the entire wedding reception to show up at the Horenstein residence to compensate for the unfortunate omission. And so it was that all the guests headed to the Horensteins, holding torches, led by the orchestra.
Well, there’s nothing like a full band and enthusiastic dancers to disturb a pair of would-be assassins!
Certain that the entire Russian army had arrived, they dropped everything and fled – right into the arms of the revelers! The robbers were seized and handed over to the police. The visitors were shocked to find the Horensteins bound and terrorized, and quickly untied them. After recovering from the shock, the Horensteins joined the wedding as honored guests - which turned into an impromptu celebration of their own incredible delivery from death.
Shortly thereafter, Dovber Horenstein sold all his possessions and emigrated to the Holy Land, settling with his family in Jerusalem. At once he set about fulfilling his vow, building a new neighborhood in Jerusalem.
And the revenue generated from the rent? It went to support needy brides and grooms, a value dear to the heart of the neighborhood benefactor.
Those houses are still standing today, more than 110 years since they were built, as a testament to the power of kindness to bring salvation. Indeed, as scripture (Proverbs 10:2) says, “Charity saves from death.”
Reprinted from an email from Chabad.Org Magazine.
