What broad leadership!
Who hasn't heard of Mr. Irving Bunim and his recently departed son, R' Amos Bunim? With the passing of R' Amos, a seventy five year epoch of devotion to Torah leadership came to a close.
There are two constants in most pictures of Rav Aaron; a Mishna Brura and Irving Bunim.
Irving Bunim, was from the most active of all activists in the Vaad Hatzolah. Every account of the period attests to this fact.
Irving Bunim was from the founders and patrons of Rav Aarons Bais Medrash Govoah, The Lakewood Yeshivah.
He was involved heart and soul in Chinuch Atzmai and Torah Umesorah as well.
Irving Bunim was in every respect Rav Aarons right hand man. Inseparable as one.
Yet, there is one more very notable movement that, not only was Irving Bunim amongst its leadership, but he was its founder too, Young Israel.
Yes, there is no shame in saying that Irving Bunim was the founder and leader of the Young Israel movement. I will even posit that his remaining at the helm was in fact due to Rav Aarons guidance and encouragement. In my mind, Rav Aaron can be counted amongst the fathers of the Young Israel movement.
For we know that after making Rav Aarons acquaintance, Irving Bunim never made another big decision with out receiving Rav Aarons consent and blessing.
Now THAT is true leadership. Rav Aaron used to beg college students to come join the yeshiva for a year, because the Torah belongs to us all. He was the leader of Agudas Yisroel of America, yet he was cognisant of whatever can and is being done for the sake of the Torah, shall be nurtured and treasured. Young Israel certainly was a beneficiary of his wisdom.
Rav Aarons prescient understanding the american jewish scene stands forever as a testament to his wise loving leadership.
(Pictured, is Rav Aaron Kotler at a Young Israel Dinner in 1951. Taken from A Fire in His Soul)
5 comments:
Young Israel was founded a good 20 years before R Aaron arrived in America. He can hardly be called one of the movement's fathers.
It was a fledgling when he came and a major movement when he passed away. He certainly couldn't have condoned many of their programs into the 60's, however I stand by my belief, that through Irving Bunim and his own early involvement he helped nurture its succesful developement.
a complete biography of RAK would show various aspects of his life, some of them extremely controversial.
Here is one point to remember when talking about R' Aharon Kotler's leadership.
In the summer of 1939 when he heard that R' Gedalia Schorr was leaving Kletzk to go back to America, he wrote the following in a letter to R' Schorr to convince him to stay (see here What did R' Aharon Kotler advise talmidim to do before WWII? )
"...he could calmly remain in Kletzk and that he did not have to worry about a war in the near future"
WWII broke out less then 2 months later and if R' Schorr had followed R' Aharon's advice he most probably would not have survived.
The question we need to ask is what is the lesson we need to take from here? The answer IMHO is that no one is infallible. Yes, RAK was a great talmid chacham but he (and almost all of the Gedolim in pre-war Europe) completely misread the situation before WWII.
Bluke, you're making an assumption about how things would have worked out or could have worked out.
If you believe in Hashgocha protis, it would be clear that as always, Hashem pulls all the strings. A person can only act based on the circumstance and information they have.
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