A large throng of bnei Torah, headed by roshei
yeshiva, rabbonim and dayanim, accompanied the
gaon, R' Yisroel Bergstein zt"l on his final earthly
journey. The 87 year-old HaRav Bergstein, who had been one of
the most illustrious students of the Slobodke Yeshiva in
Europe, was niftar after a difficult illness, while
accepting his suffering with love.
R' Yisroel Bergstein was born in the Lithuanian city of
Suvalk in 5672. His father, R' Shimon Mordechai was a
prominent talmid chochom and one of the great
maggidim of the time. His mother, Chaya Hadassah, was
a descendent of the Gaon of Vilna. In this home, which was
totally saturated with Torah, R' Yisroel grew up and
dedicated himself to Torah.
At the age of 10, he was sent to study in the Or Yisroel
yeshiva of R' Yisroel Neiman, located in the nearby city of
Lida. After studying there for a year, he transferred to the
Grodno yeshiva, were he studied under HaRav Shimon Shkop and
HaRav Chaim Shmuelevitz, who officiated as the rosh
yeshiva of the yeshiva ketana of Grodno at the
time. Reb Yisroel wasn't even bar mitzvah at the time he
studied with these gedolei Yisroel.
In Elul 5684, the yeshiva of Chevron was founded in the city
of Chevron, and many select students, who longed for Eretz
Hakodesh, joined the yeshiva on its trek, among them R'
Yisroel's family. He was only 14 at the time he began to
study in the illustrious Chevron yeshiva in Eretz Yisroel.
During the winter of 5685, HaRav Avrohom Grodzinsky presided
as mashgiach of Chevron, and Reb Yisroel became deeply
attached to him. After HaRav Avrohom returned to Kovno, a
correspondence continued between them in which HaRav Avrohom
sent the young Yisroel letters with divrei mussar, and
which expressed his love for him. In Chevron, Reb Yisroel
also drew very close to the Alter of Slobodke and studied
under him there for two years, imbibing from him the basis
for his entire derech in life.
In the yeshiva, he excelled in his studies and became one of
its finest students, to whom many younger ones became deeply
attached. When the terrible massacre of 5689 (1929) occurred,
he was in Tel Aviv, having gone there for health reasons at
the advice of the mashgiach, HaRav Yehuda Leib
Chasman. As a result he was miraculously saved.
After the massacre, most of the surviving students returned
to Europe. Twenty of the most select students, though,
remained in Eretz Yisroel and became the core of the re-
established yeshiva in Yerushalayim. These students clustered
around HaRav Yechezkel Sarna, and became deeply attached to
him. The young Yisroel was especially close to HaRav Moshe
Mordechai Epstein, who would recite his daily shiur to
him before delivering it in public and study with him
bechavrusa. He also participated in a chabura
in Kodshim with HaRav Moshe Mordechai Epstein.
In 5694 (1934), he returned to Slobodke to study under HaRav
Avrohom Grodzinsky for a period of four years. There too he
was outstanding and due to his closeness to his mentor, he
slept in his home and was considered a member of the
Grodzinsky household. He also had a special relationship with
the rosh yeshiva, HaRav Eizek Sher, who would
correspond with him in chiddushei Torah.
In 5698, the situation in Eretz Yisroel grew worse and even
basic sustenance was very scarce. As a result, his family
moved to America. Reb Yisroel visited his family in the
United States and received American citizenship, which was of
aid to him during the difficult years which soon ensued.
After his visit to America, he returned to the Chevron
yeshiva in Yerushalayim, where he studied with immense
diligence and gained fame for his excellence. Then, he
returned to Slobodke in order to marry the daughter of HaRav
Yechezkel Bernstein, the rosh yeshiva of the Even
Yisroel yeshiva ketana in Slobodke, and author of
Divrei Yechezkel. After his marriage, he continued his
studies in the kollel of the yeshiva, and received
semichah from HaRav Shimon Shkop and from HaRav Aharon
Bakst. He also received semichah from HaRav Yehuda
Leib Chasman and HaRav Isser Zalman Meltzer.
During the years of wrath, his father-in-law advised him to
go to America since HaRav Yisroel had American citizenship,
and to arrange to bring his wife there too until the war
subsided. After much hesitation, he left Europe on the last
ship and with great miracles they reached the United States.
In the meantime his wife gave birth to a boy in the ghetto,
but in 5702 his wife and son were among the Jews who were
murdered al kiddush Hashem in the notorious Ninth Fort
near the Kovno ghetto.
HaRav Yisroel taught in the Chofetz Chaim (Talmudical
Academy) yeshiva in Baltimore for a year, and afterward,
along with colleagues from the yeshivos kedoshos,
founded a new yeshiva in White Plains. Heading that yeshiva,
which began with a nucleus of nine students, was HaRav
Menachem Mendel Zaks, the son-in-law of the Chofetz Chaim.
During that period, HaRav Aharon Kotler arrived in the United
States, and HaRav Yisroel and his colleagues asked him to
head the yeshiva in White Plains, R' Aharon agreed to this,
on condition that the yeshiva transfer to Lakewood, and thus
this yeshiva became the original core of the illustrious
Lakewood yeshiva.
In 5706 he married Elka, o"h, the daughter of Reb
Elkono Pinchos Gittman zt"l. After his marriage, he
lived for a year near the yeshiva. In 5707 his friend, HaRav
Yehuda Davis from Slobodke, asked him to found a yeshiva in
Brighton Beach, New York, and for 20 years he taught Torah
and spread yiras Shomayim there, producing students
who today serve as illustrious rabbonim and roshei yeshiva
throughout the United States.
He founded a shul and beis medrash for the residents
of Brighton, where he served as a rav until his final years.
Thirty years ago, he founded the Meor HaTorah yeshiva for
outstanding students, as well as a kollel where
prominent talmidei chachomim studied. Throughout those
years, he was the baal tefilla on the Yomim Noraim,
and with his clear and full voice, aroused his
congregants to teshuvah.
He devoted his life to strengthening Torah and effected a
kiddush Hashem wherever he went. Even those who were
distant to Torah, drew closer to Yiddishkeit due to his
influence, and he endeared Shem Shomayim to all.
Seven years ago, when his wife passed away, he moved to Eretz
Yisroel. He would deliver shiurim on Shas and on
Minchas Chinuch in the Meor HaTorah yeshiva in Israel,
headed by his son HaRav Shimon Mordechai. Two year and a half
years ago, he fell ill with a devastating disease, but
despite his suffering d pursued his regular study schedules
without any change, even studying with great verve.
A year ago, his situation deteriorated and when he saw that
he could no longer study alone, he took a special
chavrusa, so that he could continue to study. During
recent months, he became even weaker, and on Monday morning,
the 27th of Adar, he returned his pure soul to its Maker at
the age of 87.
His levaya, hespedim were delivered by: HaRav Chaim
Kreiswirth, the gaavad of Antwerp; the
mashgiach, HaRav Shlomo Wolbe, HaRav Tzvi Kushelevski,
the rosh yeshiva of Heichal HaTorah-Pressberg; HaRav
Ephraim Zuckerberg, the rosh yeshiva of Tiferes Tzvi,
and by his son, HaRav Shimon Mordechai.
Afterward the levaya proceeded to the Chanichei
Hayeshivos shul, where he had taught in the Meor
HaTorah yeshiva located there. Hespedim were delivered
there by HaRav Yisroel Meir Karno, the rav of the shul.
From there, the levaya proceeded to the Beis
Yechiel shul where he davened. At Beis Yechiel a
hesped was delivered by HaRav Meir Kaplan, one of the
prominent avreichim of Har Nof.
He is survived by his son HaRav Shimon Mordechai, the rosh
yeshiva of Meor HaTorah in Har Nof, and by grandchildren
who are following in his footsteps.
