“Twenty years ago when we traveled together to Russia, no one would have believed that in such a place there would be a total Torah revolution and rebirth. It was Reb Zev Wolfson who put his life and soul into making this happen.”
Speaking at a siyum this week in memory of Reb Zev Wolfson,the well known philanthropist, Rechovot’s Chief Rabbi, Rav Simcha Hakohen Kook, recalled the days when teaching Torah in Russia was a dream that seemed utopian.
“But thanks to Zev Wolfson’s personal investment, people who actually rejected Jewish values became imbued with a love of Torah,” said Rav Kook. “Reb Zev Wolfson zal made his goal to support Torah studies and set up learning centers all over the world, and his sons are continuing in his footsteps.”
As Rav Kook spoke, a crowded hall of Torah students at Rechovot’s Yeshiva Meor Hatalmud paid tribute to the enormous contribution that the dedicated Zev Wolfson made in carrying the burden of the Torah institutions worldwide. They had taken upon themselves to learn all of Shishah Sidrei Mishnah in his memory before the shloshim – a fitting tribute to a great man.
The Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Avrohom Yitzchok Hakohen Kook, added that Reb Zev not only supported existing institutions, but opened new ones in “the desert” – places that were bereft of any Jewish learning centers at all.
{Matzav.com Israel News Bureau}
This is a real kiddush Hashem! This demonstrates the midda of hakaras hatov!