What He Didn’t Live to See

By COLlive reporter

Three years after the Lubavitch activist initiated its writing, a new Torah has been dedicated in the memory of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Raichik OBM.

Hundreds in Krakow, Poland, celebrated the arrival of a Torah scroll Monday to the historic Rema Shul in the city.

The celebration was attended by members of the Raichik family in Israel and the U.S.

While visiting Poland a few years back, Rabbi Raichik noticed that the Shul does not have a Torah of its own. A descendant of Rabbi Moshe Isserles (“Rema”), renowned commentator on Halacha, Raichik decided to lend a hand.

A new Torah was commissioned shortly afterward to be written, to the joy of Chabad Shliach to the city Rabbi Eliezer Gurary and the local Jews.

But Raichik, Director of Chabad’s Children of Chernobyl, did not live to see the auspicious day. On the 21st of Elul 5768, at the age of 55, he passed away after suffering from a lung infection.

The historic event this week was dedicated in his memory and took on as festive a personality as the man himself.

French singer Yoni Shlomo led the parade through the streets from the Aizik Shul to the Rema Shul, with many dancing with the new Torah.

The celebration was attended by Raichick’s colleagues in Lubavitch Youth Organization (Tzach) in Israel and the chairman Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Aharonov.

Also in attendance Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, Vice Chairman of Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch; Argentinian businessman and philanthropist Eduardo Elstein; Mr. Shmuel Malamud, his son Moshe Malamud and son in law Eli Popack.

Photos by Israel Bardugo for COLlive