Pesach 5773 - 18/03/2013 - Federation Of Synagogues

JRoots & Ohr Yisrael Journey
to Radin and Lithuania Reflections
By Rabbi Raphy Garson
On the ominous date of September 11th, I together with Eli
Schryer of JRoots led a group back to Belarus. That day was
the 24th of Elul, the 79th Yahrzeit of the Chafetz Chayim.
Arriving in Vilna we made our way to the border of Belarus.
The country is run by its president Alexander Lukashenko who
has described himself as having an "authoritarian ruling
style". However Western countries have described Belarus
under Lukashenko as a dictatorship. Indeed the Council of
Europe has barred Belarus from membership since 1997 for
undemocratic voting and election irregularities in the
November 1996 constitutional referendum and parliament
by-elections. The Belarusian government is also criticized for
human rights violations and its unjust persecution of
non-governmental organisations, independent journalists,
national minorities, and opposition politicians. Former
American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice labelled
Belarus as one of the world's six "outposts of tyranny".
Indeed the above was made clear when we arrived at the
border. Our bus went straight to the front of the line yet we
were kept waiting some three hours. Despite all our visas
being in order, it took those hours of bureaucratic paper work
to process 40 passports. It was made abundantly clear that
Jews do not get preferential treatment. The guards do not
smile, have no patience and are not accommodating. Communism
was alive and well in Belarus.
As we travelled through villages and towns towards Radin,
passing forests where Jews had hid during the war, I began
to tell the story of the Chafetz Chayim. A difficult task to be
achieved in an hour.
Arriving at Radin it was remarkable on several accounts.
Firstly nothing has changed in recent memory; transport is
still the old Horse and Cart, many homes still use a well to
draw water. Secondly, Eli pointed out to us the absolute
silence. No noise, no distractions; one of the many reasons
the Chafetz Chayim chose to live in this town - a place where
he would not be disturbed, as he worked on himself to
become the Torah Giant he was.
His yeshiva is still standing and is sadly used today as a local
theatre. A magnificent brick building that stands out in stark
Transport in Radin
contrast to the other wooden houses of the area. All of us
were eager to stay and visit the Chafetz Chayim’s home, a
place where his life, and so many stories about him, occurred.
Much to everyone’s dismay, it was sold last year to a group
of Americans. The house was demolished piece by piece and
taken to Monsey in the States, where it will be rebuilt and
housed in a museum. Jewish Chuzpah took on a whole new
meaning.
Within our group was a gentleman who was not only born
in Radin, but whose home was located next to the Chafetz
Chayim’s. He reminisced about his early memories of the
place and was emotionally moved to be there.
The focus of our trip was to make the pilgrimage to the
gravesite of the holy Rabbi and after a brief tour of the town
we made our way to the small cemetery on the outskirts of
the town.
All the gravestones in the small section of the cemetery had
been destroyed by the Nazis in 1943. Only three matzevot
have been rededicated, two of which are the Chafetz Chayim
and Rabbi Naftali Trop.
One can clearly feel and sense the energy and kedusha that
emanates from that place. Sadly not a place where 1000s
come to pour out their hearts. Even on the very Yahrzeit of
the Chafetz Chayim, the only people there were our group
of 40 and a small group of 5 Breslov Chassidim from Israel.
It is possible that due to the difficulties in arranging such a
Page 22 Hamaor / April 2013