Yesterday we began discussing the miraculous flight of the Mirrer Yeshiva from Poland, through Russia and Japan, and eventually to America. They traveled through Russia to a city called Vladivostok, where they took a boat to Japan. It was a dilapidated ship with no chairs or beds- they all had to lay on the floor. A storm hit and the two day journey became four days. When they finally reached the dock and all the boys got off the boat, it sank.
So this motley group of yeshiva boys found themselves on Japanese soil, but the Japanese wanted to send them back once their temporary visas had expired (Sugihara had only granted them temporary visas, to get them through the country on their way to their false destination of Curaçao.)
Then, a Japanese gentile professor borrowed money from his wealthy brother to bribe the police not to send the Jews back, because he believed they would bring success to the land. God somehow planted in the mind of this professor to help out the Jews.
They then relocated to Shanghai, where there was a synagogue ready and waiting for them. This was a miracle of miracles!
This synagogue had been built years earlier by an Iraqi Jew named Silas Hardoun. What was this Shul doing in the middle of Shanghai?
Mr Hardoun had been a wealthy but childless Iraqi Jew. He was spurred to build the shul when his deceased father appeared to him in a recurring dream and requested that he build a synagogue for 400 people as a Zechut/merit for his father. Silas followed his father’s wishes and hired the top architects of the time to design and build a most majestic edifice, nicer than any shul in Poland. At the time, people couldn’t understand why he was building such a grand synagogue - why would they need such a grand shul? It was im a vacation area, and they hardly ever had a minyan.
It has been said that there was exactly the right amount of seats in the shul to accommodate the entire Mirrer Yeshiva.
Let’s pause to appreciate this miracles of miracles, and how God saved this Yeshiva by preparing years in advance.
Another interesting point to this story was that the Yeshiva traveled in its entirety. That was one of their secrets. They never separated. We can tie this into Ahavat Yisrael and how achdut/ unity brings beracha.
One of the boys had received a visa to go to Canada because he had relatives there. He thought that maybe if he went to Canada, he could then get a visa for his father, and get him out of Poland, but Rav Yehezkiel told him it was too late. At the time, he was shocked. No one knew yet what had happened in Europe. He later found out that his father was killed only a day before he had spoken about it with Rav Haskel. This is but a small indicator of the greatness of Rav Yehezkiel Levenstein, whom we often quote on the topic of Emunah and Bitachon. He had Ruach Hakodesh and he guided the young men throughout this saga. He later said that Rav Yerucham Levovitz, the previous Mashgiach of the Yeshiva, appeared to him in a dream and directed him on what to do.
This incredible story started with Rav Avraham Kalmonowitz, who was the builder of Mirrer Yeshiva on Avenue R and Ocean Parkway. When they asked him why he had picked that location, he answered, incredibly, that Mr. Isaac Shalom, who had aided him throughout the war years, lived Avenue W and Ocean Parkway, and he wanted to be as close to Isaac Shalom as possible!
Wonder of wonders! This is not just about how God saved the Mirer Yeshiva, but, I will humbly add, it is about how God saved the Syrian community. Our connection with Yeshivot, and Mr Isaac Shalam’s connection with Yeshivot and great rabbis is really what brought our community to where it is today.
Just as an example of a great man from our community, Mr. Isaac Hidary, may he live a long life, learned, for many years with Rabbi Lushinsky as a hevruta in Mirrer Yeshiva.
That impacted him and his family…and we really can’t imagine all the ripple effects of having such a special yeshiva in our midst, for all of these years. This is all part of God’s plan, of saving things in the most miraculous ways.
Have a wonderful day.
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