This morning, the Five Towns community will gather at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Yussie Ostreicher at 184 Wildacre Avenue in Lawrence to participate in the breakfast celebrating the work of Yeshiva Chaim V’Shalom Munkacz. This year’s function will be graced by the presence of the Munkaczer Rebbe, who will deliver divrei Torah and chizuk. One of today’s leading Torah educational institutions in Boro Park is Yeshiva Chaim V’Shalom Munkacz. It is preparing scholars who will lead us into the future. It is developing the Torah scholars of tomorrow today. It has already achieved universal recognition and is being studied and analyzed. The Torah world wishes to emulate its phenomenal success.This success has its history rooted in the city of Munkacz where Torah leadership blossomed for 200 years and was temporarily interrupted by the Holocaust. We are today enjoying the sweet fruit of its rejuvenation.
Today’s Munkaczer Torah institutions worldwide are a continuation of the vast and elaborate network inaugurated by the previous Munkaczer Rebbes and are being continued and expanded by today’s much respected Munkaczer Rebbe. Rabbi Moshe Leib Rabinowitz, the current Munkaczer Rebbe. He is the worthy grandson of Rabbi Chaim Elazar Spira, zt”l (1872-1937), renowned author of Minchas Elazar; son of Rabbi Zvi Hirsh Spira, zt”l (1840-1913), Munkaczer Rebbe and author of Darkei Tshuvah; son of Rabbi Shlomo Spira, zt”l (1831-1893), Munkaczer Rebbe and author of Shem Shlomo; son of Rabbi Eliezer Spira, zt”l (1808-1864), Lantzuter Rebbe and author of Yodai Bina; son of Rabbi Zvi Elimelech Spira, zt”l (1785-1841), Munkaczer Rebbe and paragon author of Bnei Yesoschor.
Before the Holocaust, the Minchas Elazar, zt”l served as the fountainhead of Torah for the large Jewish community in Munkacz. The principles upon which the world-famous Yeshiva Darkei Tshuva was established in Munkacz by the Minchas Elazar in 1918 and continue to serve as the foundations of Yeshiva Chaim V’Shalom Munkacz of today. Today’s Munkaczer Rebbe, his grandson, serves as a worldwide beacon of Torah leadership, as did his grandfather, the holy Minchas Elazar.
Yeshiva Chaim V’Sholom Munkacz, a jewel in the crown of today’s Munkacz Torah institutions, is led by Hagaon Harav Yosef Horowitz, shlita, who nobly serves as its rosh yeshiva. Rabbi Yosef is the son-in-law of the Munkaczer Rebbe, shlita and son of Rabbi Yechezkel Horowitz, zt”l, beloved Viener Dayan of Boro Park.
Rabbi Horowitz, the rosh yeshiva, imbibed Torah at the feet of Torah giants such as Rabbi Yitzchok Soloveitchik of Brisk and Rabbi Elya Ber Wachtfogel of South Fallsburg. Thus, he absorbed the yeshivishe derech that enlarged his Chassidishe warmth. This unique blend of Torah and ahavas Yisrael ignites the hearts of his students. This special combination reflects that of his holy father-in-law, the Munkaczer Rebbe, shlita, who, in his youth, ingested Torah learning in the Telshe Yeshiva as well as at Beis Medrash Elyon in Spring Valley.
Rabbi Horowitz’s leadership of the holy yeshiva is in the tradition of the great yeshivas of yesteryear. While the sun has yet to rise, the students of the yeshiva are already at their Gemaras together with their study partners reviewing yesterday’s learning and preparing for what will be learned on that day. They will embark on a quest of achieving multi-leveled Torah insights through a bekias shiur, a b’iyun shiur, a halachah shiur, and a mussar shiur that will fashion them not only into scholars but also into caring and sharing personalities.
The Minchas Elazar developed a close bond with each individual talmid. He endearingly addressed his students as zeesa kinderlech, sweet children, teira kinderlech, precious children. This shared deep love in pursuit of Torah learning was magical. In today’s threatening culture that prevails outside, this special bond between rebbe and student is the super ingredient that serves as the strong adhesive instilling the desire to learn another blatt, another Mishnah, another halachah, and yet more and more Torah. Within the yeshiva walls, this love of learning Torah infused by the rosh yeshiva, by example, propels students to surpass themselves on a daily continuing basis. Emulating such role models as the Rebbe and his son-in-law, the rosh yeshiva, shlita, is the aspiration of every talmid. Each student knows that by dedicated pursuit of learning, they can reach higher and higher levels of understanding and themselves be role models for younger students. Inside the portals of the yeshiva, only the calendar has changed. The Torah atmosphere is that of the Minchas Elazar, the Darkei Tshuvah, the Shem Shlomo, the Yodai Bina, and that of the Bnei Yesoschor.
Participants at the breakfast will become partners and learn in detail the workings and accomplishments that are being achieved literally on a daily basis. Those that share in this holy work will have the privilege of knowing that their participation and assistance will directly translate into the Torah leadership of our future generations.
Following the breakfast, members of the community will have the unique opportunity to speak with the Rebbe and have a chance to hear his much sought after advice and receive his brachos.
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