The announcement at last week's European Aguda convention
held in Bournemouth that two of Britain's leading gedolei
HaTorah had joined the presidium of the British Aguda was
greeted with great enthusiasm by the large gathering
attending the public session on Sunday afternoon.
The conference chairman, Mr. Yitzchok Meir Cymerman announced
that HaRav Bezalel Rakov, the rav of Gateshead, and HaRav
Shammai Zahn, the rav of Sunderland, had acceded to the
request of the British Aguda's officers and joined HaRav J.
H. Dunner, the rav of Adass Yisroel and HaRav Y. M.
Rosenbaum, the Gerrer rosh yeshiva, to head the
British Aguda.
The convention, which was attended by a large number of
rabbonim and ba'alei batim, opened on Friday evening
with greetings from Mr. Cymerman who warned the chareidi
community against the inroads of Reform Judaism.
"Make no mistake and think that the problem does not affect
the chareidim. The growth of Reform and Masorati
(Conservative) is a threat to the entire structure of Klal
Yisroel," he said.
The convention's Guest of Honor was the Bostoner Rebbe whose
presence pervaded the atmosphere of the entire proceedings.
Speaking at the public session he made a fervent appeal for
the preservation of the family unit.
He was critical of sons not davening with their
fathers in the same shul. Such behavior, he said, was
the beginning of the end of Torah tradition which has
guaranteed Jewish continuity throughout Jewry's troubled
history.
HaRav Rosenbaum, the Gerrer rosh yeshiva, who presided
over the public session, made a fervent plea for chareidim to
identify themselves with Agudas Yisroel, "as we are the
yorshim of the gedolim and tzaddikim who
created the organization, because they saw in it the bulwark
against the growing tide of Zionism and Reform."
HaRav Rosenbaum eulogized HaRav Yitzchok Flakser zt'l
member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah in Eretz Yisroel whose
shiva concluded on that day, as well as HaRav Benzion
Blau, a former Aguda Presidium member who was niftar
during the Aguda Convention four years ago.
HaRav Elchonon Halpern, the Hon. President of the Union of
Orthodox Hebrew Congregations and member of its beis din
conveyed the kehilla's greetings and best wishes
to the convention.
The rav of the Union, HaRav H.B. Padwa who, due to ill
health, was unable to attend, also conveyed his
brochos.
In a far reaching programmatic speech the Gateshead Rav
spelled out the objectives of Agudas Yisroel which are
entirely based on da'as Torah and should also be
strengthened and supported by all chareidim ledvar
Hashem. He also highlighted the zechus of the
Lubliner Rav for having introduced the daf hayomi.
Mr. N. Roosen, Chairman of the Aguda in Holland, made a
presentation on behalf of the European Aguda to Rabbi Azriel
Schechter in recognition of his widespread activities in the
sphere of Hatzolah, Chinuch Atzmai, and other worthy
causes.
Rav Chaim Kaufman of Yeshiva Tiferes Yaakov-Gateshead also
addressed the public session.
A particularly lively session took place under the
chairmanship of Mr. Refoel Bergman LLB. on the subject of
"The wider interests of Klal Yisroel -- The way forward."
Councillor Joe Lobenstein MBE said that the Torah concept of
the way forward differed entirely from that of society around
us. To the uninitiated it may sound simplistic but it is the
basis of our hashkofo.
"Our way forward is the way backward" based on the Torah
concept of she'al ovicho veyageidecho." He reiterated that
Agudas Yisroel was created by gedolei haTorah to be
the shofar of authentic Judaism and related the
achievements of prominent Agudas leaders who served in the
prewar parliaments of Poland, Rumania and Latvia.
It is from this, he said, that we have to take our cue for
representatives in public establishments and he gave some
details of what had been achieved by orthodox representation
in local government.
Mr. Pinchos Kornfeld, member of the World Aguda Executive,
bemoaned what he called the unnecessary multiplicity of Torah
institutions.
"Why can a child of a Gerrer Chossid not learn in the same
cheder as a child of a Vishnitzer Chossid?" he asked.
"The self-imposed ghettoization of the chareidi circles is
not conducive towards creating achdus in our midst,"
he said.
Rabbi Avrohom Yosef Lazerson painted a bleak picture of what
he regarded as the future of Yahadus hachareidis in
Eretz Yisroel and noted the orchestrated hatred of all
secular parties against Torah Jewry. He made special
reference to the misuse of power by the secular courts which
was an insult to all standards of democracy.
A session on kashrus problems was presided over by Mr.
Yaakov Schonberg and addressed by Dayan Osher Westheim of the
Manchester Beis Din and Rabbi A. Adler, author of Kashrus
and Medicine, of Gateshead.
A session on shidduchim was chaired by Mr. Alexander
Strom and addressed by Rabbi J. Marmorstein, principal of the
Sarah Schenirer Seminary, Rabbi N. Mantel, rav of Lucerne,
Switzerland, and Rabbi Sh. Weingarten of Golders Green.
Rabbi M. Miller, principal of the Gateshead Seminary,
addressed the Sunday morning session on "The Brilliant Child
Versus the Child with `Special Needs'." The session was
chaired by Rabbi C.Y. Davis, executive director of the
British Aguda.
A highlight of the convention was the two outstanding
speeches by the renowned speaker Rabbi Pesach Krohn of
America who specially traveled to Bournemouth to grace the
convention with his outstanding addresses.
Droshos on Shabbos were given by Rav Ch. Horowitz,
rosh hakollel of Antwerp, Rav A. Schlesinger, av
beis din of Strasberg, Rav A. Schechter, Rav Bezalel
Rakov and Rabbi Dovid Cymerman of Bnei Brak.
The Seuda Shelishis session which was introduced by Mr.
Joshua Bloch of Zurich, chairman of the Swiss Aguda, and
heard brilliant discourses by Rav Shimon Hirschler and by
HaRav Shammai Zahn, rav of Sunderland.
The daily daf hayomi shiurim were given by Rabbi
Simcha Bamberger of Manchester.
The final session dealing with problems encountered by people
who have to travel was presided over by Rabbi Yehuda
Bondi.
