A special series of events were held recently by the
Gateshead Kehilla and its Mosdos to honor Rav Shaul Wagschal
shlita on his retirement and departure for
Lakewood.
A reception and special assembly were held at the Gateshead
Jewish Primary School, which Rav Wagschal founded and of
which he was principal for 46 years. Rav Wagschal was
welcomed by the new principal, Rabbi A. Hammond. Reb Ezriel
Salomon, headmaster, and Rabbi Avrohom Weiniger, senior
member of the limudei kodesh staff, also spoke.
The reception was attended by some of the first pupils at the
school who are now themselves marbitzei Torah and, in
some cases, grandparents. The school has nearly 400
pupils.
A special assembly introduced by Rabbi D. Bowden, the
principal, was also held at the Gateshead Jewish High School
for Girls, which Rav Wagschal founded thirty years ago, and
of which he was principal until 1981.
The Gateshead Kollel HaRabbonim hosted a kiddush in
honor of Rav Wagschal, who learn there for many years and
davened there daily for fifty-two years.
Rabbi B. Barnett spoke on behalf of the Executive of the
Kollel and Rabbi S. Bamberger as a longstanding
chavruso.
A farewell gathering took place at the Gateshead Jewish
Teachers Training College (the Gateshead Sem) where Rav
Wagschal taught for over fifty years.
The speakers were Rabbi M. Miller, principal, and Rabbi D.
Sternbuch. Several of Rav Wagschal's books are based on the
shiurim which he gave at the Sem.
A kiddush jointly hosted by the kehillah and
the Primary School, was addressed by the President of the
kehillah, Mr. J. Kaufman, and the Gateshead Rov,
shlita, who stressed two points. First, by
establishing and guiding the Primary School Rav Wagschal had
built generations of Gateshead families. Second, as one of
the great talmidei chachomim of Gateshead and as a
posek, he had made an immeasurable contribution to the
kehillah.
These two aspects were actually inseparable because in
Gateshead the mosdos and the kehillah are
one.
The Gateshead Rov also expressed satisfaction at the
appointment of Rabbi A. Hammond, a senior member of the
Gateshead Kollel, as the new Principal of the Primary School
and worthy successor to Rav Wagschal, who had already
endeared himself to staff, parents and pupils alike. A
recurrent theme mentioned at all the gatherings was the
tremendous hakoras hatov felt by the whole
kehilla to Rav Wagschal for his pioneering and
selfless dedication to chinuch in Gateshead, and for
the guidance and advice he gave to so many mosdos and
individuals.
At each of the gatherings Rav Wagschal responded with moving
words of recollection, appreciation and hopes for the future,
constantly praising the uniqueness of Gateshead's Torah
environment.
