The impact of Mair Fogel has reached its jubilee. His memory lives on forever

Living Higher

L

ast week, on the third of Teves, tens of thousands unknowingly observed the 50th yahrtzeit of Mair Fogel z”l.

Mair was a talented young mechanech who tragically passed away young, leaving behind a wife and no children.

In the car ride back from the levayah, a close friend of his named Meir Zlotowitz turned to the others in the car and said, “We have to do something to allow his name to live on. I want to do something in his memory.”

Then he continued, “Maybe we should translate Megillas Esther?”

Those few words sparked a movement that would transform the Torah world. The translated and elucidated Megillas Esther sold an astounding 18,000 copies, and the rest is history and a rapidly evolving present.

Several times, the Torah refers to a 50-year time period as olam, eternity.

Perhaps this conveys that the completion of 50 years establishes a mark bound to be eternal. The accomplishments gained over the course of half a century will not be lost.

Mair Fogel passed away 50 years ago, with no children to carry on his name.

But on his yahrtzeit, as tens of thousands learned, taught, studied, and reviewed from the seforim published by ArtScroll, a silent statement echoed.

The impact of Mair Fogel has reached its jubilee.

His memory lives on forever.

Happening in... Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

This Chanukah, the Pittsburgh Jewish community celebrated a meaningful siyum at the pre-Shacharis morning kollel, launched this past summer under the auspices of Rabbi Moshe Levy, rosh kollel of the Pittsburgh Kollel, and Rabbi Yitzi Genack, Rav of Shaare Torah. The kollel, which boasts participants from varied backgrounds, is a uniting force that reflects the strength and warmth of Pittsburgh’s Orthodox community. At the siyum, Mr. Misha Lemkov, a Russian- born kollel participant, shared his story.

Until the age of seven, he related, he wasn’t even aware of his Jewish identity. When he did learn about it, he struggled to make peace with the revelation. When he was 14, his family emigrated from Russia to the United States, where the Lemkovs moved steadily closer to observance. Misha underwent a bris milah and a belated bar mitzvah celebration, and began donning tefillin daily and attending minyan. After he got married and had children, he and his wife enrolled them in a Jewish day school.

Now, he stood in front of the shul, marking the completion of his first perek of Gemara. It was a meaningful milestone, showcasing a celebration of community, connection and the joy of Torah study in Pittsburgh.

High Five

Last week, “Tower 5,” the newest and boldest addition to Lakewood’s corporate park, announced a new development — not a new suite or tenant, but a shul, located in the heart of the building. Embroidered across the paroches on the aron kodesh are the words from Mishlei 3:14: “Ki tov sachrah mis’char kasef — For her commerce is better than the commerce of silver.”

Rashi there explains that in ordinary transactions, each party receives a gain, but only by giving something up. Not so in Torah, says Rashi.

“In any exchange, when a person exchanges [something] for merchandise, this one takes this, and that one takes that; but if one says to his friend, “Teach me your chapter, and I will teach you my chapter,” [then] both chapters are found in the hand of each of them..”

In a tower teeming with businesspeople, a makom tefillah situated at its center stands as a reminder of the greatest deals and assets available.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 1093)