Last week, Rabbi Mendel Duchman of Los Angeles was contacted by Rabbi Aron Shapiro, the son of the Naroler Rebbe, Rabbi Berish Shapiro.
“He phoned me and said he was at 922 Eastern Parkway, the house that I was born at and where I spent the first 10 years of my life,” Duchman said. “He wanted me to send him my email so he could send over the emotional notes he wrote while he was at the house.”
Here is what Rabbi Shapiro wrote:
This is a private home in Crown Heights – 922 Eastern Parkway.
For over twenty years, Torah, chessed, and Chassidus were carried out there through our grandfather, the holy gaon of blessed memory, and our grandmother, the Rebbetzin, may her soul rest in peace.
On the first floor of the building was the beis midrash. Entering from the side of the backyard was the women’s section (ezras nashim), which also served as the dining room (salon), where our grandfather conducted the Shabbos meals and similar gatherings. There was also a large bookcase of seforim there.
Between the men’s shul and the women’s shul there was a large opening, with no doors, only a curtain. The amud of the chazzan stood close to the curtain of the women’s section, and the grandmother, peace be upon her, would stand while davening next to the mechitzah and would pray somewhat aloud. The chazzan could hear her cries during the Yomim Noraim, certainly and unquestionably, as my grandfather related. Her weeping would arouse him as he stood at the amud on the Yomim Noraim during Shacharis.
The kitchen was also on that floor, toward the back. From that kitchen, many Jews were sustained, on Shabbos and Yom Tov as well as during the week. Countless broken souls and baalei teshuvah were supported at their table.
In addition, over the years, dozens of students were treated like members of the household and even traveled on their own to the Frierdiker Rebbe and more.
Behind the salon and women’s section, there was a built sukkah, with two steps leading up to it. From there, steps led out to the backyard. There was a small built swimming pool there, which was used for tashlich. Occasionally, though rarely, the grandchildren also used it for a bit of bathing.
The sukkah had a roof made of wooden frames and glass. There was a mechanism to open it, but when it came time to do so, it was extremely difficult. The students, such as R. Shlomo Kaufman and R. Naftali Zucker, may they live long, worked very hard to open it. Much “sweat of a mitzvah” went into that.
On the next floor were the bedrooms, as well as a room that was rented for many years to R. Yitzchak Halevi Alboim, of blessed memory, an expert mohel, a Breslover chassid from a Gerer family and from Warsaw. He was the father of the well-known R. Nachman Alboim of Ideal Tours, among the prominent Gerer chassidim. He also had another son, Rabbi Aharon Alboim, may he live long, a Bobover chassid.
The upper floor (third floor) was rented to the family of R. Yisroel Duchman, of blessed memory, one of the distinguished Lubavitcher chassidim. His wife had a very close bond with the grandmother, of blessed memory. The family also had a connection going back to Russia. The well-known Rabbi Sholom Duchman, director of Collel Chabad, is the eldest son of that family.
In the basement, among other things, there was a locked room containing various wines, used for the needs of the family and the beis midrash, and sometimes also for others, for a fee.
There was a story about very old wine, preserved wine, that had been left by the previous owner, Rabbi Chaim Moshe Yehoshua Schneerson-Twersky (if I am not mistaken about the name at the moment). I personally do not know the story; it needs to be clarified with Rabbi Yechiel Kaufman, may he live long.
There was no mikvah. Our grandfather would go either to the Haliner Rav, of blessed memory, at Eastern Parkway and Schenectady, or a bit farther on the other side, near Kerestir, at Eastern Parkway and Brooklyn. There, our grandfather would occasionally meet the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of blessed memory.
The house was saturated with much Torah, prayer, kindness, and Chassidus.
For many years, it stood desolate, after those who purchased it from our grandfather, of blessed memory, for a pittance ($15,000 at the time), failed to fulfill their promise to keep a shul there. Nothing was done, and for many years it stood neglected and boarded up.
Today, it has been beautifully renovated, as seen in the photo, and a Lubavitcher chassid who is now a homeowner lives there.
Thank you for sharing
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=j2kLLa9l0Dg&pp=0gcJCYcKAYcqIYzv
I have fond memories in the early 70’s of visiting friends who rented the apartment at 922 Eastern Parkway . We often would chat with the Naroler Rebbetzin, a very regal lady, who suggested a shidduch for me which eventually came to fruition. On the steps of the brownstone I attended a meeting with a few known mechaneches (teachers) to discuss the future Machon Chana…the Naroler Rebbe was a man of great stature but lived in a modest way . Yehi zichrono l’vracha!
Reb Moshe’le Schneersohn: 60 Years Since his Passing
Reb Moshe’le Schneersohn, who lived in Crown Heights and kept in close contact with the Frierdiker Rebbe and the Rebbe, passed away on 11 Elul 5719.
To the frierdicker rebbe?
he was a direct descendant of the alter rebbe through the mitteler rebbe’s son reb menachem nochum from his second marriage to the daughter of R’ Yisroel Cherkasser, so the family used the name twersky or twersky-schneerson.
A couple of years ago I bumped into one of the Shapiro einiklech, he told me that he remembered my zeide, Heinech Wolf, making a somersault in their dining room floor on Simchas Torah after returning from the Rebbe’s hakofos. He would come from Montreal and stay by them for yom tov. They knew each other from Samarkand as refugees during the war.
My grandfather a”h, who lived at 914 EP, was a devoted congregant of the previous owner, R’ Moshe Schneerson-Twersky. It was heartwarming to read this article. Would love to hear the story about the old wine in the basement if anyone knows it!
Lets not confuse the old Naroler Rav AH and his son the current Naroler Rebbe R’ Berish Shapiro(may he live and be well now in Bnei Brak)
he is buried behind the ohel.
My grandfather a”h was a devoted congregant of the previous owner, Rabbi Moshe Schneerson Twersky. It was heartwarming to read this article about the property’s history as a makom kodesh. I would love to hear more about the story of the old wine in the basement, if anyone has information!
I lived across the street in the lameds. The story I heard growing up is that when the well known chasid Reb Yisroel Menachem Mendel Francis came from pohking after the war, he arrived erev Pesach and used the Narolers wine for his sedarim.
All these stories of ch.
I didn’t know the situation of renting every part of a house was a thing back then too
Time for someone to put together a book about the history of CH!!
Including some special individuals that may have been forgoten..
“Crown Heights Shuls 1900-2025” by Rabbi Chaim Dalfin
please clarify
בנו הרב ביירוש שליט”א הוא חתנו של הקאזלווער, שהיה גר ב1383 פרעזידנט
My closest uncle and aunt, Schraga Feivel and Sheva Yitta Gugig, live at 914 Eastern Parkway for many years in the 1940s and 1950s. My uncle davened regularly with Rav Schneershohn-Twersky’s MInyanim. On Shabbos morning, I frequently would walk across the street from the Young Israel of Eastern Parkway to visit my uncle in that Shul. I especially remember davening Mincha there on Shmeni Atseres, because that was followed by food and beer. After their Hakofos I would go to 770. Very special and fond memories. Thank you for posting this article.