He was the longest-serving rav in modern times, became the mechutan of dozens of chassidic giants, and had close to 1,500 progeny — landing him the title “mesader kiddushin of the generation.”
But that was just one dimension of Rav Elchanan Halpern, the venerated rav of Golders Green in London
Rav Chaim Epstein understood that his role as rosh yeshivah was so much more than saying deep shiurim. It was about transmitting the treasure he himself received, about taking the talmid by the hand and teaching the sacred steps that are at the very core of high-level study.
Rabbi Meir Schuster was more than just a fixture at the Kosel, arranging Shabbos meals for the curious, and accommodations in the Old City for travelers. Colleagues who knew him well and backpackers who met him just once all recognized: There was nothing Reb Meir wouldn’t do to save a Jewish soul.
Rav Shlomo Brevda ztz”l was known as a maggid who traveled around the world giving shiurim, and his listeners knew they were in for a journey that would carry them to vistas overlooking all of human history and the cosmos.
Rav Shach was the zakein par excellence. He filled the role of Klal Yisrael’s Elder for decades using the arichas yamim he was granted to be our link to greatness.
