Donor Pulls Through for Chabad

By COLlive reporter

It appears that the individual who recently donated $5 million to save the Litvish Yeshivas Mir-Yerushalayim is the same person who stepped forward at the ’11th hour’ to stop the foreclosure on the Chabad West Coast Headquarters building in Los Angeles.

Sources close to the events have disclosed to COLlive.com that the person was Shlomo Yehuda Rechnitz, a Los Angeles-based communal activist and known philanthropist.

Rechnitz quietly made the contribution to the Mir Yeshivah as his way of honoring the life and achievements of its revered Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel OBM, who passed away on Cheshvan 12, and with whom Rechnitz had a close relationship over the years.

In helping alleviate the Yeshiva’s crushing debt, Rechnitz was seeking to fill some of the void left in the wake of the Rosh Yeshiva’s passing, as it was the Rav who shouldered the burden for many years.

We were told that it was the same magnanimous conscientiousness that prompted Rechnitz to prevent the irreversible loss of Chabad of Westwood, the world’s first “Chabad House” and central office for Chabad of California.

All efforts to try to ward off the court’s sale of the property had been exhausted and the note-holder was said to be literally moments away from taking legal ownership when Rechnitz stepped forward and bought off the note for $2.6 million, bringing the dreadful proceedings on that fateful Friday afternoon to a grinding halt.

Thanks to him, the Chabad House has since remained open and fully functional. Rabbi Chaim Nachum Cunin has comfirmed this information with COLlive.com on Sunday.

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Observers have said that they cannot even imagine what a huge blow it would have been to the strength and morale of Chabad of California had it, G-d forbid, suffered the loss of its original, most prominent and key facility.

Though usually inconspicuous in his efforts, Rechnitz has come to be recognized as one of the most active and impactful philanthropists in the Torah-observant world.

Friends describe him as an “equal opportunity giver,” donating generous sums to all Yiddishe circles – be it Chassidish, Litvish, Modern-Orthodox and so on. “Shlomo is trying to emulate the example of his role-model in the realm of Tzedokah, Reb Berel Weiss.”

Reb Berel, who passed away Iyar 27 of this year, was legendary for his philanthropy – not only in the sums that he gave, but to whom he gave them. He never turned away a situation of genuine need.

Upon his passing, many despaired that his loss would adversely affect the numerous vital causes he sustained – whether it was support for widows and orphans, the unemployed, gemilas chesed, hachnosas kallah, and countless Torah institutions and social organizations.

At the community’s Shloshim memorial for Reb Berel Weiss, Rechnitz has publicly pledged to do his utmost to try to pick up the slack in the wake of Reb Berel’s physical departure from this world. Apparently, the man has remained true to his word.

In addition to his generosity, many in the Torah-observant world are taken by Shlomo Rechnitz’s amiability and approachability. He has an unassuming and disarming way about him – an affable personality – that allows people from all walks of life to feel comfortable and respected in his presence.

“Shlome Rechnitz is chesed personified,” added that friend who has worked with the entrepreneur and philanthropist on many a project.

When not overseeing his business, attending a shiur or carrying out his charitable endeavors, Rechnitz enjoys indulging in his penchant for Chassidic music. He has helped produce a number of albums for Chassidic superstar Mordechai Ben David, and has composed a number of his hit songs, including Ana Melech and Shulem Aleichem on MBD’s final album Kesufim.

Thanks to this understated hero, Jews in Jerusalem and California (and many places in between) are singing happy tunes today – in more ways than one.