The Electronic Alumni Newsletter of Ohr Somayach B’ Shvat 5759 • 1999 YachadTOGETHER A TREE, a SPRING

and OFFsPRINGby Mendel Weinbach “How can I bless you when you already have everything?” This is what Rav Yitzchak said to Rav Nachman when he asked him for a bracha.

hall I bless you with from its fruits, drank from its “Thus,” concluded Rav Torah knowledge – water and relaxed in its shade. Yitzchak, "I can only bless you you are already a As he was about to depart a in the same manner – that all of “STorah scholar! Shall I bless you refreshed traveler, he turned to your offspring shall be like with wealth – you are already a the tree and said: you." man of great resources ! Shall I “Tree, oh tree, how can I On Tu B’Shvat, the Rosh bless you with children – you bless you? Shall I bless you Hashana of the trees, we at already have them !” that your fruits should be Ohr Somayach like to think of Rav Yitzchak found the solu- sweet – they are already so! ourselves as trees blessed by tion to his problem by recalling Shall I bless you with a pleas- Hashem to have offspring – a parable. ant shade – you already have our beloved talmidim in Eretz A man wandered in the it! Shall I bless you that a Yisrael and throughout the desert – weary, hungry and stream of water pass beneath world – like ourselves, blessed thirsty. He came upon a tree you – one already does! All I with the same dedication to with sweet fruits, a pleasant can bless you with is that all learning and spreading Torah shade and a stream of water the trees which are offspring of and to insuring that their off- flowing beneath it. He ate you shall be like you.” spring will be like them.

1 RABBI GAVRIEL ELIYAHU KLATZKO zatzal by Rabbi Larry Shain

nly two and a half years ago, Rabbi Gavriel chesed and hachnosas orchim. Never a Shabbos nor a Yom Eliyahu Klatzko zatzal, or Reb Gavriel as he was Tov meal would go by without many guests surrounding known to us, arrived upon the shores of South their table. The relationship that they established with Africa to be employed by Ohr Somayach of every young person was nurtured and treasured by both South Africa. Little did we know that the enormous rebbe and talmid alike. impactO he would have would be over such a short time. Reb Gavriel’s personality was such that these young He, his wife Yocheved and his children were initially people would open their hearts to him with their most brought out to join the Ohr Somayach in private and intimate issues and he would take them to Johannesburg. Within a short time, it became very appar- heart and act upon them with love and concern. A num- ent that Reb Gavriel had an enormous talent to empathize ber of shidduchim came about via the Sunny Road project with and touch the lives of all who came into contact with and Gavriel and Yocheved would take full responsibility him. The deep ahavas Yisrael which characterized his per- for the shidduch, and on more than one occasion this was sonality is perhaps the single most important trait even to the extent of finding the money for hachnosas required for any kiruv kallah, for those who, for worker. whatever reason, could Reb Gavriel possessed not afford a chasuna. this quality in great mea- The outpouring of grief sure and it was immedi- and sorrow at the short ately utilized by the levaya in Johannesburg – organization to further prior to the flight to Eretz the outreach work of Yisroel on Sunday morn- Ohr Somayach. ing the 8th of November – It was a clear demon- that was attended by stration of hashgocho that hundreds within one at this precise time, an hours notice, was but a opportunity arose for small indication of the the establishment of a great love and esteem felt new minyan and kiruv for him by so many of the center by Ohr local Johannesburg com- Somayach, specifically munity. designed to meet the “Reb Gavriel” doing what he did best. He was beloved by needs of students and talmidim and colleagues young professionals of the Johannesburg community. alike and his presence will be sorely missed. As was There could not have been a better candidate for the job – expressed at a hesped in Johannesburg, just as his four chil- and so was born the Sunny Road Center. dren will ultimately be a source of zechus to his neshamah, Rabbi Klatzko was the heart of the enormously suc- so will his hundreds of talmidim. For many of them, he cessful project. The minyan and associated kiruv projects was fully responsible for the mitzvos they keep; in all of grew by leaps and bounds. Shabbos minyanim were regu- them, he is a great factor and inspiration, and always will larly attended by 200 young people; Lag B’Omer, Simchas be, in their share of Torah and mitzvos. Torah, Shavuos dinner and much more, were attended by May his memory be a blessing to us all. Yehi Zichro 300 plus. In-house and out-of-town Shabbatonim were a Baruch regular occurrence and the Sunny Road Center was the talk of the town. Rabbi Klatzko was at the center of all activities. The Rabbi Shain is Director of Ohr Somayach South Africa. This appreciation is home that he and Yocheved built was one of enormous written on behalf of the hanholo and staff of Ohr Somayach South Africa.

2 SPOTLIGHTon an Alumnus by Victor Hyman

r. Tuvia Meister had a Meister Plan he shares his strategies has used his investment security to fairly common begin- for learning and earning. afford himself more time to learn, ning for a former talmid Rabbi Chaim P. Scheinberg, shli- anyone can combine working and of Ohr Somayach. ta, Rosh HaYeshiva of learning with his plan to finish not Starting from a non-religious home Torah Ohr, notes in his haskama that just Shas but all of Torah, and at the inD New York Dr. Meister pursued a Dr. Meister’s book “shall serve to same time save for a comfortable medical career from a young age highlight the importance of using retirement. For example, with Dr. and became “tuned in” to money to allow one to continue a Meister’s system, if a new father in medical school. serious commitment to limud started the 20 year learning plan Dr. Meister has been an incredi- hatorah.” With that in mind, The and put aside just $2000 at the birth ble example of drive and determi- Meister Plan is designed both for of a child, with only $40 per week nation. In his book over the next 20 The Meister Plan, Dr. years, he could accu- Meister explains how mulate over $300,000 it was a television with very little time show about a dying 19 invested in maintain- year old Jewish boy ing the portfolio. that led him to finally OHR SOMAYACH’S Dr. Meister’s book have a bar mitzvah is based on a system and pursue Torah and TALMID CHACHAM, of setting achievable mitzvos. When Rav goals in learning and Eliezer Menachem investing small Shach, shlita, heard DOCTOR AND amounts of money this story, he said it regularly, as he says: was the first time he “My philosophy fits had ever heard of FINANCIAL GURU the economic cir- anything good come cumstances of most from television! frum families. It’s a The following years hands-off philoso- would see Dr. Meister graduate people working or in kollel. phy; that’s the beauty of it. If medical school, come to Ohr The learning strategy that Dr. you’re frum, you really should not Somayach, marry, finish Mishnayos Meister developed will allow some- be constantly monitoring the stock 10 times, the Bavli, the Mesechtos one with drive and determination market; that’s not a good way to Ketanos, Mechilta, Sifra, Sifrei, to cover an extraordinary amount spend your time,” and others in and Sefer Hamitvzvos, of ground in a very short period of both fields agree. The Meister Plan Tanach, Yerushalmi and time. In chapter four, Dr. Meister carries haskamas from Rabbi Chaim Tosefta. provides outlines for study plans to P. Scheinberg, shlita, and from During this Torah tour d’force, Dr. finish all that he has accomplished Rabbi Moshe Heinemann, shlita. It Meister developed an investment in just 10 - 20 years! also contains approbations from strategy that allowed him to learn Replete with real world exam- Donald R. Nichols, author of Torah full time with only a few ples of how to fit in an extra “daf” Starting Small, Investing Smart and hours of work each week to sup- between x-rays or finish the Nathan Sax, Vice President of plement his investment income, Talmud while waiting in the public Mercantile Safe Deposit and Trust and to retire at age forty. He also library, Dr. Meister writes with Company and The Munk Group. developed a method for learning warmth and an understanding of It is published by Shaar Press and that can only be called meticulous, the financial demands of a frum available at your local Jewish book- dedicated and ingenious. In The family. While Dr. Meister himself seller. 3 Let’s Share Our Simchas Mazel Tov to...

TOGETHERwith B’Yachad MR. & MRS. YECHIEL LEWIS ON THE BIRTH OF A BOY Send us your Mazel Tov announcements and articles for MR. ZEV & MRS. ILISSA (WEINBERGER) GREEN publication. Mail to B’Yachad ON THEIR WEDDING POB 18103 91180 or email to [email protected] MR. & MRS. PETER FINE ON THE BIRTH OF A GIRL

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The Electronic Alumni Newsletter of Ohr Somayach Yom Iyun Banquet to be held Iy"H on Sunday, May 2, 1999 B’ at the New York Hilton YachadTOGETHER PUBLISHED BY OHR SOMAYACH INSTITUTIONS Tanenbaum College POB 18103, Jerusalem 91180 Israel Tel:02-581-0315 • Fax: 02-581-2890 Join This Service! General Editor: Rabbi Moshe Newman www.ohr.org.il/web/alumni Associate Editor: Victor Hyman Web Production: Rabbi Robin Lauffer HTML Design:

rinted in Israel Ohr Somayach Alumni Directory Michael Treblow, Eli Ballon On Line Produced by the Office of Communications Rabbi Eliezer Shapiro, Director If you have an email address send us your information to sign up for this service. This publication — along with over 2 gigabytesof Torah literature — is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.ohr.org.il. To receive docu- Send your name & spouse’s name, address, phone, fax, email & URL, ments like this via E-Mail as soon as they are published, subscribe to the Ohr Somayach B’Yachadlist: Just send the message “subscribe os-alum {your name}” to [email protected]. To send comments to Ohr Somayach, years at OS and any additional comments to: [email protected]

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