Rav Asher Weiss, shlita, a renowned posek and gadol b’Yisrael, visited Congregation Beth Abraham in Bergenfield last Wednesday evening to provide divrei chizuk to the Bergenfield and larger Teaneck community as it has faced many profound family losses in the last year. A large number of RCBC rabbanim attended the shiur. The shul was filled to standing room only.

“Any time we can have the honor of hosting a gadol like Rav Asher Weiss, we are extremely grateful. We are thankful to Henry Orlinsky for helping to organize this,” said Dr. Michael Wiederkehr, Beth Abraham’s president.

The topic, “Communal Responses to Suffering,” was chosen as a response to the recent tragedies Beth Abraham has experienced as a community, said Wiederkehr. He was referring to the loss at Meron of Beth Abraham son and talmid Donny Morris, z”l, and coming to grips with the many who lost family members to COVID and other illnesses this year. “We wanted to present a shiur to help our members through their feelings and find comfort,” he added.

There was a group in the shul who sponsored the shiur in memory of Donny, and also in memory of Ilene Reeman, z”l, a beloved community member who passed away recently.

The material messages of Rav Weiss’ shiur was that shalom is of utmost importance in a community, and second, the best response to tragedies, which are inevitable and come in many forms, is to work toward bettering ourselves. “We know our own flaws the best and we have to work on our own flaws,” Wiederkehr paraphrased.

In the same strain, YU Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Aryeh Leibowitz, a much sought-after teacher and speaker, was also set to come to Beth Abraham for further divrei chizuk on June 23. That shiur was also sponsored anonymously in memory of Donny Morris. Both shiurim have been recorded and are available on YU Torah.