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In Memorium: Founder of The Hebron Fund Rabbi Yitzchak (Irwin) Pechman Mourned
April 12, 2016
Original Here
The Jewish Community of Hebron, the Hebron Fund, friends and family mourn the loss of Rabbi Yitzchak (Irwin) Pechman, who founded the Hebron Fund almost 40 years ago. He is survived by his wife Ruth Pechman, brother Burton Pechman, four children, many grandchildren and a great-grandson.
Rabbi Pechman lived in both New York and Jerusalem and was a passionate advocate for the Torah, people and land of Israel.
The funeral was held on Sunday April 10, 2016, in Jerusalem where his son-in-law David M. Weinberg said the following:
* * *
Tradition instructs us not to eulogize in full fashion during the month of Nissan. I think it nevertheless necessary, at minimum, to provide a basic recounting of my father-in-law’s awe-inspiring life. I will try to do so without emotional embellishment, in keeping with halachic guidelines. For now, I put aside the many kindnesses he showered upon me and the entire family, and will refrain from recounting the many lessons and legacies he left us. We’ll make do with a few short biographical notes.
My father in law, Harav Yitzchak (Irwin) ben Dov Pechman, was born in 1933 in New York to Ben and Lily Pechman of Crown Heights where he attended the Crown Heights Yeshiva, and studied in the Rav’s shiur at Yeshiva University, from which he received rabbinic ordination.
For close to fifty years, he worked in the family firm, Willmark Bakery Products, based in Williamsburg. He knew every challah baker in greater New York, and they knew him. Every Shabbat eve, we were expected to guess from which bakery he had brought home challot.
For close to forty years, he was on the board of Congregation Ohab Zedek in Belle Harbor, NY. He was an early and frequent visitor to Israel, beginning in his first trip, in 1953 – by boat. He then traveled to Israel again, together with my mother-in-law, on their honeymoon in 1963.
He followed that up by frequent annual visits to Israel. In fact, he was wont to say that he lived in Israel, but visited America for 50 weeks a year. Four years ago, he was proud to make aliyah to Jerusalem.
His love for the land, people and State of Israel was unbounded, as was his deep connection to Torah learning, Torah institutions, and Torah leaders. It is no surprise that he was proud to see all his children and grandchildren grow to settle in the Land of Israel.
For forty years, my father-in-law devoted himself to the rebuilding of the Jewish community of Hebron. I’m sure his passion for the City of the Matriarchs and Patriarchs and for its brave residents will yet be marked and recorded at future occasions.
Few people I have ever known were as familiar as he was with the politics and statecraft of this country. He devoured every news item and policy study there was to read in Hebrew, Yiddish and English, and could discuss and debate every angle of our collective challenges for hours. He kept copies of the Israeli news journal, Panim el Panim, beginning in 1951, for decades.
Few people I have ever known were as familiar as he was with the Torah commentator Rashi. Every grandchild of his knows exactly what my father-in-law’s favorite Rashi quotations were, since he would come back to them, and expand upon them, year after year.
I apologize for this dry, dispassionate, bare-bones recounting of Abba/Sabba/Harav Yitzchak’s life, but that is all we can do today. I do want to add, on behalf of his sons-in-law and daughters-in-law, a note of deep appreciation for the loving and completely natural way in which he and Savta (grandmother) embraced us into the Pechman family, and supported us every step of the way.
I want to wish Ima/Savta long life and good health, and continued pride from all her children.
And finally, a word of deep thanks to my father-in-law's assistant, David Lixenberg, who has cared for Abba over the past two years with tremendous professionalism, strength and love, including full-time duty in the hospital over the past five weeks. Hashem yivarech otcha. Thank you all for coming this morning out of respect for Harav Yitzchak ben Dov z”l.
* * *
For information to pay a shiva visit to the Pechman family, please contact:
The Hebron Fund
718-677-6886
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Shabbat in the City of Giants
By Rabbi Aaron Goldscheider
The great-granddaughter of the first Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, lives in Chevron. Her name is Rebbtezin Tzippy Schlissel. She is a woman of remarkable courage and strength.
This past Shabbat she shared the personal story of her experience of what life has been like on a daily basis living in a neighborhood that has suffered countless terrorist attacks in the last few weeks.
As she closed her talk she shared the following memory about her saintly great- grandfather:
In 1929 there was a savage terrorist attack on the Jewish community in Chevron. Arabs entered homes and the yeshiva in Chevron and killed 67 people. The aftermath of the massacre left Chevron virtually barren of Jews for the first time in hundreds of years.
Six months later, Rav Kook was invited to attend a memorial for the victims of that attack. When Rav Kook got up to speak he said, “I cannot understand why this gathering has been called an ‘azkara”, a memorial for the victims. The word ‘memorial’ suggests that we have somehow forgotten. Not for a moment have we forgotten! It is only six months later. Not a day has gone by that we do not have these holy souls in our thoughts and in our prayers.”
Rav Kook then continued and said, “But the word ‘azkara’ is appropriate to use in another sense. It is a ‘reminder’, a call, to each of us. We need to be strong. We need to be courageous in our resolve - to go back, rebuild and reestablish our home in Chevron.”
The great-granddaughter of Rav Kook decided to move to Chevron after a terrorist murdered her father in his home in Chevron. She said that whenever there is an attack on a Jew in Chevron, and unfortunately there have been many, she hears the words of her beloved great –grandfather: “ Have faith, be courageous, and continue to build the holy city of Chevron.”
An Attack On Shabbat
This past Friday night many of us made our way for Shabbat prayers to the Ma’arat Hamachpelah (The Cave of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs). As we got closer to the steps that lead toward the area where the prayer service is held, I saw soldiers running quickly. Other soldiers were calling out: “Quickly move inside the building.” Hundreds of people were being directed into the Ma’arah. Word began to spread that there was sniper fire in the area of the Ma’arah. Two young men had been hit. We prayed Friday night in a packed Ma’arah and we were not permitted to leave until the army opened the doors, letting us know that it was safe to walk outside again.
This year’s Shabbat Chayei Sarah may have been the smallest in number of attendees – it is understandable. However, those who were there experienced a spirit, a palpable ‘ruach’ that lifted our hearts. There was a feeling in the air of great Jewish pride, Maccabee-like courage; asserting our right, our deep desire, and our indefatigable will to live peacefully in our Land.
A Vignette
On Friday night as thousands of people walked to their Friday night meal from the Ma’arat Hamachpelah, we made our way through the streets wishing the many soldiers who lined the streets ‘Shabbat Shalom.’ There was a young man in front of me that had a bag of candy and he was giving it out to soldiers and wishing them Shabbat Shalom. He walked up to one soldier and offered him a candy.
The soldier answered him, ‘Thank you so much, it is so kind of you, but I can’t eat it yet, I have not made Kiddush for Shabbat.”
It is safe to say that the soldier would not be making Kiddush and eating his Friday night dinner until many hours later…the holy soldiers of Israel!
You Are A Blessing
We are blessed as a nation to have people of such inner strength, fortitude, and deep, deep faith in Hashem. Those who spent this past Shabbat in Chevron saw with their own eyes living heroes of our nation – soldiers, residents; the men, women and children that live each day in our holy city of Chevron.
We pray that Hashem protect you, watch over you, and bring each of you peace and blessing. We will continue to hear the inspiring and unforgettable words of the saintly Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook and his valiant great-granddaughter: ‘Have courage, return, rebuild!”
Continuing an annual tradition, thousands of Israelis spent the past week’s Sabbath of “Shabbat Chayei Sarah,” in the ancient Biblical city of Hebron. On “Shabbat Chayei Sarah,” the Jewish community across the world reads the portion of the Patriarch Abraham purchasing the Cave of Machpelah, located in Hebron, to bury his deceased wife Sarah.
“I thought there was going to be a lot fewer people but there were still thousands and it was incredibly impressive,” said Yishai Fleisher, international spokesman for the Jewish community of Hebron, to Tazpit Press Service (TPS).
The number of Israelis spending Shabbat Chayei Sarah in Hebron this year was noticeably lower than in previous years, however, largely due to the recent wave of terror attacks. Fleisher emphasized that the thousands who showed up displayed a significant level of defiance.
“We defied them,” Fleisher said, referring to the recent wave of terror attacks carried out by Palestinian terrorists targeting Jerusalem, Hebron, and other areas in the country. “We showed amazing defiance but it wasn’t an angry defiance. It was full of joy and happiness.”
Fleisher told TPS that a number of terror attacks were carried out in Hebron over the Sabbath. “There was a shooting near the Cave of Machpelah and an attack on security forces outside of Hebron,” Fleisher said.
“The enemies of Israel will stop at nothing to erase our connection, our historic, spiritual legal connection to this land, they tried to erase our identity,” continued Fleisher. “They wanted to put a damper on our joy and people had to overcome rain as well, but the people came and the reason the people came was because this is the heart of our identity and the reason we have legitimacy to be in this land.”
Among the thousands of Israelis who visited Hebron for the annual event were prominent Israeli officials including Israel Chief Rabbi David Lau and several Members of Knesset including MK Eli Ben Dahan, MK Gila Gamliel, MK Uri Ariel, MK Moti Yogev, MK Shuli Mualem, and former MK Orit Struk.
Fleisher took the opportunity to expound on how Hebron is a source for the Jewish people’s legitimacy in the land of Israel. “Hebron is the first land purchase of the Jewish people in the land of Israel,” Fleisher said, referring to the Biblical portion of Abraham’s purchase of the Cave of Machpelah. "It’s where the founders of Judaism are buried, the greatest human beings that ever walked the earth.”
Fleisher also referenced Israel’s first Prime Minister. “Ben Gurion said that Hebron is the proper sister city of Jerusalem,” he added.
Elaborating on Ben Gurion’s statement, Fleisher explained that “just like King David whose kingdom started in Hebron and then moved to Jerusalem, there’s a natural progression from the roots of our history in Hebron to the future of our history, which is in Jerusalem.”
Fleisher also stressed the desire of the Jewish community in Hebron to make the city a heritage site for the non-Jewish world as well. “Hebron is going to become a world heritage site for all those who want to pay homage to the founders of monotheistic civilization,” Fleisher said.
For First Time in 17 Years, Israeli President Visits Hebron in Recognition of Jewish Roots There
By Danielle Reisman, February 3, 2015
Original article can be found at on Breaking Israel News
The President of Israel, Reuven Rivlin, made hisfirst official appearancein the Biblical city of Hebron on Monday at the dedication ceremony of the Hebron Heritage Museum.
President Rivlin’s visit was the first by an Israeli president in 17 years since President Ezer Weizman visited in 1998. In addition to Rivlin, other dignitaries that visited Hebron included Chief Rabbi of Israel Dovid Lau and IDF Chief Rabbi Rafie Peretz.
The City of Hebron dedicated a multi-million dollar heritage museum highlighting the Jewish people’s eternal connection to the holy city in the Avraham Avinu (Abraham our Patriarch) building, located in the middle of the Jewish neighborhood of Hebron.
The museum commemorates the victims of the 1929 massacre, in which 67 Jews were killed in an Arab terror attack.
At the museum dedication, President Rivlin described his personal connection with Hebron. Rivlin’s grandparents lived in Hebron before the Arab massacre in 1929.
“This morning I visited my family’s birthplace,” he stated. “I did not fly to Krakow or to Casablanca. I did not need my passport. From visiting my mother, may she rest in peace, Rachel Rivlin on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem; to the city of my forefathers in Hebron. Where my mother’s family lived and worked – descendants of Chabad Hassidim – of the Rivlin famliy.”
Rivlin went on to quote the Bible in appreciation of the Jewish nation’s deep roots to the ancient city. “Here is where Abraham purchased a burial spot for his wife Sarah, here Joshua sent the spies, here is where King David first established his capital.”
Hebron Fundexecutive director Rabbi Dan Rosenstein toldBreaking Israel Newsthat creating the museum in the Avraham Avinu building, away from the Cave of the Patriarchs, was a conscious decision.
“We specifically wanted to build the Hebron Heritage Museum away from the Cave of the Patriarchs and in the Jewish neighborhood,” he said. “If it weren’t for the idealism and dedication of Hebron’s Jewish families, we wouldn’t be able to visit Ma’arat Hamachpela (Cave of the Patriarchs) and so we wanted to bring more visitors and tourists to the Jewish neighborhood of Hebron.”
In addition to developing the new Heritage Museum, theHebron Fundraises funds for theimprovement of daily life for the Jewish residents of Hebronby building parks and playgrounds, and providing for after-school programs and summer youth activities for Hebron’s Jewish children.
Hebron’s Jewish roots go back to when Abraham purchased a family burial plot. as recorded in Genesis 23. There has been a near continuous Jewish presence in the holy city since then. However, today Hebron’s 700 Jewish residents are surrounded by more than 250,000 Palestinians. It is their bravery and dedication that keeps Judaism’s second holiest city in Jewish hands.
“Every day I come to work at the Cave of the Patriarchs and am harassed by the Arabs here” Hillel Toldsong, a maintenance worker,told Breaking Israel News, “but I am not afraid for I know that God is protecting me and wants the Jewish people to be in Hebron.”
TheHebron Fund’s spokesman David Wilder told the Jerusalem Post that Rivlin’s visit “is a major event” since it marked “another stone of recognition of what Hebron was in the past, what it is today and what it should be in the future as part of the State of Israel.”
.THE HEBRON FUND
1760 Ocean Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11230
P: 718.677.6886
F: 718.677.6883
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