Rabbi Wulliger, the Special Boy and the Rebbe

By Srully Wulliger for COLlive.com

Rabbi Shlomo Elazer Wulliger was born in 1939 on the Lower East Side. He learned in Yeshiva Torah Vodaath, and was known to be the youngest musmach of the Yeshiva at that time. He began his leadership as a Rov at the early age of 21 in Tucson, Arizona. To meet the needs of the community, he started a Talmud Torah and became a mohel.

After a year of serving as the Rov at the Young Israel of Tucson, he committed himself fulltime to the Talmud Torah that he established there. After servicing the Tuscon community, Rabbi Wulliger moved on to become the Rov in Los Angeles, the Bronx, and Canarsie.

In 1973 Rabbi Wulliger established a beis medrash in Canarsie. My father arranged that on Sunday afternoons there were Chabad Youth Programs, as well as always welcoming the shluchim who walked from Crown Heights on a weekly basis.

My grandfather, Harav Hatzadik R’ Mordechai Wulliger already established a strong kesher with Harav Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, the Frierdiker Rebbe. When the Frierdiker Rebbe came to America the first person he asked for was R’ Mordechai Wulliger. My grandfather was the son-in-law of the illustrious Munkatcher Perlstein family, and both the Frierdiker Rebbe and the Rebbe were always interested in what went on in Munkatch, specifically with the Minchas Eluzar.

The Rebbe was very well aware of the fact that my father and the Wulliger family were Chassidim of the Klausenberger Rebbe. In many of the correspondence between my father and the Rebbe, the Rebbe was always concerned about the well being of the Klausenberger Rebbe. He always gave a message that he should ‘Shik ah gruss’ – send regards to the Klausenberger Rebbe.

My father kept up a strong connection with the Rebbe as he became a chaplain for the State of New York, assisting people with developmental disabilities. In the 1970’s he was the trailblazer who led the battle for establishing Jewish group homes in our own neighborhoods.

He utilized his position as chaplain by single-handedly advocating on behalf of the developmentally disabled population. He was instrumental in removing the stigma of having a special child remain with his/her family. The Frum Community with developmental disabilities owes a great deal of gratitude to him and to my mother Zol Gezunt Zain who was his partner in all his endeavors. Together, they initiated most or all of the myriads of programs that are available currently for that distinctive population.

It is well known that the Rebbe was a strong supporter for these underdeveloped children. When I was Growing up, the Rebbe’s office would frequently call my father with direct shlichus from the rebbe for assistance in dealing with getting through the red tape of the city and state agencies.  

In 1976, there was a young Jewish boy with Down Syndrome in the Brooklyn Developmental Center, named Dov. Using his own resources he placed ads in the local Jewish newspapers, trying to find a frum family to take Dov. In the meantime, Dov spent numerous Shabbosim in the Wulliger home. Upon realizing that there were no frum takers for this Jewish boy, Rabbi and Mrs. Wulliger courageously brought Dov into their own home, fostering him full time. Dov became a member of the family, where he was accepted by his five ‘siblings’ and lovingly taken care of.

When Dov reached the age of Bar Mitzvah, my father called the secretary of the Rebbe, Rabbi Binyomin Klein and arranged that this down syndrome boy should be able to receive Galila by the Rebbe’s Minyan. I personally had the zechus to be there and shockingly the Gabbai called up Dov who is a kohen for the first Aliyah. For almost a year we practiced with Dov the brachos for the Torah but we never imagined that Dov would have the zechus to make the bracha in the presence of the Rebbe.

(The full story was published on COLlive.com: The Rebbe and the Abandoned Boy With Special Needs)

People would often comment to my parents, that having a down syndrome child would negatively affect their children’s shidduchim. Instead of my parents gloating how great they were for adopting this child, they would simply reply, “If someone doesn’t want to be meshadech with us because we have a down syndrome child, we do not want to be meshadech with them.”

Dov remained with my family for over 35 years. He is currently in a Hasc group home, yet visits the family on a weekly basis, and joins all our simchos.

In 1984, Rabbi Wulliger continued to be a pioneer by opening a Beis Medrash in Boro Park on 19th Avenue, an area which at that time was desolate of any shul. The Beis Medrash quickly became a Makom Torah for the area. My father’s hartzige nusach hatefillah was legendary and his drashos laden with hadracha were accepted by all.

Rabbi Wulliger then settled in Flatbush on East 4th Street, and started davening by Rabbi Chaim Yitzchok Poupko ZT”L, a Talmid Muvhak of the Chofetz Chaim. My Father had the zechus of becoming like family to both Rav and Rebbetzin Pupko, serving and catering to their needs almost on a daily basis.

For the last two decades, my father was the Mashpia and was the Bal Koireh in Lubavitch Yeshiva on Ocean Parkway. The talmidim eagerly awaited for the special days when my father spoke about the Rebbe and his connection to the previous generation.

Along with being a Rabbi, he carried the title of Doctor after receiving his Doctorate in psychology. He was a professor in Touro college, teaching many yeshiva boys. He prided himself in giving frum boys a proper college education and established a rebbi to talmud type of relationship with them.

Rav Wulliger was a tremendous Ohev Yisroel, connecting with all types of yidden. He was also close to R’ Yaakov Kamenetsky, R’ Moshe Feinstein and other gedolim of yesteryear. Many different types of Jews were drawn to Rabbi Wulliger because of his all-encompassing persona.

On the day of my father’s kevurah, the daf yomi was holding by daf 31 in Mesechtas Shabbos, which states that after 120, Beis Din Shel Maala asks “Tzipisa l’yeshua?“ Did you wait for the geula? Both my father and mother strongly awaited the geula, and yearned to return to Eretz Yisroel. His love for Eretz Yisroel was obvious to all who knew him. He was Zoche to take his entire family multiple times to experience the Kedusha of Eretz Yisroel.

We are currently learning in Pirkei Avos, “Al shelosha devarim haolam omed; Al Torah V’al Havodah V’al Gemilas Chassadim.”

Rabbi Wulliger’s world epitomized these three pillars. Torah, which he immersed himself in by learning, living, and spreading it. ‘Avodah is Tefillah’. Rav Wulliger was a beautiful Baal Tefillah and inspired thousands through his heartfelt tefillos. Gemillas Chasadim was his essence and is now his legacy.

My father was zoche to doros yeshorim u’mevorachim. May he continue to be a Meilitz Yosher for all of Klal Yisroel.