Larger Than Life, Legend, The Real Thing, are just some of the many ways my beloved Rebbe is described by admirers and Talmidim and all are true. I was 8 years old when I first had the life changing zechus to meet Rabbi Dovid Trenk Shlita in Camp Munk. Though I wouldn’t know it at the time, this energetic, inspiring, superman would come to shape my life, define my mission and enthuse my soul in ways that I couldn’t begin to fathom, then or now. Think it’s just me? Think again. Many lovingly call him Rebbe and the enormous adoration we all share for him is impossible to explain, especially to outsiders. You’ve likely seen Rabbi Trenk enthusiastically interact with his talmidim or total strangers and the amazing thing is he treats everyone with the same boundless love and affection, a love borne out of his association with his Rebbe, the heilige Kapyschnitzer Rebbe Z’TL who came to influence Rebbe in his youth. Love of fellow yidden as essential as oxygen.
Have you ever witnessed real Ahavas Yisroel? The kind of true, unconditional, non-judgmental love of fellow Jews? Well, for the numerous talmidim fortunate to call him Rebbe, Ahavas Yisroel is in the DNA of everything Rebbe ever taught us. The real life lessons were not imparted in lectures, emails or mussar but imbued in our consciousness by Rebbe’s daily actions and the way he treats everyone, young and old alike. B’sever Ponim Yofos.
Who hasn’t benefited from or been inspired by this master mechanech? You may not realize it, but Rebbe Trenk is a trailblazer in chinuch. Decades before there was a name for Kids at Risk or Kids in Pain, Rav Dovid was out on the front lines recruiting and inspiring his boys, often those shunned or disappointed by others or society. Unconditional support, encouragement, understanding and love that created a unique connection and bond with Hashem, his Torah and Klal Yisroel. That is the Trenk method. Rebbe looks for the talent and kishronos in each child and finds a way to build up their self-esteem. Sports, music, art, Mezonos and Shehakol are just some of his many tools to get them to Eluh Mitzios Shelo. When a kid believes in himself, the sky is the limit. Rebbe Trenk is the greatest flight instructor in history for he made all of us believe we could fly.
Many of today’s world class mechanchnim look to Rebbi Trenk as the author who wrote the book on chinuch in a challenging world. As the Lakewood Mashgiach Rav Matisyahu Solomon shlita once remarked, it’s no kunz to take Aleph shiur Talmidim and make them Aleph Talmidim. The kunz is to create diamonds out of rough stones. Rav Dovid is a Rebbe for the ages. Without fanfare, recognition, accolades or attention, he has been shining Hashem’s unpolished gems for decades.
Now Rebbe needs us! Rebbe is asking his talmidim and Klal Yisroel to daven for him as he faces an extremely serious health crisis. Rebbe has always believed in and taught us the awesome power of tefilla chesed and achdus. As he faces this battle for his life, he is reaching out to his beloved army, to unite for him in torah and tefilla. As a loyal and humble soldier in his battalion, I call out to my fellow brothers and sisters to answer our Rebbe’s call. Let us pound the heavens for Rebbe’s immediate refuah and beg Hashem for Rachamei Shomayim. There’s so much more for him to accomplish and we need Rebbe now more than ever to show us the way forward to Moshiach. We need Rebbe to dance, to shout, to hug to inspire and yes to continue teaching us how to live life as Torah Yiddin. Lives of joy and fulfilment. Indeed, Simchas Hachaim. There is only one Rav Dovid Trenk. We must be there for him as he has always been there for us.
With the guidance of Gedolai Yisroel and the support of his loyal Eishes Chayil, Rebbe is imploring old and young to be mispallel for Menachem Yechiel Dovid ben Bassheva, B’soch Shaar Cholei Yisroel and to do acts of chessed and to learn in his Z’chus.
This is certainly an unconventional request for your help but for those of us lucky enough to know Rebbe Trenk, there’s never been anything remotely conventional about his zest for life, love of his talmidim and all of Klal Yisroel.
Below are two unique opportunities to take upon yourself to answer Rebbe’s call:
*One is signing up to recite a chapter of Tehillim every day so that the entire Sefer Tehillim is recited daily in Rabbi Trenk’s Z’chus: Menachem Yechiel Dovid ben Bassheva- please click here
*Second is an ambitious effort to split up the entire Shas and Shisha Sidrei Mishna to learn in Rebbe Trenks Z’chus, with a siyum to take place before Pesach I’YH.
L’zchus Menachem Yechiel Dovid ben Bassheva- Please click here
Time is of the essence. Please respond immediately!
May we only share besuros Tovos speedily in our day,
Thank you,
Chaskel Bennett
Brooklyn, NY
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
One Response
Mechanechem worldwide could learn from REB Dovid how to bring close youth who haven’t connected yet. Any happiness I have in “This World” is due to the efforts of Rebbe. May HASHEM grant him long life so that he can continue his “Holy Work”.