I want to share with you a story of my experience with Rabbi Dubrawsky, and why I am so affected.  A number of years ago, during the global recession, when I had lost my job, and was trying to change careers into education, I was struggling to get back on my feet, and there were some very rough days.  I remember being invited to a Bar Mitzvah celebration in the community, and sitting at a table in the back, feeling lost and pretty low.  Rabbi Dubrawsky came over to me, and in his quiet, gentle, kind way, smiled at me, took my hand in his, and gave me a blessing, a bracha.  For the life of me, I can't remember the specifics of the bracha, but I remember its impact on me - in his empathetic way, Rabbi Dubrawsky knew how I was feeling, one neshama to another, and he came and he lifted me up, with a few kind words.  There is no other way of putting it - he lifted me up. 

 

I am reminded of one of the teachings of Reb Kaloinimus Kalman Shapira, the Piacezner Rebbe of the Warsaw ghetto, who said: "Kinderlach, taiereh kinderlach, gedenkshe d'greste zach in der welt iz tzu teen emetzen ah toive". "Children, precious, treasured children, remember, the greatest thing in the world is to do somebody else a favor."  Thank you Rabbi Dubrawsky, from the depths of my soul, thank you.

 

Mrs. Dubrawsky and the Dubrawsky family, on behalf of Karen and myself, we say to you:  May Hashem comfort you amongst the other mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

 

Shabbat Shalom,

 

Abba Brodt