(PHOTO LINK BELOW) Kehilas Beis Zion, Berlin, Germany, was honoured to welcome HaRav HaGaon Rav Shraga Feivel Zimmerman, Mara D’Asra of Gateshead, to the community, on Sunday. He was invited to be Mesader Kiddushin for the chasuna of Dovid Geballe, a former bochur of Yeshivas Beis Zion, Berlin who later moved to Monsey where he became a close Talmid of Rav Zimmerman. The kallah, Rivka Schwarz was a student at the Lauder Midrasha, the girl’s seminary and sister school of the yeshiva.
Yeshivas Beis Zion opened its doors in the summer of 2000. It was the brainchild of Rabbi Joshua Spinner, founding Director of Lauder Yeshurun, a group of projects aimed at reviving Jewish life in Germany and catering to the large number of immigrants form the former Soviet Union.
HaRav Zimmerman recalled how his grandfather, the last Rov in Frankfurt before the war, was deported by the Nazis, ym’sh and told the guests how they could not possibly realise the enormity of the miracle of attending an authentic yiddishe chasuna in Berlin, almost exactly seventy years after Kristalnacht.
The Yeshivas newly appointed Rosh HaYeshiva, HoRav Yoel Smith, shlita was present and was immersed in halachic discussion with the esteemed guest for much of the evening. He plans to stay in Berlin until Tuesday, during which time he has a rigorous schedule of teaching to the various programs that make up this new vibrant makom Torah in Central Europe.
The chasuna is the latest of a string of simchas matching bochrim and seminary students in Berlin, which has seen the community balloon over the past two years. In addition to the yeshiva and the seminary, there is a kollel, a kindergarten, the recently opened primary school and ‘Am Echad’, the National Outreach division of Lauder Yeshurun.
PHOTO LINK: Click HERE for photos.
(Dovid Rose – YWN Germany)
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14 Responses
It is wonderful to see Rabbi Zimmerman again.
He is a tremendous talmid chacham and it is a shame that Monsey could not keep him. I hope they appreciate him in the UK.
In a time when it is hard to come by rabbonim that are as knowledgable sensitive and understanding as Rav Zimmerman the loss is that much greater.
May the Rav Shlit”a have continued mazal in England.
wow!
Neve Aliza why would you say that? and whats the point?
Ayin Tov I truly miss Rabbi Zimerman he was very aproachable and no matter the shaila always gave you the time day.
NeveAliza you are perceptive as usual. However, in Queens NY there is a commemoration for Krystalnacht every year in Forest Hills in Cong Machaneh Chadash. Too bad more people don’t come.
#3 What does that mean? First of all speak to the thousands of Holocaust survivors and ask them if they forgot, speak to the children and grandchildren of survivors and ask them if they forgot. Speak for yourself, maybe you forgot. Second of all the breaking of the glass is showing that even during happy times we must still remember that we are in Golus.
Re: ayin tov
The U.K defiantly appreciate him. He has outstanding Bekious in all sections of Halacha and a phenomenal way of speaking. A true example of what a Rov should be.
Monsey’s loss in the U.K’s gain…
No kittel? No tallis covering the heads of the bride and groom? No trauenstein? Where were the hallmarks of a prooper yekeshe wedding? Did they sing the “Shir Hamaalos ashrei kol yerei Hashem?” I hope each guest got a good fill of grundkern soup before the wurst.
why not ask all the Jews who find it necessary to buy Mercedes, Audis, BMW’s etc. whether they remember the Holocaust!!!
First of all, I am a friend of the chossen.
@NeveAliza: Actually those off us who live in Germany dont forget everything which happened. Plz dont judge People you never met and whose situation you seemingly dont start to understand.
to cantoresq #8:
that’s for frankfurters.
every kehilla in germany (and ALL over europe) had their own minhagim, which differed from area to area.
in america, because everyone from everywhere moved to anywhere, and started “new”er kehillot, a new minhag developed — “minhag america”.
Re: hadassa
What is the connection???? I buy a BMW because it’s a quality car. The firm today has absolutely no Zecher of what happened at the War. I’m not supporting Nazism…
#13, you are supporting firms that used jews as slave labor, at the least!while survivors are still B”H with us,I feel it is disrespectful to buy and drive these cars.
The UK certainly appreciates the new Gateshead Rav Shlitoh. The fact that a town like Gateshead, “molei vegodush” with Talmidei Chachomim, has received him with open arms to replace the late gaon Rabbi Rakov ztsl, speaks for itself.
He gets shaalos from all over the UK and is very much in demand as speaker all over the country.
He is now back in Gateshead and spoke at the Wort of the children of two local talmidei chachomim
#12, actually the trauenstein was used all over Germany, and even outside Germany in Alsace and parts of Provence. Using a tallis instead of a chuppa, has its roots in the Mechiltta on Shmot (Keivan sh’pireis tallito aleah, l’am nochri lo yuchal l’machra) and was done by the Italian Ashkenazi communities of Rome, and Venice (I’m not sure about Florence). Grundkern soup is a ubiquitous German “delicacy.”