Shliach Leads Emotional Yahrzeit of Mussar Movement’s Founder

Just a short while after an Ohel was completed over the resting site of Harav Yisroel Salanter, founder of the Mussar Movement, the local shliach led a group of Yidden marking his 140th yahrzeit. A new preschool and mikvah are other firsts for the community.

Just a short while after an Ohel was completed over the resting site of Harav Yisroel Salanter, founder of the Mussar Movement, the local shliach led a group of Yidden marking his 140th yahrzeit. A new preschool and mikvah are other firsts for the community.

As in previous years, this year Jews of Kaliningrad – Konigsburg, a small Russian enclave nestled between Lithuania and Poland on the Baltic sea coast, gathered in the old Jewish cemetery to pray at the resting place of Rabbi Yisroel Salanter of righteous memory, founder of the Mussar Movement.

The city’s Jews came to pray and light a candle in his memory, and were very excited to see the new Ohel structure that was recently built in honor of his 140th yahrtzeit, which falls on the 25th of Shvat. The new Ohel will allow the visitors to daven peacefully, protected from the harsh weather conditions so typical during this time of year.

The prayers were led by the city’s Chabad Shliach Rabbi Avraham Boruch Deutch, and were followed by a seuda and farbrengen which took place in the city’s centrally located largest shul. There the guests viewed a presentation showing all of the latest developments in the Jewish community, including the groundbreaking ceremony for a mikva tahara, which is being built under the strict supervision of Russia’s Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar.

Rabbi Lazar recently personally visited the site, overseeing that it meets the highest halachic standards. This will be the first mikva to be built in the entire region in over one hundred years.

The community members were also very excited to learn about the opening of a new Jewish preschool in the city. “Mendkids” will serve the city’s Jewish children, enabling them to receive a full, kosher learning experience for the very first time.

Rabbi Duetch called upon the city’s Chief Rabbi Dovid Shwedik, and the community lay leader Mr. Eliezer Yirmiyahu Flitman, and honored them with affixing the mezuzas on the new school building.

The guests were all then treated to a tour of the new educational facilities, where the Shlucha, Rebetzin Chaya Mushka Duetch, introduced them to the staff as well as the Jewish curriculum.

Photography: Denis Pavlov