Popack to Dedicate Kindergarten

By COLlive staff

Rabbi Joseph Rosenfeld, Executive Director of Oholei Torah, announced today that Yossi and Batsheva Popack will be dedicating the newly built kindergarten campus in memory of their beloved father, Reb Shmuel Isaac ben Avrohom Popack OBM.

The New York property owner has been a staunch supporter and a dear friend of Oholei Torah for many years, as well as being a close friend and one who deeply respects Rabbi Rosenfeld.

After touring the newly built campus, as a prelude to the Open House this past Sunday, Yossi Popack felt this would be a most appropriate building to dedicate in his father’s memory.

Reb Shmuel Isaac represented a unique style of a chossid. Born into an illustrious family of Chassidim, Reb Shmuel Isaac had that “old time” chassidic approach, even though he was American born and understood the American ways, both in his business and in the American culture, he still stayed a loyal, true chossid with a special “chassidishe ta”am”.

When Yossi Popack heard of the history of this building, he realized that his father’s life priorities reflected the building’s history.

The building was preserved by the famed chossid, and co-founder of Oholei Torah, Reb Michoel Teitelbaum a”h, and the building was kept open as part of the Jewish community despite all odds and demographic changes. Today the kindergarten is a brand new, up to date, modern facility, and raises true Chassidim, imbuing the young with a proper chassidishe chinuch.

Reb Shmuel Isaac, one of the first American born chassidim of the Rebbe, personified a deep level of hiskashrus and a true Yiras Shomayim. Reb Shmuel Isaac was involved with chinuch in the time of the Frierdiker Rebbe. Reb Shmuel Isaac’s father Reb Avrohom, and grandfather were Chassidim of the Chabad Rebbeim as well.

When Reb Avrohom was a tomim in Lubavitch, his mashpia was Reb Michoel Der Alter, namesake for Reb Michoel Teitelbaum.

Reb Shmuel Isaac was a longtime friend of Reb Michoel, and always participated in the annual dinners and events. Reb Shmuel Isaac’s grandchildren and great grandchildren were and are today talmidim of Oholei Torah, and many serving as Shluchim around the world.

The connection between Reb Shmuel Isaac and the history of Reb Michoel’s shul, surely will be a source of great merit for Reb Shmuel Isaac, and together with that a source of comfort to his wife, Mrs. Miriam Popack and the entire Popack family.

This dedication is close to the heart of Yossi Popack, being that his father recently passed away, and such a prominent and meaningful mossad will now carry his name.

Rabbi Nosson Blumes, Director of Development said, “This dedication will also serve as a constant reminder to the young talmidim, and all those who pass through these doors of the mitzvah of Kibbud Av – of respecting one’s parents.”