THE LIFE OF THE MANCHESTER ROSH YESHIVA
During World War II, Rav Yehuda Zev secured sanctuary visas in England for as many war refugees as possible, and the Manchester Yeshiva opened its doors to young refugees fleeing the Nazi inferno. As the war intensified, the Yeshiva expanded its rescue and relief efforts, organizing daily shiurim for young men who, due to the war, were unable to attend Yeshiva full time. Rav Yehuda Zev opened his own home to many of the young refugees. During this period, Rebbetzin Segal assisted her husband in all of his rescue efforts, and was one of the organizers of the community's efforts to prepare food packages for new arrivals from the displaced persons camps. She also helped her husband raise funds for the Yeshiva, and was like a mother to its students. On April 16, 1950/5710, he was officially inducted as Rosh Yeshiva. Rav Yehuda Zev is probably best known for his dissemination of the awareness of the importance of not speaking loshon hora. "I have set Hashem before me always," was Rav Yehuda Zev's guiding principle.
It is said that Rav Yehuda Zev Segal underwent a marked transformation in his outlook and behavior at the age of eight. This sounds rather far-fetched; how many eight-year-olds have real outlooks, and how many are capable of changing their behavior and attitudes at such a young age? Rav Yehuda Zev, however, was no ordinary youngster.
Roots
Rav Yehuda Zev Segal was born in London on the 17th of Sivan 5670/1910 to Rav Moshe Yitzchok and Roize Segal. Rav Moshe Yitzchok, a talmid of the Alter of Novardok, was an outstanding Talmid Chochom, who received semicha from Rav Yechiel Michel Epstein, the Aruch HaShulchon. At the age of nineteen, Rav Moshe Yitzchok was drafted into the Czar’s army, where he insisted on observing mitzvos as well as he could, and on fulfilling the mitzva of netilas yodayim when required by halacha, in particular.
Each time Rav Moshe Yitzchok searched for water for netilas yodayim, a soldier would follow him. After a while, the soldier grew tired of running after him and permitted him to search for water alone. One day, as Rav Moshe Yitzchok was searching for water, he fled to the border and crossed over to Germany. From there, he headed to England, where he began to study in the Machzikei HaDas Shul.
In time, he was appointed shochet of the community. This position paid well and enabled him to save up a sizable sum, which he used to found the Eitz Chaim Yeshiva of London, the only Yeshiva at that time in England.
A number of years later, Rav Yehoshua Dov Silverstone and Rav Tzvi Hirsch Ferber founded a Yeshiva in Manchester, and invited Rav Moshe Yitzchok to head it. He accepted the position. Rav Yehuda Zev was only three years old when his family moved to Manchester. At that time, there was no Jewish primary (elementary) school in the city. Since British law obligated all children under the age of fourteen to attend school, Rav Moshe Yitzchok was forced to enroll Yehuda Zev in the local “Jewish school” whose curriculum was entirely secular. However, when Yehuda Zev returned home each afternoon, Rav Moshe Yitzchok studied Torah with him, providing him with a full Torah
