“חבל על דאבדין ולא משתכחין”

This Motzoei Shabbos in Melbourne Australia, some 200 people gathered for the Shloshim of the late Rosh Hakohol and Askan Reb Benyomin (Yomi) Koppel z”l. Another Sholshim was held in Lakewood. Both were attended by many Rabonim and Yidden from all kehilos. It was a small indication of who this great man was.

R’ Binyomin Zev Koppel, or Yomi, as he was affectionately known, grew up in Melbourne, Australia. Yomi grew up in a loving home that was infused with hachnosas orchim. The warmth of his mother and the enthusiasm of his father was represented in the constant stream of visitors to their home. The Koppel home was permeated with chesed. How to help, who to help, when to help and he was on a constant, concerted search for ways to do more for the Klal. This was the foremost on his agenda. One night as a young boy, Yomi lay restless in his bed. When his mother asked him what was bothering him, he replied, “Today when I was in the city, I saw poor people with their hands outstretched, and wearing shredded clothes and I am worried they are hungry.”

Clearly this unusually intense concern for others was ingrained in Yomi from his youth. Tragically Yomi was orphaned after his mother suffered through a tragic illness and she was niftor before he was married. The nisyonos Yomi faced as a young child seemed to lay the foundation for a serious future for Yomi who displayed fortitudes of strength and resilience in his focus on his avodas Hashem. Yomi would allow no obstacle stand in the way on helping others.

Yomi married Sara, daughter of R’ Yosef Reinitz and together they carried on their sacred work, with an intense desire to help the Klal. For more than three decades R’ Yomi stood at the helm of the Adass kehilla, as Rosh Hakohol. Despite elections every four years, Yomi was always re-elected. Coupled with his position of prestige was paradoxically a blatant distaste for kovod. Yomi would decline the designated seat at the front of shul or place on the dais during functions. Yomi’s involvement was in every facet of the Kehilla life – the Talmud Torah, Beis Yaakov, and Shechita. He was a welcome visitor as chaplain to the Melbourne prisons. Yomi had the unique gift with his soft-spoken words and manner to unite Melbourne Yiden. He demonstrated eminent respect and worked arduously on cultivating achdus between neighbouring kehilos.

Yomi was respected and adored by all people of all ages. The open-door policy in his home translated into established weekly guests. Additionally, many choshuve Rabonim graced the Koppel’s Shabbos table such as -R’ Shimon Gallei, Dushinsky Rebbe, Toldos Aharon Rebbe and many other dignitaries. The dining table remained extended to seat the numerous guests, numbering more than twenty people. The outstanding feature was the manner in which the downtrodden and the choshuv were treated with the identical exalted level of honour. There were countless overnight guests, given their own keys as if they were baal habayis of the home, who sometimes stayed for weeks and months. Yomi had an insatiable desire to give tzodoko in every form.

R’ Yomi was a soft spoken, aidel human who accomplished so much in the most unassuming manner, without any fanfare. An erev yomtov outing with the children was to slip money under the doormats of those in need, while the children being told that the recipients were to remain a secret.

When Yomi faced nisyonos during his life, the first address in his eis tzoroh was always gedolim. His emunas chachomim was legendary, with every question asked to the Rov shlite. It was Yomi’s background and forefront work that ensured that the kehilla had a replacement Rov within the year. He was keenly aware of the koach and importance of a Rov and he undertook this project and despite logistical obstacles, Yomi persevered and a new Rov took on the mantle of leadership.

Three and half years ago, R’ Yomi was diagnosed with a tragic and terrible machla. The doctor’s grim prognosis was twelve months. Yomi was advised by R’ Kohn shlite to keep his diagnosis a secret and then the refuah will result through a hidden neis.

R’ Yomi was zoche to an additional productive three years. Throughout this time, Yomi kept going with his tzorchei tzibur. He was relentless – where others would have fallen into a heap, Yomi, with his optimistic drive and ability to see good in every situation, had an unquenchable thirst for tzorchei tzibur. The concept that a Kollel should be set up under the Ruv shlite was proposed. Despite its’ challenges, and naysayers, Yomi persisted, despite his ill health and was instrumental in its’ institution. How fitting was it that right before he was niftar, this very kollel went to daven by his parents R’ Noson and Zisel’s Kevorim in Melbourne for a refuah shleima.

We would surmise that a person who was so engrossed and so instrumental in the tzibur would have little time for his family – this was not the case. In the days prior to his petiro, his daughter was sitting with her father and she yawned. Immediately his concern was for her. His interest in his family was quite incredible, always looking for ways to help them and enquiring what they need. He was an exceptional husband, father, father in law, grandfather, brother and uncle. He had such an intense pride in his children and grandchildren. His children in law felt like his children and there was a mutual adoration coupled with respect for each of them. His married children all lived in the USA and whenever Yomi went for treatments or clinic visits, he would hide these from them, not wanting to worry them.

Yomi is survived by his doting wife who always stood behind him, supporting his tireless endeavours. A true Ezer Knegdo in every sense who refused to believe in his dire prognosis. She truly believed there would be a neis. And yet at the age of sixty – two, when Yomi’s time came to return his neshomo to his Creator, his eishes Chayil accepted the rotzon Hashem with a serene acceptance.

Yomi’s children’s devotion to their father and their want to continue his legacy is laudable. He will be missed by his children and their families – Shmuly Koppel and family, Moshe Amrom Strauss and family, Moshe, Motty Rottenberg and family, Ari Brecher and family, Eli Dovid, Shloimy and Nosson.

The gaping loss R’ Yomi left is keenly felt as an endless ripple effect – by his family, the Adass community and the tzibur over the globe.

May R’ Yomi be a meilitz yosher for his adoring family and klal yisroel.

Yechi Zichro Boruch…

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)