As עם ישראל slowly begins to process the new reality of a world without Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky זצ״ל, this week people worldwide have been sharing stories and teachings from the late gadol’s life. The mornings at Westchester Torah Academy have been no different. Every morning after tefillah in middle school, Rabbi Avi would take a few minutes to share a story and some Torah from Rabbi Kanievsky with the students. Rabbi Avi brought in a selection of different seforim authored by Rav Kanievsky, and showed the students some interesting videos from inside the rabbi’s life. But that’s not all that happened differently last week in middle school. A good friend of Rabbi Avi’s was sitting shiva, and came every morning to tefillah at the school to say Kaddish. After Tefillah, the students got the opportunity to fulfill the mitzvah of ניחום אבלים and, in unison, recited the traditional tefillah said to someone sitting shiva. It was very beautiful and meaningful for all involved, especially for the אבל who commented how it really lifted his spirits in a way he didn’t think was possible.

Of course, we always daven for semachot to come together and celebrate, but we are also ready to come together in times of challenge and sadness to try and bring some light into the world.