Tonight is the 17th yahrzeit of my dad, Cantor Hirsh Zvi (Harry) Rabinowitz
Harry’s abridged ancestral family tree (extends to over 20 generations)
Harry was born in Volksrust, Transvaal, South Africa on 28 September 1914.
Volksrust – Wikipedia
Volksrust is a town in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa near the KwaZulu-Natal provincial border, some 240 km southeast of Johannesburg, 53 km north of Newcastle and 80 km southeast of Standerton.
Today has been the 16th yahrzeit of my dad, Cantor Hirsh Zvi (Harry) Rabinowitz
With Jill in shul at yahrzeit memorial board
Leading Maariv Service at CHABAD Noranda
Harry’s abridged ancestral family tree (extends to over 20 generations)
Harry was born in Volksrust, Transvaal, South Africa on 28 September 1914.
Volksrust – Wikipedia
Volksrust is a town in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa near the KwaZulu-Natal provincial border, some 240 km southeast of Johannesburg, 53 km north of Newcastle and 80 km southeast of Standerton.
Tonight is the 15th yahrzeit of my dad, Cantor Hirsh Zvi (Harry) Rabinowitz
With Jill in shul tonight
Maariv Service at CHABAD Noranda
Harry’s abridged ancestral family tree (extends to over 20 generations)
Harry was born in Volksrust, Transvaal, ย South Africa on 28 September 1914.
Volksrust – Wikipedia
Volksrust is a town in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa near the KwaZulu-Natal provincial border, some 240ย km southeast of Johannesburg, 53ย km north of Newcastle and 80ย km southeast of Standerton.
Just think of this – when was the last time Maoz Tzur was heard in Keidan, Lithuania, sung by a Jewish kid? Maybe 75 years ago!
When Laima Ardaviciene, the English teacher at Atzalyno Gymnazija in Kedainiai Lithunia, asked whether I could give a talk on Chanukah via Skype to her students, ย I would normally have sourced one of the many brilliant articles by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks and shared this with them, speaking from my home.
As I only live a minute’s drive from our CHABAD Shul in Noranda, I came up with the idea of enlisting the assistance of Rabbi Shalom White and doing it at the Shul. I also asked a young and talented friend, ย Dylan Kotkis, to join us. Dylan has a friendly and outgoing personality together with a beautiful singing voice. He is a 15 year old student at Carmel School, Perth’s Jewish Day School.
Due to the 7 hour time difference between Perth and Kedainiai, 1pm (7pm here) was the best time for Laima and her students, so we held the meeting in the Shul’s library. ย A minyan was taking place in the sanctuary at the same time.
Here are some photos and video clips taken ย both from the Kedainiai and from the Perth ends. ย I synchronised and edited the videos and combined the footage taken by Laima and myself.
Rabbi White, Dylan and I ย spoke about the festival and Dylan took the Lithuanian students on a tour of the shul. Dylan sang Maoz Tzur for them.
Elle Shmuel spoke to members of the Perth community of her experiences in Gaza during Operation Cast Lead.
The 21-yr-old who was born in Melbourne but moved with her family to Perth at the ages of six was educated at ย Western Australiaโs only Jewish day school Carmel School.
Shmuel spoke to a packed house at ย the Chabad WA Synagogue telling them she made aliyah when she finished year 12 and was conscripted to the IDF.
She said that there were only a handful of women among the thousands of soldiers that had entered Gaza.ย
Elle was a paramedic attaining the rank of ย Staff Sergeant and became a member of the first combat engineering battalion to be called to the South of Israel. Staff Sergeant Elle knew that she could not stay behind while her soldiers went to battle, and volunteered to join the entering company. Her bravery andย commitment have been reported as being exemplary.
She spoke of her experiences both from the perspective of aย soldier and as a young woman. Eli Rabinowitz told J-Wire: โElle addressed the large crowd with confidence and maturity beyond her yearsย andย answered questions from the floor after her talk.ย Elle told us about life in the IDF and Operation Protective Edge in Gaza:
How she coped being far away from her parents here in Australia and what she could or could not tell them;
Her feelings about knowing that she had entered Gaza;
Life inside the Puma armoured vehicles the members of the Engineering Corp โlived inโ;
Transporting explosives, describing the tunnels and blowing the tunnels up;
The sound and affects of shells exploding around them
How she treated the injured and coped with the death of fellow soldiers in their brigade.
Elle did tell as that there were strict rules imposed on what she was allowed to say.โ
As seen today on J-Wire Jewish Online News from Australia, New Zealand and world-wide Thanks to Henry Benjamin and J-Wire for permission to reprint Perth woman talks of her Gaza experience Email This Post Print December 25, 2014 by Eli Rabinowitz Elle Shmuel spoke to members of the Perth community of her experiences in Gaza during Operation Cast Lead. The 21-yr-old who was born in Melbourne but moved with her family to Perth at the age of six was educated at Western Australiaโs only Jewish day school Carmel School.
Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, has visited CHABAD WA on his first tour of Australia and NZ.
He was welcomed into a shul community made up of over more than 95% ex pat South Africans and felt immediately at home.
Zvi Friedl played the Simchat Torah niggun on his violin, followed by Julian Todres who duvened Mincha. Young Dylan Kotkis sang Oseh Shalom and Adon Olam and Simon Lawrence recited Tehillim.
Rabbi White introduced Chief Rabbi Mirvis, who responded with a his address.
Seeย the video. ย It will be particularly appreciated by all South Africans and ex pats.
A tea was held afterwards where the Chief Rabbi wasย able to meet members of the community, including three other “old boys” of Herzlia High School in Cape Town
In the photo: Daniel Oblowitz, Ivor Kosowitz, Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis and Julian Todres, who all went to Herzlia High School, Cape Town
ย To coincide with the Chief Rabbi’s visit to Perth, ย the new Cape Town Kehilalink for JewishGen is now live.
Kehilalinks are Jewish community websites written for JewishGen.org, the world’s largest Jewish genealogical organisation.
We look forward to your photos and stories of Jewish life in Cape Town, past and present.
Hundreds of citizens โmembers of the Jewish community in Brisk celebrated the presentation of a new Sefer Torah, the first after 75 years, to the Brisk-Brest Synagogue.ย This ย was presented by theย Mizrachi,ย Leselbaumย and Perrinย families in the illustrious memory of their dear fatherย Reb Pinchas ben Yitzchakย Mizrachi of Blessed Memory.
The ceremony of writing the last letters was held in the Hall of the previous Great Synagogue where the renowned Rabbis of Brisk , amongst them the late Rabbi Chaim HaLevi Soloveitchikย ืข”ืย ย davened.ย This ceremony started with the showing of a video explaining the essence of the Sefer Torah and terminated when members of the Mizrachi family and honored members of the Community were given the Zechus of writing the last letters.
I then ย spoke and emphasized the historic occasion โ using the Chabad expressions โืืืื ื ืฆืย โWe have Succeededโ.ย In spite of the fact that both the Communists and the Nazis rose up against the Jewish people, and in spite of all that occurred in the past, we celebrate here today the writing and presentation of a new Sefer Torah which signifies that the Jewish people in Brisk are proud of their roots and reawakening their traditions.ย We are most grateful to the honorableย Mizrachi Family and warmly thank them for their generosity in presenting this Sefer Torah, the Emblem of Judaism.
ย Mr. Yitzchak Mizrachiย spoke warm words of encouragement on behalf of the family.
Among the participants in the festivities wereย Mr. Yitzchak Mizrachiย the family representative, my ย father-in-law,ย Rabbi Zusha Goldsteinย and his family who came from Israel especially to participate in this historic occasion.ย The Chabad ย Shaliach from Grodnaย Rabbi Yitzchak Kaufman,ย ย Rabbi Moshe Fimaย from the town Pinsk who came with the students from the Pinsk Jewish School, the renowned Scribe the Soferย Rabbi Yosef Westman, and ย Mr. Shalom Milenkin, Director of the Jewish Congregation.ย Dignitaries from the Municipality including the Regional Ministry of Religion,ย ย the representatives from the Brisk Municipality, the Consuls of Poland, the Ukraine, Russia and Azerbaijan, were also present.
After the letter writing ceremony, a wonderful colorful and lively parade escorted the Torah throughout the streets honoring and glorifying in the name of the Almighty.ย The entire program was covered by the local newspaper and television, who were overjoyed to be able to report on such a unique occasion.ย The most lavish banquetย thanking and giving recognition to the donators was held in the ballroom in of the community as befitting such an occasion.
With blessings
Rabbi Chaim Rabinowitz
If you wish to join and be a partner in the revival of the Jewish Community of Brest please pressย here.
Rabbi Chaim Rabinowitz
Chabad of Brest – Belarus
375-29-6102770
Translation ofย Brisk de-Lita: Encycolpedia Shel Galuyot
Original Yiddish Volume Edited by Elieser Steinman Published in Jerusalem, 1958
498 pages, 8.5โณ by 11โณ, hard cover, including all photos and other images
Details:This is the translation of the Memorial (Yizkor) Book of Jewish community of Brest-Litovsk, Belarus.The name of the town, Brest-Litovsk, indicates its link with Lithuania. Although founded by the Slavs in 1017 and invaded by the Mongols in 1241, it became part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1319, and in1569 it became the capital of the unified Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.The town is also known as โBrisk,โ in Yiddish to the Jews who lived and thrived there for six centuries. Jewish โBriskโ had an illustrious history; the famous Brisker Yeshivah attracted scholars from all over Europe. The list of Rabbis of Brest includes such famous rabbis as Solomon Luria and Joel Sirkes in earlier periods, the Katzenellenbogens, and three generations of the Soloveitchik dynasty in more recent times. Brest also produced Jacob Epstein the great Talmudist at the Hebrew University, Menachem Begin, and many other major religious, literary and political leaders.In 1923, Jews, made up 60% of Brestโs population of 60,000.This book was written by Brest survivors and former residents from many countries who contributed their memories of their hometown as a record for future generations, and as testament and loving tribute to the innocent Victims of the Shoah. It is a must read for researchers of the town and descendants of โBriskers.โ
Brest, Belarus is located at 52ยฐ06โฒ North Latitude and 23ยฐ42โฒ East Longitude 203 mi SW of Minsk.
lternate names for the town are: Brest [Belarussian], Brest Litovsk [Russian], Brzeลฤ Litewski [Polish], Brzeลฤ nad Bugiem [Polish, 1918-39], Brisk [Yiddish], Brasta [Lithuanian], Brest Litowsk, Brisk Dlita, Brisk de-Lita, Brzeลฤ-Litewsk, Brist nad Bugie, Bzheshch nad Bugyem, Bieraลcie
Nearby Jewish Communities:
Terespol, Poland 6 miles WSW Chernavchitsy 8 miles N Kodenรฌ, Poland 14 miles SSW Zhabinka 15 miles ENE Piszczac, Poland 16 miles SW Volchin 21 miles NW
Zamosty 21 miles NNE โ Kamyanyets 21 miles NNE โ Janรณw Podlaski, Poland 22 miles WNW Charniany 23 miles ESE โ Vysokaye 23 miles NW โ Biaลa Podlaska, Poland 24 miles W
Abramovo 25 miles N โ Domachฤvo 25 miles S โ Sลawatycze, Poland 25 miles SSW ลomazy, Poland 27 miles WSW Niemirรณw, Poland 27 miles WNW Malaryta 27 miles SE โ Konstantynรณw, Poland 27 miles WNW Wisznice, Poland 29 miles SW โ Kobryn 29 miles ENE โ Rossosz, Poland 30 miles SW
Available at:
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$56.95 Available on Amazon for around $41, may have lower prices elsewhere
This material is made available by JewishGen, Inc. and the Yizkor Book Project for the purpose of
fulfilling our mission of disseminating information about the Holocaust and destroyed Jewish communities.
This material may not be copied, sold or bartered without JewishGen, Inc.โs permission. Rights may be reserved by the copyright holder.
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