The Sunderland kehilla bade farewell to Rabbi and
Rebbetzin Shammai Zahn, who are moving shortly to Gateshead,
at a recent festive luncheon in the shul hall which
was filled to capacity. Over two hundred present and past
members from all over the U.K., as well as family and
friends, joined together to pay respect to their beloved Rov
and Rebbetzin.
The President of the kehilla, Mr. Johen Sadlik read
out letters of greeting from Lord Jakobovits, Emeritus Chief
Rabbi and current Chief Rabbi Jonathon Sacks. In presenting
the Rov and Rebbetzin with an engraved glass bowl and
testimonial present, Mr. Sadlik spoke of the esteem in which
the kehilla held the Rov, and the luster given to it
by his presence.
Guest Speaker Dayan Chanoch Ehrentreu, rosh beis din,
London, representing the Anglo-Jewish Rabbinate, spoke as
a talmid, paying tribute to his own great personal
debt of hakoras hatov to his rebbe and also to
Rebbetzin Zahn who has taught generations of girls including
his own daughters, and has been a mainstay of support to the
Rov. Dayan Ehrentreu declared that wherever he travels he
meets ex-Sunderlanders who keep alive the spirit of their
hometown.
Lt. Colonel Morduant Cohen, a grandson of the founder of the
Sunderland Beis Hamedrash, Reb Yechezkel Cohen z'l,
Honorary Life president of the kehilla, paid a warm
tribute to Rabbi Zahn making special mention of his patience
and understanding of others.
Mr. Maurice Minchom & Mr. Charles Slater spoke on behalf of
the Chevra Kadisha and kehilla respectively. Rabbi
Dovid Zahn, a son of the Rov, stressed the warmth, kindness
and friendship shown to him and the family and expressed his
gratitude to the kehilla.
Rabbi Zahn, in an emotional address, reminisced that he had
lived in Sunderland for 52 years, since the founding of the
Yeshiva, and had been communal rov for 18 years. He recalled
that Sunderland had always been unique amongst provincial
towns, "Wunderland" in the words of the Luztker Rov
zt"l and "Besunderland" as described by the
Ponovezher Rov zt"l. He stressed the importance of
coming regularly to shul, protecting oneself from
outside influences, and continuing that spirit of kindness,
tzedokoh and kovod HaTorah that characterized
the kehilla.
Rabbi Zahn declared that although he was relocating to be
close to his family, he would still be available to help the
kehilla, and hoped to retain close ties with them.
Other speakers referred to Rebbetzin Zahn's encyclopedic
knowledge and devotion to her pupils over a teaching career
spanning more than 50 years.
