Bar Mitzvah, Otwock, 5696.
The young Ber'ke Gurary - the Frierdige Rebbe's only grandchild - was still destined for greatness then, looking good and happy at his Zeide's side. The Frierdige Rebbe doesn't exactly look thrilled, almost in pain really, though dressed in his Shabbos finery. Then again, maybe his thoughts were elsewhere, with his Chassidim in Russia perhaps? The picture has been published before, although I believe never with the Bocher'el included. Pictures two and three in this thread were published somewhere before, I had it saved on my computer for some time. Much of the Frierdige Rebbe said is printed in the Likutei Diburim under the title: מה שאמר בסעודת הבר-מצוה אצל נכדו שיחי-ה. We can clearly identify the Rebbe, Rashag on his right, Ber'ke on his left, and Reb Chatshe Feygin on Berke's left. Others are pretty fuzzy and tough to identify. The Rebbe did not attend. Why? Well the Rebbe wasn't in Otwock often, but I don't know… Let the speculation begin.
(About to Bentsh al HaKeis)
When I told a friend of mine about the picture he told me to publish it and dedicate it to Tzemach, to cheer him up. I hesitate to make dedications, simply because since when has this become about dedications? We write to get readers and comments – not to mention that he has yet to apologize for the "MORON" comments he consistently made, although this friend of mine tells me to not get overly excited about that. "It's not personal," my friend says, "have you ever seen two Russians having a discussion?" They'll curse at each other In Tatten's Tatte Areyn, like the two biggest enemies, even if they're the closest of friends; "the people TA doesn't care for he doesn't call names, people like that he ignores." I'm not so sold on this form of tough love, maybe it's my Hungarian Neshomeh, it doesn't allow for it. In any case, here it is, make of it what you please. May Berke have a Lichtige Gan Eden.
Special Thanks to CBF for providing both the picture from his private collection, and the permission. He requests that nobody reproduce the picture without express written consent.
(some would say that the Rebbe covering his eyes BeShas'en Bentshen looks like Peylishe Mayses, since these days any emotion at all during Davenen or Bentshen is Treyf in Lubavitch. I'm not quite sure why. Well, I guess I do know why, we simply don't trust anybody's intentions and emotions. We consider it shtick.)
You've done good for yourself, Hirshel. Look at all the Litvishe Yarmulkes there!
ReplyDeleteWow! Magnificent!
ReplyDeleteHirshel, where did you pick this up from?
I've got my sources.....
ReplyDeleteSome Pictures!
ReplyDeleteThanx alot, some more of that, please
Thanks for the photos! Wonderful - even Tzemach is impressed.
ReplyDeleteOne thought. I don't think one can read too much into a photograph. The photographer captured a millisecond in time so the Friediger Rebbe's expression in that millisecond is not a good indication of his feelings etc.
The first photo is not new, I saw it already somewhere. (I can't recall now exactly where, but it's not new, the other pictures I didnt see before.)
ReplyDeleteThanks.
It's also noteworthy to comment that the Rebbe doesn't hold the kos as is accepted custom in Chabad today, and as the Rebbe der eidim used to do as mentioned in minhogei Chabad, to hold the kos on the palm with the fingers sorrounding the kos. The Ryatz seems to be holding the kos just with his fingers.
ReplyDeleteIs my observation correct?
anonymous 6:50
ReplyDeleteyour observation is incorrect, although it seems that way at first glance. Look again and you'll see the Becher firmly in the palm of his holy hand.
you're right Hirshel. At first glance i thought the same as anon 6:50 but when you take a closer look you can see as you said.
ReplyDeletehowever it does seems that the becher is at the edge of the hand, at his finger tips, not in the center if the palm.
Yasher keyach.
ReplyDeleteThese pictures have been floating about for many years in CH and I saw them at the home of Rabbi BSK.
I am sure the rebbe was very proud that day as he invited the rebbes of Warsaw to attend unlike the wedding in Landwarowne.
The sichos reflect the rebbe's feelings that day.
Is there any description about as to the guests the family people who were there etc. ??
so how come the Rebbes are not in the picture?
ReplyDeleteDerech agav, I heard from the eynikel several times that the Rayaatz and the family called him BERE not BERKE and that those who refer to hima s BERKE do not know him well.
ReplyDeleteIn White Russia nicknames like Folle, Mulle,Avreme, Itche,Yoshe etc were very common.
The Modsitzer was definetely there. There amy be other pictures as well.Thats the reason i would love to see a protocol of the seudas Mitzvah of the Bar Mitzvah, who was there ?
ReplyDeleteLitvishe Yarmulkes.
ReplyDeleteThese yarmulkas were worn by most Jews who lived in Lithuania and White russia. That includes Chabad people. The RAZA wore such a kippah , as did the rebbe's zaide(Rav Yanovsky) in one of the pictures we have of him.I believe reb Ginzburg the Chadban of the Maharash also wore that type of yearmulka.
Mr. Mark in "Gdolim fun unzer zeit" seems to indicate that the Rashab wore a difft type of kippah, obviously the Rayaatz did not wear that kippah either.
Schneur, unlike what your motive would have been for posting the picture, Tzig's intention was not to tell us of Barry's glorious past. And considering we all refer to him as Barry, there is no error here. Or are you trying to say his grandfather had high hopes for him, which made it more painful when they were dashed?
ReplyDeletehmmm. You must know that people have Englsih and Jewish names as well as nicknames, I guess that you as a "Polner Amerikaner" call him Barry (In this case you copy the rebbe who insisted on calling R. Sholom Hecht - Sidney), others who knew Barry shall we say in a friendlier manner refered to him by his Jewish name and his grandfather called him by his Yiddish nickname - BERE.
ReplyDeleteBy the way no one forced the host to post this picture. I certainly did not. If I were to post such pictures , the eynikel gave me much more interesting ones...
Zayt gezunt und stark
Not even disingeneous of you.
ReplyDelete