It is hard to believe that 30 years have gone by since the Rebbe, zy’a was niftar on Asara B’Teves in 1990. As one who was born and raised in Irvington, New Jersey near Newark, our family were recipients of his warmth and hospitality. It is awesome to describe the impact the Rebbe had on Jewish life in Newark and its environs, where he implanted his Chassidishe warmth for over 20 years. At that period in his life, prior to the passing of his revered father, the Pittsburger Rebbe, Rav Yosef Leifer, zy’a, he was known as the Chernovitzer Rebbe.
How does one describe his strong Torah roots, fiery faith, noble character and love of Eretz Yisroel. His mesiras nefesh to walk almost an hour to be toivel in a kosher mikveh before Shabbos Shachris. Our family had the zechus to daven at his first Bais Hamedresh on Hobson Street, near the Irvington border. Later when he built his beautiful new shule on one of the main boulevards of Newark’s Yiddishe area, my teenage friends and I would walk over half an hour each way to enjoy the sound of his heartfelt Tefillos on Shabbosim and Yomim Tovim.
His Youth
His Rebbe, HaRav Avraham Abba Leifer, zt’l (known as the Emunas Avraham) was born in Kroli, Hungary in 1918 to his father, Rav Yosef Leifer, The Tzidkas Yosef, who was the son of Rav Bertche of Satmar, the son of Rav Mordche of Nadvorna, zy’a. During his youth, the Rebbe learned under his father in his hometown. While Rav Avraham Abba was still a child, his father travelled to the USA to raise money to marry off his sisters, who had been orphaned at a young age. Among other places he visited Pittsburgh, where he found a large warm kehillah of observant Jews who were yirei shomayim. They urged him to settle in their city and be their leader; The Tzidkas Yosef agreed and brought over his entire family to settle in the city.
Concerned for the chinuch, the Tzidkas Yosef sent his children away to yeshivas. Rav Avraham Abba learned in the Rachover Yeshiva under HaRav Shloma Zalman of Rachov, zy’a, where he excelled in his studies and received semicha on Yora Deah from his rebbi, when he was a mere 17 years old. From there he went to learn in Sekelheid under HaRav Yehuda Segel-Rosner, zy’a, the Imrei Yehudah, which was considered to be the crowning glory of Hungarian yeshivas. He became one of the most outstanding students , and in time, Rav Isamar of Nadvorna, zy’a chose him as a chosson for his daughter.
During the teenage years that he spent in Europe, far away from his family, he often travelled to various Chassidishe Rebbes. He also went to his uncle, HaRav Eliezer Zev of Kretchnif, zt’l , who displayed unusual affection towards him and had deep Torah discussions with him. His countless sefarim are testimony to his profound proficiency and brilliance in all facets of the Torah.
Baalei Chessed
The Rebbe and Rebbitzen lived a life of true chessed. The Shabbos Seudas always had extra guests and the Rebbitzen would cook and distribute food to needy families. When tragedy befell a local family, the Rebbe and the Rebbitzen took them in and gave them an apartment on the top floor of their home. They also took on the responsibility of marrying off their children- and what beautiful shidduchim they made.
A friend of mine became a baal-teshuva as a teenager and left his home because it was not possible to keep Torah there. The Rebbe quietly took him in and acted as an intermediary with his parents, who refused to accept his new way of life. Today he lives in Meah Shearim and is surrounded by many beautiful grandchildren, ka’h. Like the Rebbe, he constantly has guests at his Shabbos Tisch, and when we see each other, we reminisce about the powerful and ongoing influence of the Rebbe and the Rebbitzen on all of us.
The Move to Ashdod
In 1970, he decided to move to Israel. He chose the coastal city of Ashdod for his new base, though at the time the city had very few religious Jews and almost no chassidim. He chose this city based on a dream which he had, in which a man who identified himself as Hasdai ibn Shaprut (the foreign minister of the caliph of Córdoba some 1000 years earlier) appeared to him and asked him to establish his court in Ashdod, promising him success. In Ashdod the Rebbe established Torah schools for children, bringing in teachers from other cities, and began monthly shiurim for adults. He also established a kollel for avreichim from Bnei Brak yeshivas and founded Yeshivas Tzidkas Yosef in memory of his father. During the last 20 years of his life, he brought thousands of Jews back to full Torah observance and drew countless families closer to the Chassidus.
The Rebbe became known throughout Eretz Yisrael for his great yiras Shamayim and ahavas Yisrael. His son, Rabbi Mordechai Yissachar Ber, the current Rebbe, testified that his father detached himself from worldly pleasures and did everything for the sake of fulfilling the mitzvos of the Torah. Yet he also displayed a genuine simcha shel mitzvah and would engage others with humorous vertlach.
Death and Legacy
The Rebbe was niftar before dawn on Sunday, January 7, 1990 (10 Tevet 5750) at the age of 72. He was buried in Chelkas HaRabbanim on Har HaMenuchos in Yerushalayim. His son, Rabbi Mordechai Yissachar Ber, who succeeded him as Rebbe, has built on his programs and expanded the Chassidus. The Rebbe left behind a large number of unpublished manuscripts and his published work, Emunas Avraham.
One evening some years ago I accompanied my friend, the noted author and speaker, Rav Pinchus Jung, shlita (popular Monsey Mevaser columnist) to Philadelphia, where he gave one of his ‘Change The Way You Daven’ shiurim. On the trip home, he said “ I have a treat for someone who davened with the Rebbe in Newark.” As the recording began to play I recognized the Rebbe’s heartfelt Hoshanah Rabbah tefillos- ‘Tayereh Tatte in Himmel’, as he pleaded with the Ribboino Shel HaOlam on behalf of Klal Yisrael. As Rav Jung explained: In the last years of his life, the Rebbe, zy’a travelled from Eretz Yisrael to London for medical treatments. At the suggestion of Rav Chune Halperin, zt’l, Rav Jung (then a resident of London) often went to visit the Rebbe in the hospital. He became close to the Rebbe and realized what a special person he was. He had the opportunity to be mispallel with him and learn many of his unforgettable sweet nigunim.
The Rebbe was a song writer: everything he spoke had a lyric quality. I remember his ‘Od Yishama’ and ‘Hadudaim’ compostitions. I can still visualize the heartfelt singing at the Simchas Bais Hashoeva in his Sukkah. He loved music and song, but the most magnificent music he ever composed was his own life. Every smile was a lilting melody, every word an enchanting note. His image will linger in our minds, an inspiration and a challenge.
As I reflect on the Rebbe’s whole life, I think of it as one beautiful and sweet nigun. Surely he sits in Gan Eden near the Kissei HaKavod, where along with Dovid Hamelech, he sings Hallel- songs of praise- and together they are Melitzei Yosher for Klal Yisrael. May the Rebbe’s legacy remain fresh and alive for future generations. Zechuso Yagen Aleinu V’al Kol Yisrael.
Authors Note: Most of the material, pictures and comments in this article are gleaned from personal experiences & interviews and from articles in the Hamodia and Yated. The author wishes to thank his Newark ‘lantsleit’ for their input.
Yisroel Safrin author. As featured in the Monsey Mevaser 'Klal Personalities' series
