Hashgochoh Protis XXIII - השגחה פרטית: Special boys celebrating special Hashgochoh Protis

There was once a Bochur in Eretz Yisroel who - having finished his Yeshivah learning was looking for a Torah’dige place work in. He noticed an ad offering just such an opportunity, namely a Yeshivah on the French-Swiss border, catering for special boys.
After working there through the whole winter of 5778, he found himself on Purim without a real friend or family member. He walked out of the Yeshivah building onto the street and - reflecting on the time he’d spent at this Yeshivah as a councillor - he realised that he neglected to maintain a Kesher with his Mashgiach of his Yeshivah-years.
Being in ‘Purim mode’ he half-jokingly spoke to his mentor: “If we’re still friends, please send me a message now and here”.
As he finished these words, he noticed a car slowing down, the window coming down and a Frum-looking guy shouted at him “hey Yeshivah-man, what are you doing here on Purim night, out in the boondocks?”.
Turns out that across the border, a pair of friends were looking to spend Purim night in style and set out by car to a town with a Jewish community, only to become stuck in gridlock traffic.
The driver’s companion didn’t like this static situation and showed his driver that whilst Waze reported a solid red line on the route they chose, there was another road that showed a free-for-all ride all the way over the border.
They argued about the pros and cons of having to abandon their plan and drive into the unknown, but in the end the guy in the passenger seat prevailed: they were going to aimlessly drive along the many hamlets and villages until they found a Purim-themed destination.
After driving like this for over an hour, they reached this quaint little French village and saw the most unlikely sight: a Yeshivah boy in full regalia standing outside a neglected building, speaking as to himself.
They slowed down and turned wound the window down, asking him point blank: “hey Yeshivah-man, what are you doing here on Purim night, out in the boondocks?”.
What followed was a spirited schmooze on the significance of this encounter and a night filled with Simchah, surrounded by special boys celebrating special Hashgochoh Protis.

Reb Yochenen Beck A”H - Part II of II

Reb Yochenen Beck A”H - Part II of II

The Lubavitche Rebbe patronised the restaurant and forged a longstanding Kesher with his father, as well as the Rebbes of Wiznits, Dej, Tchakov and other Rabbonim who were involved in Hatzola work, like R’ Yaakov Griffel ZT”L (see: Dateline Istanbul, ArtScroll, N.Y. 1993).  In those post-war days, they all had a lasting impact on the young boy, who reminisced about his encounters with these great personalities at every occasion. 

In 1949 the family moved to Eretz Yisroel by way of Italy and after a short stay at the Atlit absorption centre settled in Jerusalem where the father Reb Mordche Elyokim started his Carmel restaurant anew. 

As the old Knesset building was in close proximity, young Yochenen who was by now a young Bochur, was privileged to serve the Frum dignitaries who served as Shliche deRabonon on behalf of the Mo’etzes Gedolay HaTorah of Agudas Yisroel.  His father used to take the children to visit all the Gedolim he was acquainted with from the pre-war years, when he was active in Vienna at the Kenesyah Gedolah.  This is how young Yochenen came face to face with Imray Emes, the Rebbe’s of the Ruzin dynasty and others. 

His lifelong influence however was no doubt his Rebbe, the Belzer Rov, Reb Aharon ZT”L, whose image he carried in his heart wherever he went.  At every opportunity he spoke about the Rov ZT’L regaling his listeners with stories, anecdotes and Minhogim that he witnessed first-hand or heard from others.  Reb Yochenen was a storehouse of historical facts, especially about Rebbes, Chasidim, Rabbonim and Kehillos of the pre-war years. 

In 1955 they returned to England and arrived in Letchworth and later Reb Yochenen came to London where he davened in Rav Klughaupt and later in the first Bobov shul in Darenth Road which was just a few doors away from their home. 

In 1962 he married his wonderful Eishes Chayil – Hadassah Schachter from Antwerp and they settled in Stamford Hill for the first 14 years where he davened for the Amud on Yomim Noroim in ’Zeirei Aguda - 95’ and then in the Tzcaba Beis Midrash.  In 1977 they moved to Golders Green where he joined the Hager’s Beis Hamedrash as a Ba’al Tefillah on the Yomim Noroim for over 30 years, and served as a Gabbai there for over ten years, he spearheaded the enlargement of the old Shul, demonstrating vision to foresee the fast-paced growth of the Kehillah and the courage to see it through. 

The dais at the Sh’loshim event

For the last eight years he enjoyed the Shabbos and Yom Tov Tefilos in Khal Chasidim by Rabbi Yitzchok Eliezer Brief Shlit”a.  This is also where he left his precious Sefer Torah he spent many years saving for that was written a few years earlier by the son in law of Rabbi Hager.  Upon retiring he wouldn’t allow boredom creep into his life so he took up the position at the local Seforim shop, where he started a new career as a sales assistant – doubling as a social and Kiruv worker: many unbelievable stories are making the rounds how he saved a Jewish girl from a monastery, how he helped bring about a Shidduch for someone who was given up upon and the person who came from rural England and visited Shul - having been absent for over 50 years – to mention but a few. 

Reb Yochenen also started a shiur for senior citizens in Hager’s under Rav Schmahl and Rabbi Firestone Shlit”a, which - 17 years later - is still going strong. 

His passion for Jewish music and Nusach brought him in contact with many Chazzanim and he liked to teach us the age-old songs that he brought with him from the old world.  His collection of records and tapes attest to the fact that he lived in world of Tefillah and Neginah – he could tell the exact time and place when and where he heard a song for the first time and by whom it was sung. 

His family and friends will always remember his charm and harmless wit, the uplifting smile that was a constant companion and his respect for every human being – no matter. 

He always had Seforim to hand and enjoyed his learning tremendously. 

As Reb Yochenen’s health deteriorated he still went every day to shul with great Mesiras Nefesh and always had a good word or story for young and old with a twinkle in his eye. 

Reb Yochenen and YL”T his wife had an open house where they hosted many Choshuve Rabbonim and prominent guests from overseas and welcomed fundraisers with a compassionate smile many - who became lifelong friends. 

He always carried a smile on his face whatever the situation, generating Simcha with young and old.  He had such a great love for everyone, which went bi-directional: people had a special affinity for him, looking after him as he came and went to and from Shul, lending a helping hand when he too weak to walk by himself. 

For many years he bore all his Yesurim Be’ahavo – with such love towards the Ribono Shel Olam.  His legacy will forever continue and he’ll be sorely missed. 

The Sh’loshim was marked with a Siyum on Shisha Sidrai Mishnah at Khal Chassidim shul, which was attended by over 200 participants.  Droshos were given by the Rabbi Y. M. Rosenbaum the Gerrer Rosh Yeshiva Shlit”a, Rav Brief Shlit”a and by his nephew R’ Menasche (Scharf) Beck of South Tottenham in North London.  May he be a Melitz Yoisher for his Eishes Chayil, daughters, son-in-law and grandchildren.

Reb Yochenen Beck A”H - Part I of II

By Menasche Scharf - Part I

Reb Yochenen Beck A”H- son of Reb Mordechai Elyokim (Getzel Beck) – on his Sh’loshim, 11 Iyar 5778. 

Just days before Pesach, Golders Green lost one of its longstanding Ba’alei Battim, R’ Yochenen Beck Z”L, who lived locally for over four decades. 

R’ Yochenen Beck Z"L

Reb Yochenen was born in Vienna in 1935 and lived in the shadows of the Holocaust as a child refugee, never settling down for prolonged periods of time.  Always on the run, the family outpaced the bloodthirsty soldiers who were everywhere and managed to stay together.  At the tender age of five, young Yochenen walked, ran and hid alongside his parents and older siblings until one day while hiding on a farm in France, three German soldiers appeared and prepared the adult men to be shot in front of the women and children - only to be stopped by a high-ranking general who appeared from nowhere and sent them on their way saying “we could use their muscle power for the war effort”. 

This and other open Nissim were constantly on his mind, as he used to repeat to the younger generation what his Rebbe the previous Belzer Rov - Rabbi Aron ZT”L stated: “every Jewish soul who BeChasdey Hashem was saved during this infamous period had two Malochim (lit. protective angels) at their side”. 

From the Anschluss in 1938 – when Austria was annexed to the German third Reich until the end of the war (when the allied forces marched through the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, August 1944), he had trekked through half of western Europe, passing through Austria, Germany, Belgium, France, eventually entering into Switzerland illegally on a snowy Friday night. 

As soon as the tide turned against the barbarian Germans, the family picked up their meagre belongings and headed back to liberated France and arrived to Paris, father, mother and – by now - six children, which was unheard of in those dreadful days.  Understandably, during this harrowing period there was no real schooling to be had for a Jewish boy his age never mind a child in hiding.  Arriving in Paris they started life anew, opening one of the first Mehadrin Kosher restaurants, which became the meeting point for the many refugees who started arriving to the Pletzl from across the continent. 

His father Reb Mordche Elyokim Beck A”H realised that his three boys will need to catch up on their Torah learning, a luxury that was non-existent in the French capital so he took the boys over to London where they enrolled in Torah-true Mosdos: the oldest son R’ Berel Shlit”a currently in Bene Beraq joined the famous Yeshivah in Staines, headed by Rav Weingarten - the Liege Rov ZT”L and our R’ Yochenen and his younger brother R’ Dovid entered the Ahavas Torah boarding school, which was headed Reb Gedalyah Schneider - a son of Rabbi Moshe Schneider ZT”L, where they spent the next couple of years alongside other refugee and local children. 

For Shabbos they occasionally went to Staines to join their eldest brother and were influenced by the warm Chassidic atmosphere that permeated the whole Yeshivah.

During their stay in London, they were privileged to be in the company of the Rebbe’s of Shatz, Stanislav and others who lived or passed through London. 

When they came home for Yomtef, they Davened in the Shuls of Rabbi Rubinstein ZT”L, Rabbi Feder ZT”L and in other Shuls where many of the generation’s Rabbis and Rebbes were Davening. 

Reb Yochenen fondly recalled the days when he joined his father to be in the company of the Gedolim who were passing by, staying or living in Paris.  Amongst them were Reb Itzikel of Psheworsk and his son in law Reb Yankele, whose son YL”T Reb Leibush - the current Psheworsk Rebbe - was amongst his best friends, and later shared a room in Belz Yeshivah in Katamon and kept their friendship until this day. 

Mayor Meir

Rabbi Meir Soloveichik of YU, who gave the convocation at the GOP convention last August, opened his Shabbos Shuva drashah as follows:

I flew to Tampa, Florida a few weeks ago for the Republican National Convention. When I arrived, I was escorted into a large room where all the Convention speakers of the day gathered along with Congressmen, Senators, Governors and other politicians.

A woman approached me, stared at me, and then asked: "Who are you??" I responded politely, "I am Meir Soloveichik.". "Are you from Florida," she asked. "No," I said, "I am from NY". She looked puzzled and confused, which I found confusing since I figured most people knew there were a lot of Jews who lived in NY.

Anyway, she smiled and walked away. She then approached me again just a few moments later with her husband. She said to me, "Meir Soloveichik -- I'd like to introduce you to my husband, Congressman Walker." The Congressman and I shook hands.

Then the woman asked, "Can you please tell me what city in NY you are the Mayor (Meir) of??"

After the Congregation roared with laughter, Rabbi Soloveichik continued as follows: “And that, Ladies and Gentleman, was the first time in my life that a person was more impressed with my first name than my last name!!!”