The man who saved Stoliner Chassidus

Reb Loozer Brizel passed away last week at the age of 97. He was a Galicianer Yid from a family of Sanzer/Shinover Chassidim who discovered Karliner Chassidus in Yerushalayim and never left. (He remained a Galicianer Yid somewhat, with his Kano'us for Yerushalayimer Minhogim and Levush, something I don't think he learned in Karlin, but you can argue that point.) In many ways Reb Loozer was the one who allowed for Stolin to wait around till the present Rebbe was of age to take the leadership mantle. Had that not happened who knows where they'd be today? Many left right away to Reb Moshe Mordche of Lelov, a Chossid of Reb Yochanon of Stolin, his brother Reb Zalman among them. Others waited around and left anyway years later, when Stolin split from the Eidah HaCharedis and began to receive state funding, a cardinal sin amongst Kanoyim.

Reb Loozer was a traveling "Kiruv" organization, spending most Shabbosim away from home in cities and towns across Israel, awakening Jews to become closer to Hashem. He was also an active leader of the Vaad HaTznius, not looking after wrongdoing, and not harrassing "Shababnikim," but rather trying to correct and prevent the secularization of Yerushalayim. He was the one instructed by the Beis Yisroel of Ger to put up the Mechitzah at the Kosel after it was captured in the Six-Day War, and he got his way, against the better wishes of the Government. He would "live" with his first Rebbe, Reb Avrohom Elimelech of Karlin HaYaD, who was killed during WWII, and would say that the Rebbe's blood "Kocht zich noch" and knows no rest. This after more than sixty years had passed. I had the good fortune of seeing Reb Loozer quite often as a Bochur in Eretz Yisroel, and saw his complete devotion during davenen and tishen.

Why do I think he saved Stolin? quite simple. The Kanoyishe Chassidim in the Holy Land became Stoliner Chassidim, but most were Gevorener. They had not been around when the Yenukah of Stolin, Reb Yisroel, was crowned as Rebbe at the age of four. Yes, there was a precedent for taking a child as a Rebbe, but to do it again on the hope that he'll turn out like his Elter Zeide was? I think not. There was also the fact that he was an American-born child who's parents certainly were not your typical Chassidim, Rebbishe kind or not. For these Jews to accept that as their current situation was definitely not what you expected, yet a large part of Stolin went along with it and is there to this very day, as one of THE most devoted Chassidisen as far as Hiskashrus to a Rebbe is concerned. There was a long education process for the boy, where Eltere Chassidim took him under their wings and made a Layt out of him, but in the end, all's well that ends well. Reb Loozer left a family of hundreds of descendants, all of whom go in his ways. (at least BeChitzoynius.)

יהי זכרו ברוך