The owners of the factory jumped at the deal. By the time the residents of the city recovered from the blow and began rebuilding their destroyed homes the price of bricks had skyrocketed. But one place in town was already deep into rebuilding at a cost they could handle — thanks to the foresight of the Rosh Yeshivah’s son-in-law.

Taking action while others were immobilized by grief or trauma became Rav Zalman’s trademark for the next 60 years. This was the maiden campaign of the man who would emerge as one of the Torah world’s primary navigators during the period of survival between the two world wars and later in Eretz Yisrael. In Europe his diplomatic prowess and selfless dedication saved hundreds of rabbanim and talmidei chachamim from the Russian and Polish drafts helped thousands of refugees avoid starvation prevented anti-Jewish decrees from causing catastrophic damage and bolstered Torah education in the face of strong secular influences. And after the Holocaust as the Torah world struggled to rebuild itself he reestablished the Vaad Hayeshivos which he’d originally organized in Vilna served as chairman of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah and became head of the Chinuch Atzmai system for chareidi education in Eretz Yisrael.

Rav Zalman Sorotzkin (also known as the Lutzker Rav after the town of his last rabbinic position) passed away 50 years ago this week on 9 Tammuz 1966 and there are still many who remember and were touched by his foresight and tireless dedication. For others though a perusal of the family’s archives — including a collection of yellowed documents and a riveting personal memoir — is a veritable treasure trove whose legacy is as relevant as ever.