C56 HAMODIA 15 CHESHVAN 5773 OCTOBER 31, 2012 Community Harav Kalman Winter, z”l

On 8 Cheshvan, the Silver The Secret to His Success making takanos in the shul, Spring community and beyond “The secret to his success,” rectifying problems, and being mourned the petirah of Harav says Menachem Winter, mekadesh Shem Shamayim. Kalman Winter, z”l, Rav “was his ability to express his This was the essence of his of the Southeast Hebrew tremendous love of people, to neshamah. Congregation – Knesset share the beauty of Yiddishkeit During the last two years, Yehoshua in the White Oak in an expressive way, as well as after being diagnosed with a section of Silver Spring, an appreciation for the meso- terrible machalah, he endured Maryland, for 31 years. rah and Chazal. In truth, his many physical challenges, but In addition to serving as mission was not to change the he bore it all without com- Rav of Southeast Hebrew world, but to change one per- plaint, never questioning, Congregation, Harav Winter son at a time — to touch the “Why me?” He simply saw this served as Director of the Vaad man, woman or child who was nisayon as another way to Harabbanim of Greater sitting across from him.” serve Hashem. Although he Washington. He was mekarev not simply was pained that he could not Close to 1,000 people joined with words but through his continue to teach and inspire, the levayah — either in person simchas hachaim, by sharing he did not question, and in Silver Spring, via live hook who he was, and by sharing his retained his simchas hachaim, up, or at the burial in New love for and for Klal his love of life and his trade- Jersey — an indication of the Yisrael. mark smile. Whatever energy far-reaching influence that he Once a visitor to the shul he had was dedicated to his had on so many. related the following: A certain beloved kehillah. A son of Mr. Sidney Winter person had come to the shul a and a son-in-law of the noted year earlier and heard Harav A Congregant’s Testimony askan Rabbi Amos Bunim, z”l, Winter speak about the impor- The words of one particular Harav Winter was a devoted tance of shalom, the impor- student who learned with talmid of Yeshiva Chofetz tance of being mevater, and the Rabbi Winter at a class in Chaim and Harav Henoch s’char reserved for one who downtown Washington, D.C., Leibowitz, zt”l, and received component of his success.” haTorah and kvod Shamayim, pursues shalom. At that time, summarizes what Harav semichah from Harav Moshe taking care to assure that any this man’s family was engaged Winter meant to so many. Feinstein, zt”l. He was Ahavas Habriyos breach in halachah was recti- in a bitter machlokes, with “The Rabbi, z”l, was a monu- appointed Rav of Southeast As a Rav, he showed enor- fied. He was not concerned none of the parties willing to mental figure to me, in several Hebrew Congregation after mous ahavah for his entire about his job or his kavod and give an inch. The man in ques- ways. The warmth and authen- serving in the Young of kehillah and indeed, all the had no fear of ridicule — he tion was so moved by Harav ticity with which he welcomed Buffalo for several years. congregants felt his love was only concerned about cre- Winter’s powerful words that me into his home and commu- In Silver Spring, Harav towards them as a father loves ating a kiddush Hashem. he was inspired to do what he nity was something I had Winter earned a reputation as his son. Mr. Chaim Singer, At the same time, he was the could to resolve the machlokes, never experienced before at a Rav who had a tremendous long-time president of the gentlest and warmest of all and was indeed successful in any other shul. Your commu- influence on his kehillah. kehillah, explained, “He had a people. Everything he did was doing so. Such was the power nity’s warmth is truly unbe- Through his simchas hachaim, tremendous real love and car- an expression of being an eved of Harav Winter’s words. lievable and should be an ahavas habriyos and ahavas ing for every member of the Hashem and bearing a sense of example for Klal Yisrael. haTorah, as well as his kehillah. This is something achrayus for Klal Yisrael. All Bringing in a Kollel “Also, the fervor and excite- strength in standing up for that we took for granted and this was evident in his work on At the age of 63, Rabbi ment with which he taught me kvod haTorah and halachah, he did not fully appreciate until behalf of kashrus, the mikveh, Winter took on a new and my friends Gemara is transformed a community. he was gone, something very chinuch and the general con- achrayus, to bring a communi- something I will never forget, Among his major accom- unique that will be hard to duct of the Yidden in Greater ty kollel to the greater and his teaching style is some- plishments was the founding replicate.” Washington. Washington area. He was will- thing that still energizes me to of the Greater Washington “He had a tremendous As a talmid of Harav ing to take on this tremendous this day. And his amazing Community Kollel approxi- impact on our lives,” Mr. Henoch Leibowitz, zt”l, he financial burden for he felt pearls of wisdom — the ‘dia- mately four years ago. Singer continued. “He was maintained an extraordinary responsible for taking advan- monds,’ as he called them. Although already in his 60s, always striving to raise the bar sense of mesorah. He would tage of an opportunity to raise Those true diamonds inspired Harav Winter was not one to — not in an arrogant way, but often quote his Rosh Yeshivah, the level of limud haTorah and so many of us so deeply... and rest on his laurels. Feeling the in a way that showed that he using his lessons and example dikduk hamitzvos in the city. his sensitivity and true caring time was ripe, he devoted great believed in us more than we as his inner guide. During his He undertook this task with still warm me and remind me energies to establishing the believed in ourselves.” years in Buffalo, he was also the greatest emunah and bita- of how beautiful the world can kollel and single-handedly Indeed, hundreds of homes zocheh to have shimush from chon, and with great persist- be. raised the funds necessary to were transformed due to his Harav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l. ence. Until his final days, he “I know there are countless keep it going. His son, Rabbi influence. Many homes This mesorah enabled took great interest in the kollel people like me, whose lives Menachem Winter, serves as became more Torahdig, places Harav Winter to become a and derived much nachas from were truly touched and truly the Rosh Kollel. where the sons developed into “Rabbi’s Rabbi,” someone who seeing the great hasmadah of impacted by the Rabbi. I will bnei Torah and the daughters was often consulted by the kollel yungeleit, as well as always remember him as Simchas Hachaim married bnei Torah. Rabbanim throughout the the impact the kollel was hav- someone who made a giant Rabbi Menachem Winter country who needed advice on ing on the community. impression on me and helped relates, “He had tremendous For the Sake of Kvod how to deal with difficult steer the course of my life simchas hachaim. He enjoyed Shamayim halachic and hashkafic issues Ahavas HaTorah toward Torah.” every moment of being a Yid, Rabbi Winter had a reputa- in their kehillos. Harav Kalman Winter pos- Harav Winter is survived by every moment of teaching and tion as a zealot — always anx- sessed tremendous ahavas his wife, Rebbetzin Rivka sharing. When he gave over to ious to uphold the proper stan- Middas Ha’emes haTorah that was reflected not Winter; his children Mrs. other people, he did it with a dards of Yiddishkeit. He was An important nekudah in only in his teaching and giving Chana Biberfeld; Mrs. Devorah geshmak. This was a central fearless when it came to kvod Harav Winter’s avodah was his shiurim to his kehillah, but in Slater; Mrs. Nechama Tropper; middas ha’emes. Everything he his personal life as well. He Rabbi Menacham Winter, Rosh said and did was carried out always made time to learn on Kollel of Greater Washington with the highest standards of his own, even learning Gemara Community Kollel; Rabbi emes. He was a master orator b’iyun. When he went on ‘vaca- Moshe Winter, Director of who delivered hundreds of tion’ to Eretz Yisrael, he would Community Services for drashos, but, as he himself tes- spend hours learning in the in tified, he never gave a drashah yeshivos there, making a great Kew Garden Hills, New York; that was anything but emes. He impression on those who Rabbi Yitzchok Winter; and had to feel that it would bring observed him. Mrs. Batsheva Tolchinsky; a people closer to Hakadosh One day, towards the end of brother, Rabbi Aron Winter, Baruch Hu. his life, when he was in a semi- Rav of Tiferes Israel He told his son, Rabbi conscious state, he was ram- Congregation (TICK) in Yitzchok Winter, “If you are bling on and on for many hours Chesterfield, Missouri; and a speaking, it is an opportunity as a result of some medication sister, Mrs. Esther Becker, wife to influence,” and he put he was taking. As they listened of Rabbi Yisroel Becker, Rav of tremendous kochos into every to his words, his family was Congregation Chofetz Chaim drashah; indeed, every drashah astounded to hear him talking in Tucson, Arizona. was a diamond. about strengthening the city, Yehi zichro baruch.