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."
