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Welcome שלוֹם עליכם www.FamousRabbis.com A New Website is being Created March 2008
Rabbi Moshe Yitzchok Gerwirczman The Pshevorsker Rebbe
Great Grandson of the Noam Elimelech of Lizhensk Yarzheit 10th Tishrei 5642/1882 to 5736/1976 The Grave of Reb Itzikel ztl in Putte, Holland
Reb Yankel Leizer ztl, his son in law is buried next to him
The Rebetzin Alta Buna- the wife of Reb Yankele, Whom is the daughter of Reb Itzikal ztl is on his other side Her yarzheit is 29th Nissan 5759 - 1999
The Ohel - Tomb
Please see photos on the webpages :- "The Ohel Tomb of Reb Itzikel Gewirczman The Rebbe of Pshevorsk" "Directions and Location of Putte, Holland" "The Jewish Cemetery in Putte" "The Ohel Tomb of Reb Itzikal & Reb Yankele of Peshevorsk" "Machzikei Adass Cemetary for Antwerp in Putte Holland"
Image with thanks to contributor to wikipedia Remembering "Reb Itzikel" Article by Pinchos Jung. This article originally appeared in the Jewish Observer and is also available in book form in the ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications Judaiscope series. It is reprinted here with permission. Rabbi Moshe Yitzchok Gerwirczman Before the devastating churban of World War II there were about one million Chassidim in Europe, with hundreds of tzaddikim to guide them. After the destruction, when new centers developed in Eretz Yisrael and America, only one major haven of Chassidus remained on the European continent - namely in Antwerp, Belgium. The tzaddik at the helm was Rabbi Moshe Yitzchok Gewirczman, a man of few words and profuse deeds. He was a descendant and spiritual heir of the renowned Noam Elimelech and inherited the derech (ways of service) of Shiniv, Tshechenov and Stropkov, all off-shoots of Sanz from which he absorbed kedushah that accompanied him throughout his life. The significance of his presence in Europe was that, without intending to establish any movement or dynasty, he attracted many hundreds of followers from that continent and beyond. Forty or fifty visitors for Rosh HaShanah or Shavuos was routine, a Shabbos without guests was unknown. They would not only come to taste the sweetness of his Shabbos and the joy of his Yom Tov; they would frequently come to find a sympathetic ear and consolation in times of distress. It is in this field that he became legendary - a baal mofes (miracle worker) of the old school. The leading Rebbes of our day had enormous regard for him. During the Six Day War the Gerer Rebbe sent a request to Reb Itzikel that, "since his tefillos are known to be effective," he should spare no effort in pleading for his brethren endangered in the battle-torn Yishuv. He, in turn, had tremendous regard for them. The writer was privileged to be present when Reb Itzikel, having held a tisch with a large group of followers one Friday night in London in the 1960's, made his way to the tisch of the Satmar Rav, who was then visiting London. Reb Itzikel sat there, gazing at the Satmar Rav as a little boy gazes at his father. He would speak of Rebbes he remembered from his youth with such humility that one would almost forget that he was a Rebbe of consequence himself. At the Tisch "U'Re'u Kol Amei HaAretz Ki Shem HaShem Nikra Alecha VaYiru MiMecha" And all the people - even the simple folk - will see that the Name of Hashem rests upon you" (Deut. 28:10) - Kedushah surrounds you and reaches all those who come into contact with you. And thus they will learn to respect you. It is this intangible, electrifying spiritual force, which defies analysis and description, that attracts people to a tzaddik and enables them to benefit from his company. It is a very subtle form of spiritual energy - not necessarily generated by eloquent mussar discourses or visible acts of mesiras nefesh. The influence of tzaddikei-emes is entirely spiritual, detached from plain words and deeds, highly sensitive and unlike the usual methods of chinuch known to all of us. Those who ever had the zechus to find themselves at Mercatorstraat 56, Antwerpen, when the Rebbe was present, could not but feel the atmosphere of elevation, of Shechinah that prevailed in his bais hamidrash. They could not explain what they felt, they could hardly understand it, but it was absolutely clear that they were standing in the presence of one of the spiritual giants of the generation - in fact of the last two generations. It is impossible to describe what was so impressive about his placid, careful movements, the external simplicity of his tefillah and the profound look of dveikus (cleaving to G-d) on his face - it is unimportant to define all that. We knew that he was a genius at concealing his true gadlus (greatness) - a tzaddik nistar (secretive saint) in all that term implies - yet known and loved by thousands of admirers, recognized by the tzaddikim of the past and present generations as unique in every way. Few knew of his knowledge of Shas by heart ; no one knew what he added quietly before Kiddush every Friday night or what he was saying quietly throughout the Shabbos tisch ; but we all knew, without the slightest doubt, that here stood a man whose constant dvaikus (cleavage to G-d) was part of his personality. The wealthy man, who has prepared generously for Shabbos, invites the less fortunate, who cannot afford their own Shabbos meals, to join him at his table and to partake of his seudah. The possessor of spiritual wealth acts likewise, explained the Koznitzer Maggid. Prepared to receive the Shabbos appropriately, he welcomes those who are unable to perfect their own spiritual preparation to join him and thus they can benefit from his superior avodah. This is exactly what we experienced in Antwerp at the Shabbos tischen, where the unspoilt spirit of the day of rest reigned supreme as we sat, unable to take our eyes off the Rebbe's radiant countenance. His house was as open as that of the Patriarch Abraham, offering hospitality to visitors from far and near. On the one hand it was left hefker to the needy; on the other hand everyone recognized and revered the master of the household - a master of tzeddakah and chessed from his earliest youth till his very last days. In his usual discreet and quiet way, he provided for countless poor families and helped hundreds of young men to establish themselves as self-respecting bread-winners. Incredible amounts of funds passed through his hands - to him a coin was a mitzvah artifact just like an esrog or tefillin. Yet, for himself the Rebbe kept nothing, living on the basic minimum and deriving no benefit from Olam Hareh (this world) at all. Despite all this, a tzaddik of this calibre cannot be described in a few lines of writing. An essay cannot do justice to his true essence. Appreciation of tzaddikim is a Torah She'Ba'al Peh-Oral Law--in that it cannot be committed to writing. It is not for nothing that people with shelves upon shelves of sefarim at home, wander across continents and oceans in order to spend a Shabbos or Yom Tov with a tzaddik. Despite his very advanced age of almost 95, people were stunned at the sad news; they found it difficult to believe that a man whose existence had been above natural forces for so many years, had left this life for good. Never again will we be able to watch Reb ltzikel kissing the mezuzah with that determined look of dveikus on his face as he walks humbly and slowly from his small room into his bais hamidrash, ready to pierce the heavens with his silent tefillah. Never again will we be able to sit quietly around his table, elevated to another world, as the Rebbe sits peacefully partaking of his seudah: with tightly closed eyes, as if to say My soul thirsts for You (Psalms 63:2). Reb ltzikel's living example of visible and invisible tzidkus will be sorely missed by all who knew him. Footnotes 1. Reb Avrohom Chaim of Plantsch (Father-in-law of the Satmar Rav) saw Reb Itzikel in Shiniv (where the latter became acquainted with the Shiniver Rov, son of the Sanzer Rov) and said, "The Shechinah accompanies this young man" 2. It is said that the "36 hidden Tzaddikim" could well be amongst those we know, since most of their greatness is concealed. 3. His Rebbe, Reb Simcha Yissochor Ber of Tshechenov, recommended him to adopt the Gemara as a chaver. At the time, Reb Itzikel learnt vast amounts of Gemara by heart and was known as an Illuy. 4. When Reb Chone Halberstam of Koloshitz - a contemporary who perished under the Nazis - inquired about this, Reb Itzikel refused to comment. 5. Standing amongst the large crowd before the burial, the Yashlisker Rav commented "In my youth I visited many great Rebbes and felt the richness of the spirit of Shabbos, but the Neshama-Yeseirah I experienced together with my father-in-law was unique."(The author was present.) 6. Yet, for himself the Rebbe kept nothing, living on the basic minimum and deriving no benefit from Olam Hazeh (this world) at all.
For more photos and information, please continue to the following webpages :- "Directions and Location of Putte, Holland" "The Jewish Cemeteries in Putte" "The Ohel Tomb of Reb Itzikal & Reb Yankele of Peshevorsk" "Life History of Reb Itzikal" Yarzheit 10th Tishrei "Machzikei Hadass Cemetary for Antwerp in Putte Holland" History of Antwerp Jewish Community , please see external website at "Diaspora Museum"
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