This morning, the neighborhood of Har Nof in Yerushalayim was almost completely closed off to traffic. Early in the morning, barriers were placed at the entrance of Yeshiva Heichal Hatorah on Rechov Katzenelenbogen, where the esteemed rosh yeshiva, Rav Tzvi Kushelevsky, aged 88, brought his son into the bris of Avrohom Avinu on the date of the birth of Moshe Rabbeinu.
The bris took place this morning immediately after Shacharis in the bais medrash of the yeshiva, with thousands trying to get into the bais medrash. Heavy security was stationed at the entrance to the yeshiva.
The kvatter was Rabbi Kalman Gross, a talmid of the rosh yeshiva. Honored with kisei shel Eliyahu was Rav Moshe Kushelevsky, uncle. The rosh yeshiva and avi haben, Rav Tzvi Kushelevsky, was the sandek.
The kris sheim were recited by Rav Moshe Sternbuch, gaavad of the Eidah Hachareidis.
The baby was named Eliyahu after Rav Tzvi’s father, Rav Eliyahu Kushelevsky, rov of Be’er Sheva, and in honor of Rav Eliyahu Lopian, grandfather of Rav Tzvi’s first wife.
At the conclusion of the bris, Rav Yaakov Hillel recited a “Mi Shebeirach” with great emotion.
After the bris, the crowd broke out into singing “Hatov Ki Lo Chalu Rachamecha.” The rosh yeshiva shared brief words of bracha, saying, “The upcoming Shabbos is Shabbos Zachor – the erasure of Amalek’s memory. The ultimate aim of Amalek is that everything is by chance, and this is wrong! We must know that there is no chance in the world at all! It is forbidden to despair of the salvation of Hashem, and this despair is an absolute prohibition. I thank everyone who has come to share in my simcha, and I bentch each and every one with all the brachos, and may Moshiach Tzidkeinu come quickly. I feel that it is already here…”
Following this, the talmidim gathered for a seudah at Shiras Yerushalayim Hall.
Kesheim shenichnas labris, kein yikaneis l’Torah, l’chupah ul’maasim tovim.
{Matzav.com Israel}
Harav Elya (Eliyau) Lapian was indeed the grandfather of rav Kushelevsky’s first wife (the daughter of the former Gateshead Rosh Yeshiva Rav Lev Gurwitz z”l, and sister of the present Rosh yeshiva Rav Avrohom Gurwitzl), who was also the first cousin of Rav Kushelevsky, but that does not make him the great grandfather of the new Eliyahu, as you wrote in your article
They are both descendants of the Vilna Gaon, R Eliyahu