FREIFELD - Sh'or Yoshuv Institute

IN MEMORY OF
HARAV SHLOMO
FREIFELD
ZT’L
Dedicated by
Rabbi Morris & Delecia Esformes
Chicago, illinois

The Streets of
Brownsville
The childhood of Rabbi Shlomo Freifeld
paralleled that of tens of thousands of fi rst-generation
American children in the crowded streets of Brownsville.
His parents, Shmuel and Baila, hard-working
immigrants from the Russian town of Nevel, joined
the Nusach HoAri shul, led by Rav Nissan Telushkin: a
decision that proved fateful. The rov, a man of learning
and depth, would be a seminal infl uence on young
Seymour, who later testifi ed that at the age of fi ve years
old he fi rst sensed that a Jew had ability to become ‘big,’
to develop dimensions of greatness —a conclusion the
child reached from studying his rov.
Another fateful decision by Baila Freifeld was her break
with the neighborhood norm —unlike most of her
friends, she sent her son to cheder, not the local public
school. Toras Chaim, under the leadership of Rabbi
Yitzchok Shmidman, would expose the boy to European
rabbeim, fi lling his youthful world with the images, and
ideals, of old-time Jews, with beards and peyos and
yiddishe minhagim, honing a life-long reverence for Jews
of that generation.
...for imbuing a boy from
the streets of Brownsville
with the ambition to reach
the peak of creation: to
become a ben Torah.
After cheder, he went to Mesivta Chaim
Berlin, where he fi rst encountered his rebbi,
Rav Yitzchok Hutner. It was Rav Hutner
who invested yiddishkeit with colors and
layers of meaning, who was ultimately
responsible for imbuing a boy from the
streets of Brownsville with the ambition to
reach the peak of creation: to become a ben
Torah.
Many years later, Reb Shlomo paid a
moving testimony to the fi gures that shaped
his childhood. When he was diagnosed
with the illness that accompanied him
throughout the last years of his life, he
called in a confi dante and asked him to
dispatch his own talmidim to daven for him
at different kevarim: prominent among
them those of Rav Telushkin and Rav
Hutner —a tribute to their contributions to
his development and emergence as a great
Rosh Yeshiva.
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It was an environment made for
Shlomo Freifeld, who had the heart
sensitive enough to absorb the message.
To Create
a Ben Torah
As a spiritual heir to the great yeshiva in Slabodka,
Yeshiva Chaim Berlin was the institution that brought kovod haTorah haTorah, ,
respect for the pursuit of learning Torah, to America. It was an
educational system designed to uplift talmidim, to inject them
with the glory and splendor of their sacred mandate.
It was an environment made for Shlomo Freifeld, who had
the heart sensitive enough to absorb the message. He learned
that just as a mesechta must be studied, so too the holy times
—Shabbos Shabbos and Yom Tov— and the holy people —the gedolim
throughout history— must be contemplated. He learned to
think like a Yid Yid.
In time, he attracted the attention of the Rosh Yeshiva Yeshiva, , Rav
Hutner, who began to shower the young talmid with
personal attention, seeing him as someone with the
potential to effect great change in the world of
American Orthodoxy.
In time, the reputation of Shlomo Freifeld began to
spread across the emerging American olam haTorah.
When the great roshei yeshiva of the day, Rav
Aron Kotler and Rav Moshe Feinstein among
them, felt that they had to take action to save
thousands of Jews that were being coerced
into secular homes and lifestyles by the Israeli
government, they sent a select group of the
best and brightest of the American yeshivos to
establish Peylim. Rav Hutner sent his beloved
Shlomo, confi dent that he possessed not only
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In time, the reputation of
Shlomo Freifeld began to
spread across the emerging
American olam haTorah
the knowledge, but also the spirit and warmth
necessary to reach the latent sparks in Jewish
hearts.
The six months that Reb Shlomo spent in Eretz
Yisroel were critical to his future. He was
exposed to the gedolei hador, particularly the
Chazon Ish, with whom his three hour meeting
was a life-changing experience. He developed
a passionate ahavas ha’aretz, an appreciation
for the stones of Jerusalem- and the people of
Jerusalem.
And most appropriately, after his return to
America, he met the woman that would partner
with him in the building of Sh'or Yoshuv,
Rebbetzin Chaya Sara —a daughter of Jerusalem.
Together, they traveled a path of chinuch,
devoted to teaching and inspiring, their home
wide open to all sorts of Yidden.
In 1967, their destiny was fulfi lled —Yeshiva
Sh'or Yoshuv was established.
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His sholom aleichem was more than a
formality- it was a verbal embrace, an in-
vitation to join the oasis of joy and spiritual
growth that was Sh'orYoshuv
The Gifts of his Soul
Does history make the man, or does the man make history? Either way,
Reb Shlomo Freifeld stood at a historical juncture in Jewish history —a time when the collective
heart of a nation felt stirrings of a great return to Judaism, in the late 1960's. It was a time of
confusion and uncertainty, and also of great spiritual thirst —and Reb Shlomo opened the doors
to his yeshiva wide.
The yeshiva was unique from the outset in that even as
it was a wellspring of life to the tired, dusty souls that
trekked in from the streets of secular America, it served
as a traditional yeshiva, a place where conventional
yeshiva bochurim who’d struggled in other yeshivos
found their faith in their own abilities restored.
A letter written by Rav Hutner to his beloved talmid
upon the yeshiva’s opening has a note of prophecy in it.
We are well-aware of his strength in learning, and also to
encourage hurting souls...and I hope that in this new beis
medrash, he will be able to apply the gifts of his lofty soul...
The beis medrash of Reb Shlomo Freifeld would become
a place of teaching Yidden, of inspiring Yidden, and...of
listening to Yidden. His ‘sholom aleichem’ was more than
a formality —it was a verbal embrace, an invitation to
join the oasis of joy and spiritual growth that was Sh'or
Yoshuv.
The yeshiva he created refl ected his warmth and
optimism: it was a place of ayin tova, where people were
viewed in a positive light, and they responded in kind.
When he had initially sought his Rebbi’s approval to
establish the yeshiva, Rav Hutner had directed his talmid
to open not just a yeshiva, but a community. As the
fi rst talmidim of Sh'or Yoshuv got married, Reb Shlomo
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encouraged them to settle in Far Rockaway —thus
implementing another cornerstone of his philosophy,
that families must grow together. Husbands and wives
and their younger children were all swept into the entity
—Sh'or Yoshuv— a throwback to the kehilla life of prewar
Europe, all centered around the Rebbi and his teachings.
It was the yeshiva, the summer learning program at the
kehilla’s bungalow colony, and eventually the institutions
for their own children that the yeshiva spawned.
“Our talmidim,” said Reb Shlomo, “will give the
neighborhood dimensions.”
The people of Sh'or Yoshuv took their place as community
leaders —men of learning, chessed and generosity—
remaining talmidim long after they’d left the yeshiva’s
protective embrace.
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A new
Dimension
Reb Shlomo passed away at a relatively
young age of 65, leaving a community in mourning: but he
also left them with the ‘keilim’, the tools to move forward, just as he’d
taught them. The yeshiva re-energized itself through the 1990's under
the leadership of the rosh yeshiva, Rav Naftali Jaeger, and the menahel,
Rav Avrohom Halpern- both close talmidim, and eventual sons-in-law
of Reb Shlomo.
Together with the extraordinary team of rebbeim, they worked hand in
hand, facing each challenge with the image of the Rebbi before them,
acting just as he would have directed them, living with the echo of his
teachings, his refl ected light.
The policy of welcoming every single Yid —so fundamental to Reb
Shlomo— continued, and at the same time, the penetrating and
brilliant shiurim of Reb Naftali began to earn a reputation of their own,
drawing talmidim from all over. The yeshiva’s student body grew,
exceeding two hundred.
Near the century's end, it became obvious that the old building was no
longer suitable for the burgeoning yeshiva —and the kehilla it served—
and plans were made to relocate to more spacious quarters. In 2002,
the magnifi cent new campus, on the Lawrence/Far Rockaway border,
was opened.
...the penetrating and brilliant shiurim of
Reb Naftali began to earn a reputation of
their own, drawing talmidim from all over.
There was a sense of ‘gedolim tzadikim b’misasam’, the presence of
Reb Shlomo hovering over an institution that was truly realizing
his vision of Torah for every single Jew. From the advanced
bochurim in Reb Naftali’s shiur, to the very accomplished kollel
members, all the way to recent returnees in the yeshiva’s kiruv
programs, everyone was welcomed, each individual treasured.
The yeshiva soon boasted some three hundred talmidim, and
through it’s semicha program, began to send out talented young
rabbanim, possessing that extra dose of Sh'or Yoshuv spirit,
who make their mark all across the globe as maggidei shiur,
congregational rabbanim and kiruv professionals.
Their background as talmidim of Sh'or Yoshuv, where the focus
is not only on personal growth, but also on the growth of
others, on creating an uplifting atmosphere, proved the most
effective training.
The yeshiva has used its spacious quarters to initiate new
programs and shiurim, reaching out to the wider community,
in line with Reb Shlomo’s commitment to entire families,
with over 150 hours a week of classes for men, women and
children. The spiritual vibrancy of the building has made it a
hub for Torah learning from the predawn hours until well after
midnight. The weekly Avos Ubanim program draws over four
hundred participants.
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The spiritual vibrancy of the
building has made it a hub
for Torah learning from the
predawn hours until well after
midnight.
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There is an energy that
pervades the beis medrash,
a aura of joy and spiritual
empowerment that ...the vision
and mandate of Reb
Shlomo are alive and well.
In addition, the past decade has seen the development of
the Tal Techiya program —an individualized yeshiva for
each student based on his level and his schedule. As Reb
Shlomo taught, there are no labels and no bureaucracy when
it comes to teaching Torah: the yeshiva is there to teach.
The Jewish Fellowship Program facilitates learning retreats,
seminars and fellowships for campus rabbis, hosting
university students from North America and abroad.
Perpetually focused on its mission, the yeshiva is focusing
on adapting Reb Shlomo’s timeless vision of a Torah
education for every Jew to an ever-changing world. Be it
through the in-depth learning in the way of the traditional
yeshivos —inspired by the cadre of gifted and dedicated
rabbeim, the pride of Sh'or Yoshuv— or through
the one-on-one mentoring and guidance that
is a hallmark of Sh'or Yoshuv, the yeshiva is
meeting the challenge head on. There is an
energy that pervades the beis medrash, a aura
of joy and spiritual empowerment that make
evident that even in the decidedly nonspiritual
world of 2011, the vision and mandate of Reb
Shlomo are alive and well.
Much has changed since that giant of a man
stood and studied the new frontier of 1967,
dedicating himself to meeting the demands of a
new world: but the fi re that burns inside his beis
medrash has never dimmed, growing brighter
every single day.
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18
Moishe, he said, there will come a time when
the olam haTorah will need you.
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Morrie and
the Rebbi
In the offi ce of Rabbi Morrie Esformes, one encounters all sorts of memorabilia
and tokens of appreciation from numerous Torah and chessed institutions that have benefi ted
from his generosity. There are decorative artifacts of silver and gold, models of buildings and
handwritten letters from the spiritual giants of our generation. The walls are adorned with
plaques and tributes testifying to the role he’s played in building a Torah infrastructure across
North America and Eretz Yisroel.
Sitting with him, you might wonder which of these priceless gifts he treasures most: speak
with him, and you’ll learn that the most valuable gift of all as the one he carries in his heart:
it’s the friendship and legacy of Rav Shlomo Freifeld, the legacy he was entrusted by the
Rebbi.
Their initial meeting was fairly routine, they were introduced by Mrs. Sharlene Levinson, who
anticipated that these two neshamos would connect: Reb Shlomo visited Rabbi Esformes at his
offi ce to discuss his vision.
"Many roshei yeshiva have come through this offi ce, but with him, there was this sense," recalls
Rabbi Esformes, “from the moment he walked in, that it wasn’t about what he could take —
but what he could give.”
They began to speak —two men of passion engaged in passionate dialogue— and Reb Shlomo,
ever-attuned to the qualities of another, perceived the uniqueness of Morrie’s soul.
Rabbi Avrohom Halpern refl ects on the signifi cance of that. “You need to put it in perspective:
Morrie Esformes was a major supporter of the elite yeshivos, an intimate of Rav Shach and the
Steipler. He was doing his share to build Torah, yet he heard the Rebbi’s vision of a yeshiva for
a renewed sense of warmth in Yiddishkeit, a place where every single Jewish neshama would
be welcomed and cherished, and he got it, right away. The sheer breadth of his commitments
is astonishing, yet he had room in his heart for this type of yeshiva as well.”
SH'OR YOSHUV: 1990 UNTIL TODAY SEFER TORAH CAMPAIGN
19

The relationship between the two men, Reb Shlomo and
Morrie, deepened. Both men were original and creative,
both were deeply thoughtful and articulate, and they
shared a common love: Jews.
“You can hear Morrie talk about Yidden and Yiddishkeit, and
he is crying,” says Rabbi Halpern, “you hear the depth of
his emotion, how he takes it personally. In that way, he is a
kindred spirit with the Rebbi. They were two people with
eyes to see past externals, to see what’s really inside a Yid!”
Reb Shlomo once pointed out to Morrie the minhag of the
Arizal, printed in some siddurim, to prepare for davening
with the words ‘Hareini mekabel alai mitzvas asei shel Ve’ahavta
L’reacha Kamocha.’
“Do you hear Morrie, how we prepare to address the King? Through reaffi rming our love for
each individual Jew.”
Morrie heard.
Moishe, I need you to come down to
New York and explain to him what
we're doing here in Sh'or Yoshuv.
He partnered with Reb Shlomo, and earned a special place in his heart.
When visiting Sh'or Yoshuv for Shabbos, he received the Rebbi’s own aliyah to the Torah, a sign
of the Rebbi’s esteem for him.
One of the great philanthropists of the modern era, Joseph Tannenbaum, came to visit Sh'or
Yoshuv and Reb Shlomo called Morrie.
“Moishe, I need you to come down to New York and explain to him what we’re doing here in
Sh'or Yoshuv.”
Rabbi Esformes addressed the reception for Mr. Tannenbaum, opening his speech with a
succinct statement; “Reb Shlomo saved my life.”
In the later years, as illness slowly overtook the Rebbi’s body, and there were days when he was weary
and drawn, barely able to speak, a visit from Morrie seemed to inject him with a fresh burst of energy.
There was one particular visit near the end of Reb Shlomo’s life. Morrie felt an inner urging to jump on
a plane and go see the Rebbi, so a few hours later he was in New York. He entered the hospital room,
where the Rebbi lay resting.
The Rebbi’s eyes opened: a look of pleasure crossed his face as he studied Morrie, and he seemed to
marshal his strength and sit up in the bed.
He spoke, the voice that had thundered for decades reduced to a whisper —but the passion still there.
“Moishe,” he said, “there will come a time when the olam haTorah will need you.”
He paused, looking in to the eyes of his dear, dear friend, before handing him his fi nal testament.
Then he continued.
“Moishe, know who you are. Know who you are.”
The Rebbi’s words seared themselves on to Morrie Esformes’s heart. Through tumultuous decades
that followed, years of communal unrest and fi nancial upheaval on a global scale, one thing remained
constant: Rabbi Esformes’s unwavering support for Torah.
In time, the Torah world began to see what Reb Shlomo had seen from his hospital bed- they needed
Morrie Esformes- and he was up to the challenge.
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So this, then, is more precious to him than
anything else: the legacy of Reb Shlomo,
the vote of confi dence and words of
encouragement. Deep in his heart, he protects
the Rebbi’s words as one does a deeply
personal gift- ‘know who you are Moishe.’
Today, an entire nation knows who Reb Morrie
Esformes is. Yeshiva Sh'or Yoshuv continues
to cherish his friendship, looking to him as a
man of vision and rare selfl essness.
Just as the Rebbi said.
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IN I N MEMO MEMORY RY OF
HARAV SHLOMO
FREIFELD
ZT’L
Rabbi Freifeld devoted his life
to creating living Sifrei Torah Torah. .
We owe it to his memory
to write one.
Rabbi Morris Esformes has graciously initiated a Sefer Torah campaign to
continue the dreams and aspirations of Reb Shlomo Freifeld.
Rabbi Freifeld revolutionized the world of chinuch through his spirited
embrace and genuine warmth. By virtue of his magnanimous personality,
Reb Shlomo taught the importance of igniting a spark in every Yid helping
them taste success in yiddishkeit. Today, his prophetic vision has proven
to be more vital than ever before, as the need to provide our youth with
individualized attention has become essential. This Sefer Torah campaign
will enable Sh’or Yoshuv to perpetuate this vision by establishing a unique
mentoring program.
This campaign provides a rare opportunity for you to connect with
Reb Shlomo by eternalizing his bursting desire to impact
the neshama of every Yid. You can preserve the sacred
legacy of Rabbi Freifeld by partnering with Sh’or
Yoshuv in this important endeavor.
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RABBI SHLOMO FREIFELD
MEMORIAL WALL
RABBI MORRIS & DELECIA ESFORMES
SEFER TORAH CAMPAIGN
Every dedication of $1,800
or more, will be inscribed
on a Memorial Wall in the
grand lobby of Sh'or Yoshuv.
RABBI SHLOMO FREIFELD
MEMORIAL WALL
RABBI MORRIS & DELECIA ESFORMES
SEFER TORAH CAMPAIGN
dedication opportunities
Sefer Torah (Name and Mantle)
Dedicated by
Rabbi Morris & Delecia Esformes
Sifrei Nevi’im (Set of 8) ............................ $100,000
Chumashim (Each) ........................................$50,000
Parchment .......................................................$36,000
Atzei Chayim ..................................................$36,000
Yomim Nora’im Set (Mantle & Crown) .$36,000
Silver Crown................................................... $25,000
Silver Breast Plate ........................................$25,000
Parshas B’reishis ...........................................$18,000
Parshas Ha’azinu .........................................$18,000
Parshas V’zos Habrachah ........................$18,000
Parshas Ha’mon ............................................$18,000
Akeidas Yitzchok ..........................................$10,000
Birkas Yaakov ................................................$10,000
Shiras Hayam ................................................$10,000
Yud Gimmel Middos ...................................$10,000
Birkas Kohanim .............................................$10,000
Shema ................................................................$10,000
Az Yashir ...........................................................$10,000
13 Middos Harachamim ............................$10,000
Ani Hashem Rofechah ................................$10,000
V’Hashem Pakad Es Sara ..........................$10,000
Aser T’aser .......................................................$10,000
Tefi las Moshe L’Miriam ..............................$10,000
V’Yetein Lecha ...............................................$10,000
Hamalach Hagoel .........................................$10,000
Vayechulu ....................................................... $10,000
Ma Tovu .............................................................$10,000
Aseres Hadibros (First)................................$10,000
Aseres Hadibros (Second) .........................$10,000
Parsha (10 Dedicated) .....................................$5,400
Yeriah ....................................................................$3,600
Amud (15 Dedicated) ................................... $1,800
Every dedication of $1,800 or more,
will be inscribed on a Memorial Wall
in the grand lobby of Sh'or Yoshuv.
Aliya .......................................................................$1,000
Parsha P’suchah .................................................. $750
Parsha S’tumah ................................................... $500
Three P’sukim ...................................................... $360
Posuk........................................................................ $180
Letter ........................................................................ $36
All dedications will be recognized
with a commemorative certifi cate.

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