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29 Adar 5759 - March 17, 1999 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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HaRav Yisroel Bergstein zt"l

by B. Kahn

A large throng of bnei Torah, headed by roshei yeshiva, rabbonim and dayanim, accompanied the gaon, R' Yisroel Bergstein zt"l on his final earthly journey. The 87 year-old HaRav Bergstein, who had been one of the most illustrious students of the Slobodke Yeshiva in Europe, was niftar after a difficult illness, while accepting his suffering with love.

R' Yisroel Bergstein was born in the Lithuanian city of Suvalk in 5672. His father, R' Shimon Mordechai was a prominent talmid chochom and one of the great maggidim of the time. His mother, Chaya Hadassah, was a descendent of the Gaon of Vilna. In this home, which was totally saturated with Torah, R' Yisroel grew up and dedicated himself to Torah.

At the age of 10, he was sent to study in the Or Yisroel yeshiva of R' Yisroel Neiman, located in the nearby city of Lida. After studying there for a year, he transferred to the Grodno yeshiva, were he studied under HaRav Shimon Shkop and HaRav Chaim Shmuelevitz, who officiated as the rosh yeshiva of the yeshiva ketana of Grodno at the time. Reb Yisroel wasn't even bar mitzvah at the time he studied with these gedolei Yisroel.

In Elul 5684, the yeshiva of Chevron was founded in the city of Chevron, and many select students, who longed for Eretz Hakodesh, joined the yeshiva on its trek, among them R' Yisroel's family. He was only 14 at the time he began to study in the illustrious Chevron yeshiva in Eretz Yisroel. During the winter of 5685, HaRav Avrohom Grodzinsky presided as mashgiach of Chevron, and Reb Yisroel became deeply attached to him. After HaRav Avrohom returned to Kovno, a correspondence continued between them in which HaRav Avrohom sent the young Yisroel letters with divrei mussar, and which expressed his love for him. In Chevron, Reb Yisroel also drew very close to the Alter of Slobodke and studied under him there for two years, imbibing from him the basis for his entire derech in life.

In the yeshiva, he excelled in his studies and became one of its finest students, to whom many younger ones became deeply attached. When the terrible massacre of 5689 (1929) occurred, he was in Tel Aviv, having gone there for health reasons at the advice of the mashgiach, HaRav Yehuda Leib Chasman. As a result he was miraculously saved.

After the massacre, most of the surviving students returned to Europe. Twenty of the most select students, though, remained in Eretz Yisroel and became the core of the re- established yeshiva in Yerushalayim. These students clustered around HaRav Yechezkel Sarna, and became deeply attached to him. The young Yisroel was especially close to HaRav Moshe Mordechai Epstein, who would recite his daily shiur to him before delivering it in public and study with him bechavrusa. He also participated in a chabura in Kodshim with HaRav Moshe Mordechai Epstein.

In 5694 (1934), he returned to Slobodke to study under HaRav Avrohom Grodzinsky for a period of four years. There too he was outstanding and due to his closeness to his mentor, he slept in his home and was considered a member of the Grodzinsky household. He also had a special relationship with the rosh yeshiva, HaRav Eizek Sher, who would correspond with him in chiddushei Torah.

In 5698, the situation in Eretz Yisroel grew worse and even basic sustenance was very scarce. As a result, his family moved to America. Reb Yisroel visited his family in the United States and received American citizenship, which was of aid to him during the difficult years which soon ensued.

After his visit to America, he returned to the Chevron yeshiva in Yerushalayim, where he studied with immense diligence and gained fame for his excellence. Then, he returned to Slobodke in order to marry the daughter of HaRav Yechezkel Bernstein, the rosh yeshiva of the Even Yisroel yeshiva ketana in Slobodke, and author of Divrei Yechezkel. After his marriage, he continued his studies in the kollel of the yeshiva, and received semichah from HaRav Shimon Shkop and from HaRav Aharon Bakst. He also received semichah from HaRav Yehuda Leib Chasman and HaRav Isser Zalman Meltzer.

During the years of wrath, his father-in-law advised him to go to America since HaRav Yisroel had American citizenship, and to arrange to bring his wife there too until the war subsided. After much hesitation, he left Europe on the last ship and with great miracles they reached the United States. In the meantime his wife gave birth to a boy in the ghetto, but in 5702 his wife and son were among the Jews who were murdered al kiddush Hashem in the notorious Ninth Fort near the Kovno ghetto.

HaRav Yisroel taught in the Chofetz Chaim (Talmudical Academy) yeshiva in Baltimore for a year, and afterward, along with colleagues from the yeshivos kedoshos, founded a new yeshiva in White Plains. Heading that yeshiva, which began with a nucleus of nine students, was HaRav Menachem Mendel Zaks, the son-in-law of the Chofetz Chaim. During that period, HaRav Aharon Kotler arrived in the United States, and HaRav Yisroel and his colleagues asked him to head the yeshiva in White Plains, R' Aharon agreed to this, on condition that the yeshiva transfer to Lakewood, and thus this yeshiva became the original core of the illustrious Lakewood yeshiva.

In 5706 he married Elka, o"h, the daughter of Reb Elkono Pinchos Gittman zt"l. After his marriage, he lived for a year near the yeshiva. In 5707 his friend, HaRav Yehuda Davis from Slobodke, asked him to found a yeshiva in Brighton Beach, New York, and for 20 years he taught Torah and spread yiras Shomayim there, producing students who today serve as illustrious rabbonim and roshei yeshiva throughout the United States.

He founded a shul and beis medrash for the residents of Brighton, where he served as a rav until his final years. Thirty years ago, he founded the Meor HaTorah yeshiva for outstanding students, as well as a kollel where prominent talmidei chachomim studied. Throughout those years, he was the baal tefilla on the Yomim Noraim, and with his clear and full voice, aroused his congregants to teshuvah.

He devoted his life to strengthening Torah and effected a kiddush Hashem wherever he went. Even those who were distant to Torah, drew closer to Yiddishkeit due to his influence, and he endeared Shem Shomayim to all.

Seven years ago, when his wife passed away, he moved to Eretz Yisroel. He would deliver shiurim on Shas and on Minchas Chinuch in the Meor HaTorah yeshiva in Israel, headed by his son HaRav Shimon Mordechai. Two year and a half years ago, he fell ill with a devastating disease, but despite his suffering d pursued his regular study schedules without any change, even studying with great verve.

A year ago, his situation deteriorated and when he saw that he could no longer study alone, he took a special chavrusa, so that he could continue to study. During recent months, he became even weaker, and on Monday morning, the 27th of Adar, he returned his pure soul to its Maker at the age of 87.

His levaya, hespedim were delivered by: HaRav Chaim Kreiswirth, the gaavad of Antwerp; the mashgiach, HaRav Shlomo Wolbe, HaRav Tzvi Kushelevski, the rosh yeshiva of Heichal HaTorah-Pressberg; HaRav Ephraim Zuckerberg, the rosh yeshiva of Tiferes Tzvi, and by his son, HaRav Shimon Mordechai.

Afterward the levaya proceeded to the Chanichei Hayeshivos shul, where he had taught in the Meor HaTorah yeshiva located there. Hespedim were delivered there by HaRav Yisroel Meir Karno, the rav of the shul. From there, the levaya proceeded to the Beis Yechiel shul where he davened. At Beis Yechiel a hesped was delivered by HaRav Meir Kaplan, one of the prominent avreichim of Har Nof.

He is survived by his son HaRav Shimon Mordechai, the rosh yeshiva of Meor HaTorah in Har Nof, and by grandchildren who are following in his footsteps.


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