By COLlive Staff
The Schapiro families will be completing the writing of a Sefer Torah in memory of their distinguished parents, Rabbi Lipa and Mrs. Chana Schapiro, and their beloved brother Rabbi Levi Yitzchak o.b.m.
Rabbi Schapiro was well-known for his mesiras nefesh in Russia, where he ran Yeshivas Tiferes Bachurim together with the famous chossid, Rabbi Chunye Marozov.
Upon arriving in America, Rabbi Schapiro and his wife first settled in Cleveland, Ohio where he served as a shochet and community leader. Rabbi Schapiro was actively involved in the Vaad Ha’ir, spearheading the efforts to ensure the Kashrus of the local Mikvah Taharah, availability of Cholov Yisroel milk and the like, and would deliver many well-attended shiurim in Chassidus for the local community.
When the Schapiros moved to New York in 1973, Rabbi Schapiro was appointed as Rov of the Empire Shtiebel, a capacity in which he remained for over 30 years. He regularly delivered public shiurim on Gemara, and throughout his lifetime completed numerous cycles of Shas. He was also an active member of Vaad Rabbonei Lubavitch and merited to have many a yechidus with the Rebbe and enjoyed personal kiruvim from him as well.
Mrs. Chana Shapiro was the youngest daughter of Rabbi Schneur Zalman Vilenkin who was the Rebbe’s personal teacher at the age of seven and eight. The Rebbe once said about him, “He set me on my feet!” (“er hot mir geshtelt oif di fis…”)
Their son, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schapiro was a beloved educator and served in the capacity of assistant principal in Oholei Torah for close to ten years, until he passed away suddenly in 5750 (1990).
The writing of the Torah was initiated by Rabbi Lipa Schapiro himself on the 28th of Adar 5769 (2009) le’iluy nishmas his late wife Chana and their son Levi Yitzchak o.b.m. The Torah is set to be completed right after Gimmul Tammuz, a little over a week after the yartzeit of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schapiro.
The writing of the Torah will be concluded on Sunday, Tammuz 4 at the home of Rabbi Yaakov Shlomo and Mrs. Raizel Goldberg, 553 Montgomery Street at 11:00 a.m. The procession and dancing will begin there and move on to Empire Shtiebel.
The family welcomes the entire community to participate.
