C50 6 TEVES 5773 DECEMBER 19, 2012 Tribute Harav , zt”l, Rosh Yeshivah, Ohr Somayach BY YEHUDA MARKS Every Jew and His Personal courses dropped, in favor of Avodas Hashem business courses. And the Harav (Chuna) Menachem Harav Weinbach’s strength business student was more Mendel Weinbach, a pioneer of wasn’t just the sheer number of organized in budgeting his time the modern-day baal teshuvah he brought to , but and energy. Backpacking movement and cofounder and how he did it. Harav Weinbach became less popular; dean of Ohr Somayach In- understood that each Jew finds consequently, fewer Jewish stitutions, was niftar last Hashem in his own way, and he backpackers came to the Kosel. Monday after courageously found the way for each Jew to As hashgachah would have it, battling a long and painful find Torah and avodas before Black Monday Ohr illness. He was 79. Hashem — and make it his own. Somayach had already begun Harav Weinbach was the He would quote the bringing students in directly. beloved mentor, father and Rambam, who writes in Hilchos This enabled Harav rebbi to generations of Ohr Avodah Zarah that Avraham Weinbach, who was never Somayach talmidim around the Avinu, the first “kiruv activist,” prepared to take shortcuts, to world. And as a prolific author would answer every person adhere to his shitah of getting and sought-after lecturer for according to his knowledge. the talmidim into the learning of both men’s and women’s groups “Interestingly, we can hear Torah. Unlike the backpackers across the globe, Harav Wein- the same question hundreds of who were sitting on their bach’s zeal and power were a times, and I don’t think I’ve suitcases, Harav Weinbach source of inspiration for given the same answer twice!” could now dedicate his time to thousands of others. he said. “We find the answer those who remained for longer From the many talmidim at that the person asking the periods of time at the yeshivah. the levayah, one heard the same question will relate to, a gift that Although Harav Weinbach short sentence over and over is acquired with experience.” would not immediately start again. With beauty, love and truth, with , he did want his “I felt he was my father; I had he found the way to the hearts fresh talmidim to begin as soon nobody closer in my life,” was of so many lost neshamos. as possible. how they all felt. Even after a talmid left “We have witnessed how the In fact, his son said that at yeshivah, Harav Weinbach bore ma’or shebah, the light of Torah, home there was an argument him on his shoulders, acting as a brings them back to Yid- between the children as to father and rebbi; he guided his dishkeit,” he would say. whom Harav Weinbach loved talmidim with unending pa- “Nothing works like the more — them, or his talmidim. tience and understanding. He magic of Gemara,” was his Harav Weinbach was born on felt so close to his talmidim that motto. 4 Tishrei, 5694/1933 in Galicia, Daniel Friedman their simchos were his, and he Harav Weinbach admitted Poland. Before the outbreak of made every effort to actively that other factors, like the World War II, his parents, Reb there to learn with these flowing ahavas Yisrael made him participate in his talmidim’s Shabbos meals, are also vital in Yechezkel Shraga and Tshezye newcomers who could not yet give up his personal weddings, and the brisos, bar kiruv work. In fact, many of us Ginendel, moved the family to fit into a conventional advancement in Torah and mitzvahs and weddings of their have noted that a Rebbetzin’s , Pennsylvania. yeshivah. devote himself to Klal Yisrael.” children. cholent has often contributed He learned in Torah Eventually, Harav Weinbach Harav Weinbach chose Yeru- more to the teshuvah process Vodaath, where he received realized the need for a specially shalayim as the center of his The Light of than a given lecture! semichah, and later in Bais designed framework for these activities, claiming that the Holy In the earlier years, Harav Yet he stressed that the study Medrash Elyon in Monsey. students. And that is how Ohr City played a great part in the Weinbach’s talmidim came from of Gemara means eisek haTorah, In 1960 he married, tbl”c, Somayach was begun. organization’s success. mekarvim such as Meir being involved in Torah, Sheindel Lamm, an orphaned Various reasons have been “Although we have Ohr Schuster and Jeff Seidel, who engaged in Torah. When survivor whose given as to why Harav Weinbach Somayach branches around the would pick up people at the newcomers learn Gemara in a parents, Avraham Yisrael and chose to name the yeshivah after world, as well as many projects Kosel — especially young , or with their , it’s Rachel Lamm, Hy”d, from Harav Meir Simchah of Dvinsk, in America, which are all doing Jewish backpackers — and send no longer a passive enterprise. Belgium, were murdered in the Ohr Somayach. well, nothing can compare to them to Ohr Somayach. Yiddishkeit requires being Auschwitz. She arrived in New His son mentioned at the York at the age of 5 and was levayah that Harav Weinbach’s raised by her uncle and aunt, goal was to establish a center Shimshon and Lotte (Leah that would battle the secular Yehudis) Lamm. culture challenging Klal Yisrael, Two years after their and sin-mem-ches is the acronym marriage, the young Weinbachs for Shabbos, milah and chodesh, moved to Mattersdorf, Yeru- the three mitzvos the Greeks shalayim, where Harav wanted to annul. Weinbach later established the Harav Weinbach established Heichal Shmuel beis medrash. Ohr Somayach to fight the Yevanim and bring lost Jews Kiruv Through Torah back to their roots; how In the early 1970s, Harav appropriate that his petirah was Weinbach, together with Harav in the middle of Chanukah, Noach Weinberg, zt”l, and, ybl”c, commemorating the battle Harav , founded against the Yevanim. Yeshivas Shema Yisrael for Harav Yitzchak Breitowitz, a baalei teshuvah, which was later talmid who later became a renamed Ohr Somayach. Harav maggid shiur in the yeshivah, Weinbach, along with Harav would say that aside from his Schiller, ybl”c, headed the greatness in outreach, Harav yeshivah until his last days. Weinbach was a gaon in Torah. But even before the yeshivah Even when he was extremely was founded, he would busy, he was able to prepare The Ohr Somayach beis medrash during the hespeidim. encourage others to donate “with lightning speed” deep hours for learning with baalei shiurim, quoting and clarifying the kedushah of Yerushalayim,” However, after 1987’s Black intellectually and practically teshuvah, as well as donating his the words of the Rishonim and he would say. In addition, he Monday, when the stock proactive to facilitate our own time for such learning. Acharonim. would explain that a strong markets around the world coming closer to Hashem. He was part of a volunteer “No doubt, he could have element in kiruv is detaching crashed, university students This shitah was the basis for group consisting of avreichim grown much higher in Torah, the secular Jew from his became more concerned with the more concentrated JLE from Mir, Brisk, Chevron and becoming a leading talmid environment, which occurs finance, and were less (Jewish Learning Exchange) other yeshivos who would chacham,” Harav Breitowitz said, when they come to learn in motivated to see the world. course, getting the newcomers contribute an hour here and “yet his incomparable, over- Yerushalayim. Enrollment in humanities into Gemara study. Tribute 6 TEVES 5773 DECEMBER 19, 2012 HAMODIA C51

With JLE, Harav Weinbach regular chareidi,” the Rosh was able to bring over hundreds Yeshivah stressed. of boys from America, Canada, However, he immediately England and South Africa for a added, our chinuch system is three- to four-week course in important, since we cannot risk Ohr Somayach, during which the dangers of our children time they were introduced to remaining entrenched in Gemara. tumah, nor would these baalei This isn’t an easy approach to teshuvah dare bring up their chazarah bi’teshuvah, but children the way they were knowing this was the correct educated. way, he went into it full force. Harav Weinbach was not Harav Weinbach would only busy with baalei teshuvah. relate the following story: When Sadly, chareidi circles have he first started the Ohr Lagolah recently directed more program, the Education Mi- attention to at-risk teenagers nistry sent a supervisor to check and dropouts, and in the past up on their work. few years he was also involved After meeting with the boys in “kiruv kerovim,” those who and taking part in the program, came from frum households and the impressed supervisor said dropped out. that it was lucky he hadn’t been “Kiruv kerovim is as the one to initiate this project. Past and present talmidim gathered on short notice in the pouring rain to accompany their beloved rebbi on his last journey. important, if not more so, than “If I had wanted to launch kiruv rechokim,” he would say. such a project, I would first have bringing baalei batim to Eretz reached the maximum — full- intense siyatta diShmaya that had to think over how to explain Yisrael to participate in kiruv fledged bnei Torah who live a baalei teshuvah get. In only a * * * the Gemara basics to programs. This initiative has Torah life. few years, they can reach the The levayah left from Beis nonreligious boys, how to evolved into the biannual “Walk into the Mir Yeshivah, level in Torah study of bnei Haknesses Heichal Shmuel in explain a chasurei mechsera Mentors Mission, spearheaded and you’ll find at least 50 Ohr Torah who have been learning Mattersdorf, where the mas- v’hachi katani and other such by Mr. Lemberg, Rabbi Shmuel Somayach graduates devoting for many years,” he said. “And pidim were Harav Yisrael Gans, rules, and would have first taken Bloom and Yaakov Kaplan of their lives to Torah, and even those who don’t become Harav Yitzchak Ehrenfeld, a several-year-long university . Harav Weinbach said excelling,” he would say. full-fledged bnei Torah at least Harav Yaakov Bornstein, and course in these subjects,” he that the Mentors Mission was Harav Weinbach’s son, Harav said. “And in the end, it is very not a one-time experience; the Yechezkel. It continued at unlikely that I would have had men maintained contact with Yeshivas Ohr Somayach, with the capability to give over these the boys they had learned with, thousands of talmidim and concepts; I would have and he organized frequent admirers accompanying Harav therefore dropped the idea!” reunions to see how the boys Weinbach on his last journey. But Harav Weinbach wasn’t were progressing. After hespeidim delivered by put off by the potential hurdles, With his Mentors Mission, the Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshivas and launched the program, with Harav Weinbach wanted to get Ohr Somayach, Harav Nota each maggid shiur and rebbi everybody active in kiruv. Schiller; Harav Yitzchak finding the right answer to the “There are few Jews who Breitowitz, a leading maggid boys’ questions and difficulties haven’t heard of Ohr Somayach, shiur in the yeshivah; and the in Gemara study. and every nonreligious boy can niftar’s son, Harav Moshe, the Harav Weinbach would know where to turn if he mittah was taken to Har explain that one of the main intends to become religious. Hamenuchos, where Harav purposes of Gemara study is to What we are trying to do is to Weinbach was buried. achieve emunas chachamim, get the frum community in Harav Weinbach leaves without which one cannot Eretz Yisrael and the whole behind the many books, understand the masores and world into the kiruv process,” he pamphlets and articles in halachic life. said. newspapers and magazines in “Nothing fosters emunas “That is the goal of our English he authored on chachamim more than the in- Mentors Mission, to get the bnei hashkafah, halachah and Jewish tellectual challenge of learning Torah active in kiruv.” thought, including On Wings of Gemara. The emunas cha- Harav Weinbach’s accom- Prayer, meshalim about tefillah; chamim grows as the skills and plishments continued with his Who Wants to Live, containing depth grow,” he said. “Learning Ohr Lagolah program, which 101 meshalim of the Chofetz Torah without emunas cha- has been running for over 20 Chaim; Turnabout: the Purim chamim would be pointless, years, training bnei Torah to Story on Megillas Esther; The lifeless and inevitably dis- become teachers and kiruv Essential Malbim; 127 Insights torting.” educators. Into Megillas Esther; the Weekly Tackling the questions of still “Baruch Hashem, we have Daf, with insights and lessons nonreligious Jews, who would 300 Hertz Institute–Ohr on Daf Hayomi; Give Us Life; mention the damage that fringe Lagolah graduates who are Love of the Land; TalmuDigest individuals in the chareidi world teaching, administrating, and Harav Weinbach (L) with his colleague of over 50 years, Harav Nota Schiller, on Gemara; The Magic Elixir; do to the chareidi image, Harav active in kiruv on college Rosh Yeshivah, Yeshivas Ohr Somayach. and many more. Weinbach would say that the campuses, in community Harav Weinbach is survived questions about warts and scars outreach kollelim, in shuls and That is why he was get an appreciation and a by his wife, Rebbetzin Sheindel are only a proof that the Jewish schools throughout the unrelenting in making sure that respect for Torah methodology Weinbach, tbl”c, who is also an chareidi world is composed of U.S., Canada, Europe, South the higher shiurim are on the and authority. They know author of books and heads the normal people, not angels. Africa and Australia,” he said. highest level, competing with whom to ask what they need to Yad Leyad chessed organization, “Yes, we tell the boys that “Jewish communities world- the top shiurim in the best know.” which is centered in her home, these bad examples are also part wide desperately need ded- yeshivos, and his talmidim He would explain that the as well as several other chessed of the chareidi world, since icated young people who are reached the highest levels of frum-from-birth Jew is in a organizations; children, chareidim have the same yetzer trained to translate hasmadah and Torah totally different situation from grandchildren and great- hara as others,” he explained. into the language of the 21st knowledge. the baal teshuvah. Any exposure grandchildren, and thousands “Yet despite this, we are the century. Our Ohr Lagolah Harav Weinbach would to tumah could be fatal, chas of talmidim and talmidei most exemplary group in Israeli program, which is accredited explain the phenomenon of v’shalom, for those brought up talmidim who merited to see the society, which shows that with the Israeli Ministry of those who are relatively new to in the chareidi greenhouse. Yet, light thanks to Harav Weinbach. anybody can become part and Education, trains bnei Torah in Yiddishkeit reaching the level of as we see from Bnei Yisrael in His sons are Harav Avraham, parcel of this select circle of the art of communicating and frum people who have been Mitzrayim, those who Harav Yechezkel, Harav Moshe, shomrei Torah umitzvos.” relaying Judaism to Jews of all practicing shemiras hamitzvos spiritually survived the Harav Mordechai, and Harav Harav Weinbach rejected the backgrounds.” for years, with the Gemara that Egyptian melting pot of tumah Eliyahu, and his daughters are view that kiruv is only for the Harav Weinbach viewed says, “B’makom shebaalei were toughened and stronger in Mrs. Rachel Ehrentreu, Mrs. professionals, arguing that teshuvah in a minimum and teshuvah omdim ein tzaddikim their Yiddishkeit. Hadassah Glaser, Mrs.Sara anybody and everybody could maximum way. While he aimed gemurim yecholim laamod — In “Similarly, the baalei Nordheim, Mrs. Yehudis be a machzir bi’teshuvah. for a minimum — producing the place where baalei teshuvah teshuvah who endured the Deutsch, Mrs. Batsheva Over seven years ago, Mr. Jews who were shomrei stand, even complete tzaddikim tumah and were able to elevate Hildesheimer and Mrs. Chani Daniel Lemberg, a local Lake- mitzvos — he was especially cannot stand.” themselves and reach kedushah Stanietsky. wood businessman, pioneered proud of those talmidim who “This demonstrates the are much stronger than the Yehi zichro baruch. C52 HAMODIA 6 TEVES 5773 DECEMBER 19, 2012 Tribute A Mentor to Multitudes BY RABBI BINYOMIN SCHONBLUM mitzvos to enable them to grow and blossom into bnei Torah. The Thousands upon thousands of letter reads as follows: members of the Ohr Somayach Lichvod Harav Weinbach, family have been thrown into shlita, Harav Schiller, shlita, and mourning with the passing of our the rest of my rebbeim at Ohr beloved Rosh Yeshivah, father and Somayach, shlita, guide, Harav Chuna Menachem I am writing to try to express Mendel Weinbach, zt”l. For more the appreciation and gratitude I than 40 years, he cared for and feel concerning the recent nurtured his talmidim as if they HaShas. I was part of the tzibbur at were his own children, encourag- the recent Siyum HaShas held at ing, motivating, teaching, guiding Binyanei Hauma. Harav Weinbach and loving each one like a father. was one of the speakers and Although I only had the zechus reminded me of the important and of meeting the Rosh Yeshivah one powerful shmuessen he used to time, on the Ohr Somayach give at the yeshivah. He mentioned Mentors Mission this past July, the powerful vort about Rabi Akiva that one encounter gave me a and the daf that he rode to shore small glimpse into the greatness of on. I was in the crowd and I felt like Harav Weinbach. calling out, “Harav Weinbach, do Before leaving for Eretz Yisrael you know that I just finished the for the Mentors Mission, I was cycle?” My simchah then and now speaking to a chashuve Rosh can’t be expressed. Yeshivah here in America. When Similarly, my hakaras hatov to he heard that I was going to be Harav , zt”l, visiting Yeshivas Ohr Somayach. Ohr Somayach can’t be truly spending time at Ohr Somayach, expressed. The thought that I he told me about an episode might never have known what Daf involving himself and Harav Yomi is, and instead I was zocheh to Weinbach that happened more be among the mesaymei haShas, than 50 years ago. leaves me speechless. It also leaves As a boy, this Rosh Yeshivah had me with the chiyuv of expressing been learning in a Chassidishe my thanks to the Roshei Yeshivah. mosad in Williamsburg where I should add that the hashkafah Harav Weinbach was on the staff. and chinuch we received at Ohr Although Harav Weinbach wasn’t Somayach that we have to become his rebbi, Harav Weinbach was so lomdei Torah and talmidei in tune to the needs of all the chachamim is the yesod upon talmidim that he sensed that this which my personal siyum haShas talmid would do much better in a has been built. I should also men- Litvishe yeshivah. Unbeknownst tion that Harav Weinbach’s sefer to the young man at the time, was helpful and provided essential Harav Weinbach spent a great deal insights. More importantly, just of time convincing the father to picking up the sefer made me feel send his son to a different yeshiv- as if I was being told “vayter in ah. .” Iy”H, I hope to start again The end result was that the with greater amkus and havanah, father sent his son to Yeshiva as the yeshivah taught us to do. Gedolah of , where he May Hakadosh Baruch Hu give went on to become an extremely all the Roshei Yeshivah and all the chashuve marbitz Torah and rebbi Rabbanim continued siyatta to hundreds of talmidim. Harav Weinbach greeting Harav Aharon Leib Steinman in Yeshivas Ohr Somayach. diShmaya in harbotzas haTorah. I told this Rosh Yeshivah that I With thanks me’umka d’liba, would send his regards to Harav ly at the opening banquet and then are bereft, for we have lost his love Yeshivah has left us, we are bereft, (Name withheld) Weinbach when I saw him. He told made his way towards the exit. and care for all Yidden. as we have lost his wisdom and There are many more letters me to do so, but added that Harav I caught up to him in the hall- This past Shabbos, my brother- advice. that have been written down on Weinbach probably wouldn’t way, introduced myself and then in-law Reb Moshe Zakheim told A few months ago, I was speak- paper and sent to the Rosh remember him, as the incident had sent him regards from the Rosh me that he was involved in a com- ing with Harav Nota Schiller, Yeshivah, but there are thousands taken place more than 50 years ago Yeshivah in America. Immediately plicated case of someone who was Harav Weinbach’s great shutaf for more that are forever forged on the and was not a major event. he became excited and recalled the in the process of becoming a baal close to 50 years. Harav Schiller hearts and ingrained in the minds When I saw Harav Weinbach at incident as if it had just occurred teshuvah and was married to a had a letter in his pocket. I believe of the Rosh Yeshivah’s loving the opening banquet of the the day before. Clearly, the care non-Jew. Obviously, there were the contents of the letter provide a talmidim. May he be a meilitz yosh- Mentors Mission this past July, he and concern that Harav Weinbach many complex issues to be dealt living testament to the Rosh er for his biological family, his spir- was already very weak but his face had for every talmid was not some- with here. My brother-in-law was Yeshivah, zt”l, and to his tremen- itual family and all of Klal Yisrael. still shone; it was obvious that his thing that started when he had his told to go to Harav Mendel dous hatzlachah in bringing U’macha Hashem Elokim dimah zest for his lifelong mission was as own yeshivah; it was a part of his Weinbach, as he was the Posek on Yidden back to their roots, mei’al kol panim b’vias Goel Tzedek alive as ever. He spoke passionate- essence. Now that he has left us, we these matters. Now that the Rosh implanting in them Torah and bimheirah biyameinu.

Harav , zt”l (L), with Harav Weinbach in Ohr Somayach. Harav Weinbach (L) with Mentor Dr. Michael Bernstein and Rabbi .