 
Pittsburgher Rebbe To Visit Community Of Long Beach, November 27-28
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Published on Thursday, November 19, 2009 -
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The visit of the Pittsburgher Rebbe, shlita, Rabbi Mordechai Yissochor Ber Leifer from Ashdod, is scheduled for Shabbos, November 27-28. The Rebbe will spend Shabbos, parashas VaYeitzei as a guest of the Long Beach community under the leadership of its mara d’asra, HaRav Chaim Wakslak, shlita.
A large attendance is expected at the tefillos and tishen, which are famous for their unique warmth, the Rebbe’s heartfelt melodies, and inspiring divrei Torah. The davening will be conducted at the Young Israel of Long Beach while the tishen will take place at the Jackson Hotel. The Rebbe will stay at the home of Rabbi Chaim Wakslak where he will receive people seeking his advice and blessings during his visit on Motzaei Shabbos.
Rabbi Wakslak relates that he was a disciple of the Rebbe’s father, Reb Avrohom Abba, zt’l while growing up in Newark and views him as a significant influence in his life and in the role of rav that he has established for himself in the Long Beach kehillah. Understandably, the visit by the current Admor of Pittsburgh represents an indescribable honor and sense of satisfaction in the knowledge that the Pittsburgher Chassidus is thriving and being perpetuated under the leadership of Reb Mordechai.
The previous Rebbe, Reb Avrohom Abba, zt’l, was the son of the first Pittsburgher Rebbe, Reb Yosef, zt’l. In 1926, Reb Yosef, a direct descendent of the Nadvorna dynasty, moved from Hungary to the American city of Pittsburgh. Reb Yosef gained fame for remaining a Rebbe of European style, serving his Creator in his quiet corner and ascending to high levels of holiness.
Every day Reb Yosef would say a tefillah, “Ribono Shel Olam, I realize that I am in America. Please save me and my children from becoming influenced.” In this way, the Rebbe raised his children in the atmosphere and manner he brought from Europe. When his sons reached yeshiva age, he would send them back to learn in Europe. Indeed, two of his sons were in Europe when World War II broke out, and they perished during the war.
Reb Abba, the lone survivor, lived in Tchernowitz, Romania and married the daughter of the Nadvorna Rebbe, Reb Isomor, zt’l. They emigrated to America shortly after the war. He started his leadership in Newark, New Jersey, where he built a large shul and community center.
Although he was a Rebbe from a previous generation, one who could have led a group of eminent chassidim, he preferred to spread Yiddishkeit amongst secular American Jews and inspire them with his warmth and ahavas Yisrael.
Under his inspiration, many Jews chose Torah education for their children, and many generations of Torah Jews owe their Yiddishkeit to the “Tchernowitzer Rebbe” as he was called in Newark. After his father’s passing in 1966, Reb Abba moved to Pittsburgh. From then on he was known as the Pittsburgher Rebbe.
While still in Pittsburgh, his great love for Eretz Yisrael motivated the Pittsburgher Rebbe, zt’l to open a kollel in Yerushalayim in the name of his late father. In a letter to his students he expressed his “jealousy” of those who study Torah in Eretz Yisrael. However, his sense of mission did not let him leave Pittsburgh. Only some years later, when he felt the time was right, he moved to Eretz Yisrael.
He settled in the port town of Ashdod. In this secular town, the few religious Jews residing there tried not to draw too much attention to themselves. The Pittsburgher Rebbe, however, as a continuation of his efforts to spread Yiddishkeit, decided to change this town for the better.
By means of love and warmth, he drew more and more secular Jews to Yiddishkeit. On Shabbos, he would go from shul to shul and convince the religious Jews to wear their taleisim openly in the streets on Shabbos. This way, he explained, the presence of Shabbos and Judaism would become evident. He would gather children attending public schools and organize activities for them where they would be introduced to the warmth of Torah.
In 1981, Rabbi Avrohom Abba called his son, Rabbi Mordechai (the current Rebbe, shlita), requesting that he move to Israel and open a Chassidic yeshiva in Ashdod. The Rebbe answered his father’s call, and in the winter of 1981 the yeshiva opened. Through the difficult years of building the yeshiva together with his father, the Rebbe was the rosh yeshiva. They built a cheder for children, and a full time kollel which attracted newlywed couples to the town, and can thus be considered the cornerstone of the third-largest chareidi community in Eretz Yisrael.
Rabbi Avrohom Abba’s fame started to spread far and wide, and many flocked to him to seek his guidance and blessings. Stories of miracles, especially for those who were childless, became well publicized. His heartfelt tefillos attracted many, and this tzadik who had tried all his years to hide his greatness became a famous figure.
Upon his passing, the Rebbe, zt’l, was succeeded by his only son, the current Rebbe, shlita. Under the Rebbe’s leadership, the mosdos have expanded and flourished. Even in today’s chareidi Ashdod, with its many communities and institutions, Pittsburgh is still a center for Torah and Yiddishkeit.
The uniqueness of the Pittsburger mosdos is that they serve all segments of the community. In the Pittsburgh center for Torah, shiurim are given by the best lecturers of the various Chasidishe and Litvishe kehilos. In the beis horoah, the dayanim of the Belz, Gur, and Viznitz kehilos unite to serve the entire town. The Talmud Torah, which just recently completed a new spacious building, is staffed by melamdim of different backgrounds, and the yeshiva ketanah and gedolah have mobilized the most capable bnei Torah of the various kehilos to serve as magidei shiur and mashgichim. Indeed, the dayan of Gur is the Pittsburgh rosh yeshiva! The Rebbe himself joins the talmidim during seder, delivers shiurim, and observes from close the development of every talmid with encouragement and chizuk. A special program encourages bochurim to memorize and to be tested on hundreds of blatt Gemara by heart. Those who achieve are crowned with honorary titles like “moreinu” and “chover.” The yeshiva has earned a reputation for its high standard of lomdus and bekius that are instilled along with Chassidus and good midos, which has made it an attraction for better bochurim from all over.
The mosdos include a network of kollelim at all hours of the day and an institution for publishing the divrei Torah of the Rebbes. Together all the Pittsburgher mosdos form a united fortress of Torah and Chassidus from which the entire chareidi community in Ashdod benefits.
Being the largest Chasidishe “court” in Ashdod, the Rebbe’s tishen attract many Chassidim whose Rebbes do not reside in Ashdod but who still want to be elevated by a warm and inspiring tish on Shabbos and yom tov. In addition, the tishen attract many traditional Jews, immigrants, and even secular Jews, who taste Chassidus for the first time, in addition to the many families of Pittsburgher Chassidim themselves. Pittsburgh is now considered a large and influential Chassidus with many followers and admirers.
The Pittsburgh Chassidic community has been growing constantly. Most of the families live in Ashdod; however, there are Pittsburgher Chasidim in Jerusalem, Bnei Brak, Beis Chilkiya, London, New York, New Jersey, and California. Each chassid has a unique relationship with the Rebbe, yet all feel that the Rebbe is their loving father. The Chassidim are in constant contact with the Rebbe, asking for his guidance and receiving the Rebbe’s advice and blessing.
For appointments and more information call 0798-554-3634 or 0797-668-6174. ♦
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