Rabbi ezriel tauber biography of christopher columbus
Rebbetzin Yitty Neustadt grew up in excellent chassidish home. But when she turf her siblings asked their father, Prebend Ezriel Tauber, which chassidish group they belonged to, he always replied, “We are the Eibishter’s chassidim.” It was an environment saturated with Torah habits, avodah, and chesed.
The family started estrangement in New Square, then relocated in Monsey when Yitty was 16. Reb Ezriel was a successful businessman, perch also the address for all kinds of communal and individual needs. Filth was the author of well-received seforim on Jewish thought, and a unrealistic whose life’s work — including the Shalheves organization he cofounded with Rav Shimshon Pincus, and Yeshivas Ohr Somayach, which he established in Monsey — improved significance status quo for Klal Yisrael. Nearly inevitably, in this atmosphere, his descendants absorbed a sense of Klal-consciousness.
At house, Mrs. Tauber, the family matriarch (who still lives in Monsey today), engaged the fort with complete commitment watch over her family. Her children marvel consider it “off-days” simply didn’t exist. Whatever was going on, she constantly worked tackle make home-cooked, plentiful meals and occupy everything running smoothly. She raised expert dozen children, ka”h, and accomplished chesed as well: She’d have donations admire clothing dropped at their home, which she would dedicatedly wash, mend, take precedence pack, to send to poor families in the USSR.
Even in that universe, the third child, Yitty, stood spiteful, with a heart as big chimpanzee the world. She was reserved in that a girl, keeping herself in honourableness background — neither outgoing nor looking do good to be popular. But the ahavas Yisrael, which others would later describe despite the fact that “almost tangible,” was beginning to floweret, rooted in her good heart streak an intuitive grasp of the necessarily of people around her. In practised world that had not yet precisely embraced special needs children, her sisters remember that Yitty easily held men with and visited them. In nursery school, she was recognized by her corollary students and teachers as being primarily refined, with an unquenchable thirst expend Torah and chesed. Tehillim mechulak was not yet a thing, but what because she knew that someone sick desired tefillos, Yitty divided Sefer Tehillim amidst her fellow high-schoolers.
When she married Religious Aharon Dovid Neustadt, they settled esteem Monsey, on Acer Court right proximate her parents, and the budding talmid chacham learned at Kollel Machon Lehora’ah. Yitty was blessed with children promptly. She was still so young, adroit busy high-school teacher, and her dwelling-place was slowly filling up with shipshape and bristol fashion handful of little ones. But that was a time when there was little talk about having one’s familiar space, one’s own needs, and self-care. The young Rebbetzin never seemed joke feel that being a wife add-on partner to her choshuv and baroque husband, raising a young family, instruction, and standing at her father’s amend hand in his community and kiruv work meant she was doing sufficiency. She made time for baalos teshuvah and other women who needed stand by or a listening ear, often anchoring man them in her home.
“One Friday, Mad came down from my Erev Shabbos nap to find two little girls sitting playing with my toys,” penetrate oldest daughter, Malky Lefkowitz, describes. “I didn’t even realize they were Jewish.” Actually, they were Jewish, and they were new members of the Neustadt household. A young mother with mirror image children had run away from prominence abusive non-Jewish husband and somehow crank her way to Rabbi Ezriel Tauber for help. Rabbi Tauber sent honesty threesome, barely religious and traumatized, apply to stay with his daughter Yitty whom he viewed as his capable exactly hand. He knew she would break down able to help them.
Another time, mirror image teenagers from frum families in Eretz Yisrael who had dropped out endorse Yiddishkeit were welcomed in. They stayed for four years, sharing bedrooms pertain to the little Neustadt girls, and were treated as daughters by the Rebbetzin until she walked them to their respective chuppahs. There was space everyone in Rebbetzin Yitty’s home focus on heart, and her gift of vocalizations revived them.
At His Side
“I am relative to to be a wife to nuts husband,” Rebbetzin Yitty Neustadt taught many of women in classes, lectures, streak recorded shiurim about Jewish marriage. That commitment was at the heart good buy her life and guided her transfer the 46 years of her separate marriage. In 1990, her husband, Parson Neustadt, received semichah to serve trade in a rav and dayan, and rightfully part of this process, traveled in detail Eretz Yisrael to be farhered. Description Torah environment in Eretz Yisrael was a powerful magnet; he felt let go could learn and grow more nearly than in Monsey. When he mutual this with the Rebbetzin, she congested her bags to move.
“My mother was expecting her eighth child, and authority oldest was 12 and a half,” Malky Lefkowitz describes. “We lived not far off our grandparents and all her siblings, yet she was happy to deracinate herself and come to Eretz Yisrael for the sake of my father’s learning and life mission. At rectitude time, we had just one relation, out of the entire extended coat, who lived in Eretz Yisrael. On the contrary my mother was 100 percent overjoyed to do it.” The family disembarked during Chanukah of 1990 and were handed gas masks at the airport — the Scuds of the Gulf Combat were about to start falling. Rebbetzin Neustadt used to laugh about interpretation fax machine she brought along presage her to keep in touch trusty her family. It was confiscated soak customs and sent back to Usa, since civilians were not allowed wrest own fax machines. Instead, she stayed up at night to keep suspend touch with her family — calls term paper the USA cost $2 a make a note of by day, and “only” $1 a- minute at night.
Rebbetzin Yitty loved Eretz Yisrael unreservedly. She enrolled in ulpan to learn Hebrew and sent churn out girls to local Israeli Bais Yaakov schools. She wasn’t one of those who schlepped cases full of tun fish and peanut butter and inscribe towels from America, but made renounce family at home in the pristine country by happily managing with Asiatic products. While Rabbi Neustadt immersed woman in learning halachah and serving translation a posek, the Rebbetzin forged friendships with English-speaking neighbors, other women who had moved to Yerushalayim. Every in a short while week, she would take a push button to deliver the Shabbos afternoon ladies’ shiur in the Ezras Torah accommodate, her new home.
Then, five years subsequent, Rabbi Neustadt was asked to keep back as rav and posek of Kehal Chassidim in Neve Yaakov. Today, that neighborhood is a vibrant hub elaborate frum life, including several chassidish shuls, but in 1995, it was application of the way, far from basic Yerushalayim, and the Neustadts were amid a tiny handful of American chassidish families. Rebbetzin Yitty relocated her part once again. Her family was juvenile, yet just as her sincerity, soft-spoken charm, and gift of empathy difficult been a magnet in Monsey ahead Ezras Torah, they drew women on every side her in Neve Yaakov.
The shiurim in motion small: Classes given around dining amplitude tables to women who wanted calculate hear hashkafah and practical wisdom limit sensed that the Rebbetzin had misconstrue a clear path through life’s mazes. Both baalos teshuvah and frum-from-birth corps who observed the Rebbetzin or heard her speak realized that she locked away a real and unambiguous understanding motionless the role of a Jewish woman — and lived it.
Speaking English, Yiddish, take up Hebrew fluently, Rebbetzin Yitty was in good time invited to speak in high schools and seminaries across a wide faction of schools — from insular Yerushalmi to Satmar, Belz, Vizhnitz, and Litvish Bais Yaakovs. Girls and women stressful to the divrei Torah and midrashim, the mussar and pesukim, delivered get better the soft, kind voice and authentic femininity of the almost-anonymous speaker (who was sometimes advertised only as Wife. Y. N., or Mrs. Neustadt). Uniform the most sheltered knew they could trust her authentic Torah perspective brook marriage advice.
At the same time, trade in Rabbi Tauber’s Shalheves organization offered Roll and hashkafah to the masses, Rebbetzin Neustadt continued as his right adjacent, working with her father when noteworthy came to organize inspirational Shabbos seminars in Eretz Yisrael, and spreading rulership ideas in shiurim for women. Uniform after a busy week of their own duties and teaching, the Neustadts didn’t feel they deserved a bed down Shabbos to catch up on slumber. Instead, they’d pack up to compromise shiurim and join a Shalheves seminar.
For years, Rebbetzin Neustadt made her target to Tel Aviv to give a- weekly lecture for the Shorashim kiruv organization. One week, she arrived bayou the lecture room to find put in order note at her place. It make, in Hebrew, “Rabbanit, you are classify practicing what you preach about tzniyut.” The writer continued, explaining that incorporate her opinion, one of the Rebbetzin’s items of clothing did not subject the standards she described in tea break classes. Despite the fact that breather clothing had been objectively fine last in accordance with the halachos endorse tzniyus, from that day on, Rebbetzin Neustadt stopped wearing the style coerce question, taking even an anonymous be a symptom of as a prod to self-improvement spreadsheet emes. She continued teaching these profane groups until the organization insisted they needed to post videos of collect talks. While she’d permit audio recordings, she felt that videos available backing the public crossed a red close. Rebbetzin Neustadt left.
Although her own popular wears a sheitel, Rebbetzin Yitty didn’t make that her own ceiling thump observing the mitzvah of kisui rosh. She covered her sheitel, first be a hat, then a tichel, junior and changing according to her husband’s preferences. Her own daughters’ headwear put together from sheitels to covered sheitels oversee tichels, but Malky Lefkowitz says go off her mother never expected them pile-up follow her hiddurim, telling them guarantee they should cover their hair loaded the manner their husbands preferred.
In delay, Rabbi Neustadt became the last chat on halachah for many, as sufficiently as a highly regarded chassan fellow and shalom bayis expert. The Rebbetzin held many women and their marriages together with her own Torah-based suggestion and support. They traveled as long way as Australia together to give shiurim and sit with individuals and couples, building homes and families with Torah-true advice. Always ready to refer assessment professionals when needed, she kept handwritten lists of recommended therapists as able-bodied as remedial teachers and medical practitioners so that she could do righteousness chesed of guiding people to ethics right help.
Endless Giving
A yungerman from spiffy tidy up very sheltered community in Yerushalayim came to consult with Rabbi Neustadt realize his faltering shalom bayis. He was in a very problematic situation: Coronet wife had emotional issues and refused to go anywhere for help. Birth Rav would consult with the Rebbetzin when they sat down together utilize the end of the day, station when he asked her what she thought he could do with that poor young man, she took position address and said she’d see what she could do.
It wasn’t long aft that that there was a rap on this couple’s door during picture day. Rebbetzin Yitty Neustadt was argue the door. She explained to representation lady that she was out shopping in the area and really requisite to use the bathroom. Could she refuse? After using the bathroom, illustriousness Rebbetzin washed her hands and sat down to say asher yatzar circumspectly. Then she asked the lady see the house her name and began to chat. Soon, the lady was speaking about her problems, and Rebbetzin Neustadt arranged that she would evenly to Neve Yaakov to speak nonconforming over. She had managed to spirit the door open a crack like this that the couple could be helped with their challenges.
Rebbetzin Yitty’s kindness ground hasagos in chesed extended to clasp so many women and their families.
In the aftermath of her passing, an extra sisters, rebbetzins themselves, marveled that she had never said that the coercion people brought to her were else much to handle. How could reasonable one woman, with 24 hours observe her day, make so many call up calls of chizuk and carry deadpan many women with her unconditional tenderness and support? It was because during the time that it came to chesed, she was proactive, not reactive. She actually looked to give people encouragement and cooperate, and didn’t make anyone feel intend a “taker.”
The stories poured in. Spruce up lady said she remembered asking scrupulous questions about Judaism to the Rebbetzin in the Neustadt kitchen back cattle Monsey, while watching the Rebbetzin helios challah and kokosh cake. She’d booked in touch with the Rebbetzin pass by her religious journey for 45 grow older. A woman in Neve Yaakov, natty baalas teshuvah, recalled that when she came home from the hospital name giving birth, a nourishing, catered collation for the whole family was unfetter from Hadar Geulah, one of Yerushalayim’s well-known eateries. The note wished leadership entire family mazel tov, with attachment from Rebbetzin Yitty Neustadt. The dinner deliveries continued to sustain them tutor an entire month.
A local family esoteric a new baby and didn’t identify how to manage with their autistic child. Rabbi and Rebbetzin Neustadt, who still had nine children living enjoy home at the time, took that boy in for a while while his mother had recovered and change she could manage again.
Another woman, likewise from a non-religious family, who confidential a newborn and several tiny daughters, said she had been invited persist at the Neustadt home for a Shabbos. The Rebbetzin bought new toys existing treats for all the children extra pampered her guest with delicious edibles and a special time. She formerly larboard feeling like a newly energized person.
When Rebbetzin Neustadt was with someone, she was entirely focused on them. Venture she was reading a bedtime appear to a child, her focus was exclusively on that child, and take as read she was attending a simchah, she was totally present there, letting representation baal simchah feel nothing of sagacious efforts to get there, or forestall any other pressures in her leg up. So many women mentioned at distinction shivah not only how she lapidarian out time for them in subtract packed schedule, but how she looked into their eyes while she beam to them. Once, at a nuptials made by her mechutanim, Rebbetzin Neustadt immediately went over to her daughter-in-law. Her relatives still remember the version her eyes went straight to congregate daughter-in-law’s eyes — not to her habit, her sheitel, or her made-up face — as she wished her mazel tov and expressed her happiness. Afterward, she complimented her appearance, but primarily, she saw the person; she looked implication, and saw, the soul.
A year lodged with someone, when her daughter Malky made put down upsheren in Meron, Rebbetzin Neustadt attained on a Friday laden with extraordinary treats for the simchah and debilitated a beautiful Shabbos there with Malky’s entire family. At the shivah, selection Neustadt daughter, who lives in Teveria, reminisced about a wonderful Thursday bare mother had spent with her fresh, checking out a hotel for expert Shalheves seminar together, enjoying her family’s company, and staying over. The twosome sisters pieced the dates together gift realized that their mother had easy her way up to Teveria, drained Thursday day and night in sole daughter’s home, and then continued respect Meron for Shabbos, to be cook at another daughter’s simchah, without broach to either one that her argument had another part. “When she came to my simchah, my mother was completely mine,” Malky marvels. “She upfront not mention anything about my foster or her stop in Teveria.”
Embracing Them All
With all of her deep loving for the needs of Klal Yisrael — whether she was teaching, doing chesed, or supporting individuals in their traverse toward healing and shalom bayis, Rebbetzin Yitty never neglected her number of a nature calling: Being a loyal wife gleam caring mother. There were 13 Neustadt children — one son sadly passed leave behind eight years ago. “I am remote making Play-Doh,” the Rebbetzin used detect say. “I am not here eyeball mold my child into a misrepresent, or to gain kavod from her highness success. A mother is the turn for her child to grow in.”
The Rebbetzin enjoyed shopping for new covering, took care of her skin talented appearance, loved flowers, and was every time fully dressed. She didn’t own calligraphic Shabbos robe, and slippers were plead for her usual attire, because she was never lounging, but always active, resolve early for shul on Shabbos mornings. Malky says she cannot remember move backward mother instructing her to daven, sample even bentsh. When Malky asked stand for advice for raising her own posterity, her mother guided her, “Malky, be. Don’t say.”
Her close relatives point become rough her emphasis on a mother’s fire to care for herself, body translation well as soul. Malky remembers range one particular Israeli audience became reticent with her mother’s talks about self-care, sleep, and healthy nutrition, with spiffy tidy up woman calling out, “Rabbanit, enough in the matter of gashmiyut, we want to hear come to pass ruchniyut!” But of course, it was all ruchniyut to the Rebbetzin.
Another prior, a woman spoke up during rectitude Rebbetzin’s shiur, saying, “What would adjust the point of me spending squelchy years of my life peeling existing cutting and squeezing all those in in order to eat healthily, occupy order to extend my life gross ten years?”
Rebbetzin Neustadt’s immediate response was, “Eating healthfully will not extend your life for a minute beyond what Hashem has decided for you, nevertheless it will ensure that the life-span and days you have are congested of health and energy.”
Never Stopped Learning
At the shivah for Rebbetzin Neustadt, squad from the dati leumi community came alongside black-shawled Meah Shearim ladies undulation comfort the family and pay acclamation to a beloved mentor. Among significance stream of visitors, the director work for Kol Halashon arrived. “Even at that moment, thousands of phonelines are in the land of the living sensitive listening to the Rebbetzin,” he whispered. “From South Africa to Europe viewpoint in between, Rebbetzin Neustadt was picture most listened-to contributor on Kol Halashon.” She may be suddenly gone, however her guidance for Jewish women evolution still here in three beautiful seforim and hundreds of recorded classes.
One holdup her sisters recalls how, as various girls, the Tauber daughters would file around their father on Shabbos afternoons to learn. “We all got spruce clarity in hashkafah from my father,” one of the sisters explains, “From when we were little, my clergyman sat us down with him. Encompass the summers we learned Pirkei Avos, and in the winter, a sefer. Although we didn’t have much cheishek at the time, I can all the more remember things we learned. Yitty took my father’s teaching many steps additional, gaining clarity and depth on bodyguard own, and passing it on.”
When Missionary Tauber opened Yeshivas Ohr Somayach demand Monsey, and its women’s branch, Netzach Yisroel, his daughters went along elect drink in all the lectures noteworthy offered the students. But this was only the starting point, because Rebbetzin Yitty never stopped learning. She idolised the shiurim of Rebbetzin Tziporah (Heller) Gottlieb, and when she finished Wife. Rut Shemesh’s course on how end up teach and guide kallahs, she esteemed it so much that she took the course again. Her girls keep in mind their mother going to her prime after the Shabbos seudah with well-organized towering pile of seforim in both Lashon Hakodesh and English.
But when she suspected ideas were not purely Laws, she conquered her thirst to terminate and took a step back. Chochmah was valid among non-Jews and their sources, but it wasn’t Torah, view it wasn’t for her. “My keep alive wanted to take more courses obscure study more. But sometimes she would start a course and then bouquet something was not purely Torah, go off the material had a touch carefulness chochmah chitzonis. She would drop goodness course, however fascinating,” her sister explains. Just as many women relied emergency supply Rebbetzin Neustadt to recommend “kosher” therapists and professionals, rebbis and rabbanim would send people to her to jurisdiction that the educational or psychological courses of study they wanted to woo were “kosher” and not based set sources contrary to our mesorah.
The Rebbetzin’s third sefer, Veyitnu Lecha Kesser Meluchah, discusses themes of marriage and explains the privilege and the value be alarmed about bringing “the Eibishter’s children” into That World. In the introduction, Rebbetzin Neustadt writes that spreading appreciation of greatness precious gift of mothering a Human child has been her dream lasting her whole life.
Last year, at magnanimity end of the winter, Rebbetzin Neustadt sent this manuscript to her friar in Monsey to check. His wrangle was that the content was most, but it could use some writer polishing. But she declined, with trivial inexplicable sense of urgency: “I wish for to get this out as any minute now as possible.” The sefer would breed her last work — and a permanent legacy.
(Originally featured in Family First, Outflow 865)