7/31/2019 Reb Shraga Feivel

1/2

Shira Hochh

was 27, esuddenlyto spiritu

United Stafter a lon

During hidreamedthe 20th cand came

Once inJewish LiMitzvos.

In 1921,Vodaath.those whhe taught

Reb Shracould spewho camhis jacketasked theyoung botalmidim

Reb Shragraduatinlearn Tortalmidei ctaught boradical idShraga Fstudies in

eimer 2012

igrated to tto escape thel desert here

ates but no Jg day of sch

s first few yef starting a f

entury. He re to New Yor

ew York, Reght ( Dos Yid

he paper fai

eb Shrag aHe was soon

gave moneyhis students

a Feivel carnd the summ

from a wealevery week.young man t

would eat aas much as h

a Feivel wasg eighth gradh in the morhachamim. Ih Jewish anda. Other yesivel knew tha yeshiva, n

R'

(18

RaHu

waleamaheRawa

Frtho

e United StaHungarian abefore movi

wish schoolsol.

ars in Ameriull day Jewisplied told th

k and began

b Shraga Feiishe Licht )

led and Reb

eivel was coasked to becto the schoo

o love Torah

d about all hr in a proper

thy family inReb Shragao escort a Talnd wouldntis children.

not satisfiede to public scning. He conn 1927, Reb

secular studhiva schoolsat for Americt in a public

Shraga Feiv

86 3 Elul 5

v Shraga Feingary in 188

s known as arned many dichshava. Heinsisted on bv hinted at hs not Mister

m a young aught how hetes, leaving hmy but chosg to the land

. Children w

a, Reb Shrah school. Pem, You aren ice cream

vel started ato teach Amhraga Feivel

nvinced to beme principa

l, the board,. Soon, stude

is talmidimsenvironmenEurope whoeivel also remid Chachabe embarrass

with the elehool. He arrinced them thraga Feivel

ies. His boarhad only aftean Jewry toschool.

36

el Mendlowi

08 (1948)

el Mendlowito a family

Talmid chacfferent kindsgot semichaing called Mw great Reb

endlowitz

ge, Reb Shracould do so.is family in

to come tohe loved, Isr

nt to public

a Feivel tauple laughedright. I am a usiness to p

ewspaper wrican Jews a

l and Chazza

a rebbi for tl of the schoegin to learn

nts began to

needs. He st. There wascame to Amalized he did

to a restaured. He once t

entary schonged for theo continue le

l then asked hfelt it was t

rnoon Torahrow it neede

tz z"l

itz ztl was bof Sanzer ch

ham who waof sefarim rom three ger. MendlowiShraga Feivut "Nistar (t

a Feivel waHe got marri

ungary forAmerica becael. There w

school and st

ht in Talmudt him . They

man of the 2y for his ide

ith Chazzanbout the impn Rosenblatt

he 8th

gradel. When heTorah at lealock to Tora

arted a sleepnce a youngrica pennilet like eatin

ant every daold his son t

ol he was runboys to go toarning afteris board to oo big of a jo

classes for hid Torah educ

orn in the tossidim . Fro

s very excitegemara, haladolim of Hutz in Americl was by sayie Hidden) M

ted to saveed at 22 and i

years. He huse he wantre over 5 mi

udied Torah i

Torahs in ssaid that he1st

century.a.

ossele Rosertants of kee

lost all their

almud Torahas principal,

st twice a weh Vodaas.

away camp srefugee fros. He wouldin the yeshito help him.at "A real re

ning. He didpublic schoigh school a

pen up a highb. Opening agh school stuation first be

n of Willig ia young ag

about Torahcha, mussar,gary. Even s. The Ponev

ing that his nendlowitz."

lal Yisrael ain 1913, whead to leaved to bring T

llion Jews in

in the afterno

all towns. Has not livinHe left teac

nblatt calledping kosher

oney.

of Yeshivahe insisted t

ek. As a prin

o his studentWorld War

find a dollva lunch rooIn this way,

bbi loves his

t want to lol at night an

nd began toschool that

day schooldents. Rebfore secular

"

in, he

. He

till,zher

ame

ndhe

rahthe

on

eining

Thend

orahatipal,

IIr in. He

the

se his

old

as a

7/31/2019 Reb Shraga Feivel

2/2

"

Shira Hochheimer 2012 37

Reb Shraga Feivels goal was not to make a big yeshiva for himself. His goal was to spread Torah inAmerica. In 1938, a competing school, Mesivta Chaim Berlin began a high school in a different sectionof Brooklyn. Reb Shraga Feivel wouldnt accept students from that section of Brooklyn and even told thedonors from that area to support the new school instead. His R oshei Yeshivah and board of directorsasked him to stop sending his best students away from Torah Vodaath. Reb Shraga Feivel replied, "Mypurpose is to produce soldiers for the A-mighty. What do I care whether they are deployed to the East orthe West?

When Telz Yeshiva opened in America, Reb Shraga Feivel again sent students to that yeshiva andencouraged some other donors to support that institution. In 1941, Rav Aharon Kotler came to Americaand told Reb Shraga Feivel that he wanted to recreate his yeshiva from Kletsk. Reb Shraga Feivel choseten of his best talmidim including Rav Elya Svei ztl, Rosh Yeshiva of Philadelphia and sent them to RavAharons new yeshiva. He knew that Rav Aharon Kotler needed the best bochurim to accomplish hisgoal. He only kept two talmidim, Rav Simcha Schustal ztland Rav Don Ungarishcer ztl for whom hefounded the Bais Medrash Elyon in Monsey. The Beis Medrash Elyon was the first kollel of its kind inAmerica. These two talmidim later became Roshei Yeshiva themselves. Reb Shraga Feivel also sentmoney to Ner Israel to help it grow and to Israel to build the city of Bnei Brak.

Reb Shraga Feivel was not yet satisfied. He called a meeting of Rabbanim and told them that everyJewish community needs to have a Jewish school. He convinced Baal Habatim to support his plan.Together, in 1944, they all founded Torah UMesorah. Reb Shraga Feivel taught his talmidim that theyneeded to teach Torah. He would ask them what have you done for Klal Yisrael? Under the directionof Torah UMesorah, his talmidim went all over the country to open schools. Within only ten years, 180day schools were opened in America.

Rav Shraga Feivel became sick in 1948. He asked his son in-law, Rabbi Alexander Linchner, to dosomething for Eretz Yisrael. This son-in-law founded Boys Town Jerusalem which helped poorimmigrant children coming to Israel become successful.

After he died, Reb Shraga Feivel was buried in Long Island. His body was then moved to Bnei Brak as he

requested. Rav Eliyahu Dessler ztl , in his will, asked to be buried next to Rav Shraga Feivel.

Rav Moshe said about Reb Shraga Feivel Were it not for him, there would be no Torah study and noFear of Heaven at all in America. Rav Moshe also said that Reb Shraga Feivel was "the father of all[American] bnei Torah in this generation and in all the generations to come."

The Satmar Rebbe said about him, "Reb Shraga Feivel planted the first seed of Torah in America, andfrom that seed grew everything that followed." 3