Guest Post - Being Menachem Avel משפחת קטלר - by Rabbi Isser Z. Weisberg

I went to be menachem ovel the Kotler family today at the modest home of their mother Rebbetzin Rishel a"h at 515 5th St. in Lakewood. Incidentally the Rebbetzin would always mention to members of my wife's family, the Schochets, that they were related and the families were close (exactly how, I could not ascertain). I came together with Reb Nochum Kaplan, who now serves as the head of the "Central Office of Education" of Chabad in Crown Heights. R' Kaplan started his career as the principal of the Bezalel Hebrew Day School in Lakewood almost 40 years ago. He was reminiscing with the Kotler family about the early years of Lakewood and his close and warm relationship with Reb Shneur and the Rebbetzin z"l. (They were also related somehow). Incidentally R' Nochum was one of the first to introduce me to the world of Chabad while I was learning in Lakewood. While there in the Rebbetzin's home I snapped a picture of the famous list of the founding 13 talmidim which was hanging on her kitchen wall for over 50 years. (The number 15 quoted from the NYT in Wikipedia is incorrect). The Yeshiva opened its doors for the Pesach zman of 5703, hence, the list indicates summer 1943. This list was created for the Draft Board, and lists in which yeshiva each talmid obtained their 4D status. (which is the exemption for ministers & divinity students.

(See Here).

The first on the list is Reb Yisroel Kanarek z"l founder of Peekskill Yeshiva and the last is my father z"l, Reb Yaakov Weisberg. If I am not mistaken my father is the only one of the group born in America. From the book "The Legacy of Moran Rav Aharon Kotler (Dershowitz)" p. 74: "Rabbi Yaakov Weisberg was the very first American bochur to "hear" the Rosh Yeshiva's public call to Bnei Torah to "forge a new link" in the chain of Oskim BaTorah Lishmoh and join the fledgling Lakewood Yeshiva. He was a Talmid Chochem of note who loved and built Torah. Loved and did countless Chassodim (with devotion, Simcha, and true modesty) for countless individuals."