As unbelievable
as it sounds, it is already the second yahrzeit of Mrs Perel Scharf OB”M, wife
of R’ Aharon Shlita, whose untimely petirah shocked the Jewish community far
and wide beyond the Antwerp kehillah.
It looks like
only yesterday when the Jewish community of Antwerp escorted the hearse – in the
strictly enforced COVID-compliant policy of keeping their distance from each
other, for fear of being reprimanded by the local Gendarmes.
Perele – as she
was known to her many friends – was a mere 52 years of age when she contracted
the dreaded virus and after being confined to the ICU for nearly two months she
succumbed, leaving behind a grieving husband, bereft orphans and a despondent
Kehilla.
Perele OBM was
born to the Erblich family, who settled in the Diamond capital of Europe, where
her father R’ Noach was well-known in the kehillah for his upbeat nature,
always putting smiles on the faces of those around him.
His acts of
Chesed were done in an unassuming, natural way - especially in the Pshevorsk
beis hamedrash, where for many decades he also took care of the otzar hasforim
on a voluntary basis.
Reb Noach
himself hailed from the Chasidic Sassov dynasty, being a direct descendant –
ben achar ben – of Rabbi Moshe Leyb OB”M of Sassov.
His lineage
went also all the way up to other Chasidic dynasties: Lellov, Lublin and
Pshischa, Chelem, Yeroslav and the holy brothers the Rebbe Reb Shmelke of
Nikolsburgh and the Haflo-oh, as well as the Chacham Tzvi ZTz”L.
Reb Noach’s
father, Rabbi Moshe Leyb OB”M served as Chazan in London and other places and
was the son in law of Rabbi Yoel Ashkenazi OB”M in Tiberias, who hailed from
the Rov of Toltchowa Rabbi Moshe Dovid Ashkenazi OB”M.
Rabbi Yoel
Ashkenazi OB”M was the son in law of Rabbi Noach of Slonim, who was a grandson
of the Yesod Ho’Avodoh, who could trace his Yichus to Ropscytz, the Boruch Ta’am
of Leipnik, the Chavas Da’as of Lissa to name but a few.
Reb Noach
Erblich grew up in Tiberias but had to leave his homeland to avoid the dreaded army
draft, arriving in Antwerp where he found his place in Pshevorsk.
Reb Itzikl took
him – along with his friends who arrived there together with him – under his
wings and ensured their spiritual and physical survival in the homely atmosphere
of Pshevorsk.
After
qualifying as a diamond polisher he started work in the diamond district and
Reb Noach then married Swiss‑born wife, a scion of the illustrious and frum
Rothschild family, Mrs Malka OB”M who was Niftar a mere four months before he
daughter.
Reb Noach was a
big talmid chochom and towards the end of his life he left his job to be able
to devote himself fully to his torah learning.
During the last
two years of his life he exerted himself and learned despite his failing health.
He was niftar
on the Yom Kippur of 2008/5778, incidentally, coinciding with the yahrzeit of his
mentor and father figure, R’ Itzikl of Pshevorsk OB”M.
Mrs Erblich’s
father Rabbi Ahron – albeit belonging to the strictly Yekkish Kehilla in Frankfurt‑am‑Main
– used to make the long trek to Galicia in South-eastern Poland (a 1,350Km route, riding a motorcycle), to bask
in the otherworldly glow of the Rebbes of prewar Belz.
Mrs Perele
Scharf o”h grew up in Antwerp, attending the Yesodei Hatorah girls’ school.
In Adar of
1989, she married tblch”t R’ Aharon Scharf, son of R’ Duvid Scharf z”l, a
choshuve yid and an ardent Pshevorsk chossid.
The wedding
took place in Antwerp, where R’ Yankele of Pshevorsk OB”M took part and graced
the top table.
Together with
her husband R’ Aharon - an equal partner in the Chinuch of their children – she
always reminding them of their shared responsibility to perpetuate the sublime
Yichus that they carry along into their future life.
She supported
her husband in the myriad Chesed projects that he is involved in.
The children
learned from their parents’ example how one only grows in Ruchniyus by
investing in the Gashmiyus of others, like when he spent many hours investing
his heart and soul into improving, refurbishing and beautifying the Pshevorsk
Beis Medrash, amongst some other of his many projects.
The growing family bore testimony to the noble
Yichus that they came from, always building on these strong foundations.
The young
mother always strived to follow in the footsteps of her holy ancestors,
educating her children about the Minhogim, sayings and stories she heard in her
father’s house.
Her charm and
warmth were reserved for her children, whom she held as first and only
priority, always making sure they lacked nothing.
Still, her many
Chessed activities, which she did without fanfare were the unspoken lessons
that her family absorbed by osmosis; they in turn grew up – and are still
growing – into Tzedoko and Chessed ambassadors in the most natural ways.
If one would
try to describe an open door policy, it would be the Scharf home that could
have been used as the prime example; over the years they ‘accumulated’ an array
of guests that encompassed the breadth and length of the Jewish community and
were welcomed at any time of the day or the night.
Needy people
knew that there’s always something warm, served with a smile – no matter what
day of the year.
The Shabbos
table, the Yomtov table and even the Seder night – guests felt at home – as if
they are hosting the family! The fact that in the Scharf household they spoke
half a dozen languages ensured that everyone had her ear; she knew how to
listen simultaneously to the babble of the different languages and to empathise
with each one of her guests, so that they were convinced that whatever they
said was taken on board.
Likewise, she
remembered the idiosyncrasies of the regulars, catering for those who needed
special food like diabetic-compatible meals.
Her Erev
Shabbos chores would be punctuated with “fetch this from the shop” or “order
that from the butcher for so’n’so”, who ‘needs’ his favourite dish…”.
There was
always one spare chair at the table for the unexpected guest who might turn up
on their doorstep.
Her constant
worry for others was a natural outcome of her wish to always be there for the
needy, the lesser able or the downtrodden.
Hers was always
the first point of call when someone needed a favour – she never turned down
someone in need.
With all her Chesed activities, her main focus
were her children; no parties, concerts of extended family Simchas were more
important than preparing her children’s lunch, helping them with homework or
ensuring that they are well-fed and well-clothed.
When a family
Simcha abroad compelled her to leave her brood at home, she arranged the travel
itinerary so that her absence from home would be cut to the bare minimum – her
children should not have to be without their doting mother for a minute longer
than absolutely necessary.
Holiday for her
was to take her family out – not to leave them behind and ‘enjoy life’… Of her
many chesed related projects, one stands out in its uniqueness and its
attention to detail: When their son habochur Moshe Yehuda Leib was taken at an
untimely age of 19 years of age, she resolved to make up for the unbearable
loss by starting a Gemach Zichron Moshe.
This Gemach helps
parents navigate the wedding preparations of their own children, by providing a
list of families who opened their hearts and homes to out-of-town guests coming
for a family Simcha.
Sometimes this
booklet was even augmented by an envelope containing a handsome sum of money to
help with wedding expenses – especially when the bride or groom were orphans.
As with her
precision approach to hosting her own Shabbos guests, this list contained a
wealth of information, to help the Mechutan with the decision making process of
whom to host where and how many flights of stairs there were in the guesthouse,
or whether theirs an elevator and how many bedrooms were available - all to of
this investment into detail went towards making the job of selecting the best
location for each guest so much easier and less stressful.
When she contracted
the dreaded CORONA virus, the whole Kehilla were Davening for her speedy recovery
but after HaSHem’s decisions no one can reconsider and she was taken to her
Maker eight weeks after she was hospitalised, on Shabbos Parashas Shemini, when
the Torah reading included “בקרובי אקדש”.
Her Choshuve
husband received the harrowing news with the heroic equanimity as his namesake:
"וידום אהרן" – he accepted
HaShem’s will in the fashion that he saw at his father’s and father-in-law’s
attitude to tragedy – to accept yisurin with silence.
The hesped was
delivered by the Antwerp Rov Rav Schiff Shlit”a who emphasised how Antwerp was spared
such tragedy until then and what a loss this was to the Kehillah.
The hearse
continued from the Kehilla offices to the Pshevorsk Shul where the Rebbe
Shlit”a made an exception to pay respect to this Isho Chashuvoh on her way to
Eretz Yisroel.
All along the
way from the Kehila building to the Shul the streets were lined with a mourning
multitude, who couldn’t congregate due to the draconian COVID-19 regulations
that prevented gatherings even in the open.
Once in
Jerusalem, the Mittoh was taken to the Beys Halevayos on Rechov Shamgar in
Romema, where her former teacher at the Royde seminary in Manchester Rabbi
Gavriel Royde Shlit”a and Rabbi Levy Shlit”a of the Czernobyl Yeshiva in Bene
Beraq eulogised her.
The levaya
continued to Har Menuchos, were she was laid to rest next to her beloved Moishy
OB”M, who was niftar eight years prior.
Mother and son
were inseparable throughout his short life; she mourned him in the intervening
eight years and now they were together again.
Her mourning
family in Antwerp, her husband, sons and daughters and son-in-law as well as
her son in Vienna, with her brothers and sisters remember a gem that was taken
from the Jewish nation.
Yehi Zichra
Boruch.
