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NOVEMBER 12, 2020 | The Jewish Home NOVEMBER 12, 2020 | The Jewish Home
Meeting and engaging the guests on Shabbos was similar, except that the enthusiastic davening, the lively singing of zemiros, and the dancing added a mystical dimension to the seudos. I gave a speech during the seudah about the ten tests of Avraham and the importance of making a commitment to grow spiritually. I went to some of the lectures of Rabbi Mordechai Neugroschel and recognized the originality of his thoughts and insights and the talent that he had as a teacher and speaker. On Motzei Shabbos, there was a Gala Farewell Melave Malka with live music which went on way past midnight. We enjoyed the famous Hungarian dishes of goulash, stuffed peppers and rakott krumpli, and for dessert we were treated to strudel and cremesch. I attempted to dance the czardas, but I have two left feet which kept on kicking everyone in the circle! All in all, it was a wonderful experience, thanks to Rav Dovid Keleti and Hurricane Sandy. On Sunday, I returned by train to Vienna. By the time I checked into the Stefanie Hotel, I was too tired to do much of anything, and so I took a nap. Michal came over, and we talked a lot about his future. He was still young and not settled, but I
felt I should not push him in order to keep an ongoing connection. His story is remarkably interesting, and I will write about it in the future. In the early evening, Zwicky and Debby picked me up, and we went to eat at Alef Alef again. The highlight of this day was yet to come. In the evening, I went with Zwicky to the Mizrachi Shul of Rabbi Pardes, for the special services commemorating Kristallnacht. The guest speaker was the former Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Yisroel Meir Lau. I heard him speak before on two or three occasions, and he is an excellent orator in a number of languages. The contents of his speeches are especially meaningful, and his mode of delivery is very emotional. He did not disappoint the audience that gathered at this solemn affair. After the event, I had the honor to speak with him for a few minutes. The evening ended, although it left me tense, with feelings of sorrow. The next day, I was finally able to fly back home. I was greeted by Pesi with whom I shared my experiences of the past ten days. She, in turn, shared her encounters with the tenth worst hurricane of all times. She and my family were in relative safety but were surrounded by the devastating events. Even
I was able to see the aftereffects of that destruction in the form of uprooted trees, electric outages, flooded subways, and an extreme shortage of gasoline. My personal benefit from Hurricane Sandy will always remain an anomaly in relation to those who suffered so much during that tragic time.
Hershel Lieber has been involved in kiruv activities for over 30 years. As a founding member of the Vaad L’Hatzolas Nidchei Yisroel he has traveled with his wife, Pesi, to the Soviet Union during the harsh years of the Communist regimes to advance Yiddishkeit. He has spearheaded a yeshiva in the city of Kishinev that had 12 successful years with many students making Torah their way of life. In Poland, he lectured in the summers at the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation camp for nearly 30 years. He still travels to Warsaw every year – since 1979 – to be the chazzan for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur for the Jews there. Together with Pesi, he organized and led trips to Europe on behalf of Gateways and Aish Hatorah for college students finding their paths to Jewish identity. His passion for travel has taken them to many interesting places and afforded them unique experiences. Their open home gave them opportunities to meet and develop relationships with a variety of people. Hershel’s column will appear in The Jewish Home on a bi-weekly basis.
