my dear chaver Lipa

To the family of my very dear friend Lipa a'h

A person looks back at life and sometimes can isolate certain events and individuals who had a profound impact on their lives. I am a few yrs younger than Lipa. I can honestly say that it was Lipa and one other person who had the greatest influence on my life.

I was born and raised in Sydney Australia in a very frum but a non  Lubavitch family. When I finished High School I went to Yeshivah Gedola in Melbourne for three months. My roommate was HaShliach Lipa. It was one of the rare rooms that had only two people in it. My plan was always to leave YG after 3 months and go to Eretz Yisroel to a Liitvishe Yeshiva. Lipa in his most caring way and his ability to truly understand people was mekarev me mamesh like a brother. Lipa was only 4 yrs older then me but at the time he seemed to be light yrs older.

I did end up going to the Litvishe Yeshiva but Lipa didn't give up. When I came back for Ben Hazmanim, Lipa's warmth and friendship was as strong as ever. I then went to learn in Morristown. What was the driving force that compelled me to make such a life changing decision? One of the people was Lipa. In all my yrs in the Litvishe Yeshivos I didnt meet a bochur who was like Lipa. I thought it must be because Lipa has a shaychus to the Rebbe and learns in Tomchei Temimim. I wanted somehow to be a bit like and to emulate Lipa.

Even when I came to Morristown and then Montreal and finally 770. When I needed advice when I needed someone to truly understand an issue and help me make a decision there was one person I would turn to that was Lipa.

I remember one Shavuos we went on talucha to Boro Park together he was in shono rishono. (As a bochur I always wondered who would be the very lucky girl to marry Lipa. I would stir him up that he was getting on and he was still a bochur. Then I noticed he was dressing a little bit more special so I knew it was the time.) And we spent the whole time talking about chassidim and chassidus. 

And even after I went on shlichus and would come in for the Kinnus Hashluchim. I always tried to make a point of finding Lipa even if for only a few minutes to spend time in his presence. To hear his opinions about Lubavitch etc.. So much has changed in the last 20 yrs. I would invariably say to him, 'Lipa you remember  when I was this misnagdishe kid who you tried to be mekarev and look at me now a shliach of the Rebbe with children who are shluchim of the Rebbe'. Lipa, I said, 'you have an incredible chelek in everything that has happened to me and my family'.

I was sitting and learning in 770 Melbourne when another good friend from Australia of Lipa,. Reuven Tatarka rang me to tell me the terrible terrible news. 

As I sit and am writing this I cant stop crying as I remember so many so many wonderful things about Lipa. He was an old soul even as a bochur. He was a true, true chassidishe bochur a real penimi. He didnt have to say much  a word here a word there 'gemacht miten kop' and you understood what was the right thing to do. But at the same time he knew bochurim even Australian boys who to Lipa must have seemed like people from another planet. He from Oholei Torah and us Aussie boys. And this never changed throughout his life.

I have been thinking a lot these last few days what was special about Lipa why did he have such a great impact on my life? Why him more than so many others? There were plenty of chassidishe bochurim many great Talmidei Chachomim like Lipa, so why Lipa?

The answer was simple one word Lipa CARED. I really felt he cared about me. And that never changed for close to 35 yrs. Even if we would only meet for a few minutes each yr by the kinnus.

I rang Lipa to be menachem ovel when his father and sister passed away and now his beloved family.

Hamokom yenachem eschem besoch shaar aveilei tzion v'Yerushalayim.

Lipa's impact continues both far and wide. I feel honoured priviledged and humbled to be able to say Lipa was a very dear chaver.

I can just imagine if Lipa would read this he would shake his head say something in Yiddish under his breath and make shtikel chozok of what I had written.

This yr by the kinnus Shabbos afternoon I was walking up Kingston and I bumped into Lipa and I told him that I just had lunch by his raycho mechutan so he laughed and he said which one?

I will never ever forget Lipa

Yanki Barber

p.s. I must have had the wrong email address so I am re sending this M'Shabbos Friday Night in my shule I spoke about Lipa and more or less repeated what I have written here. I asked everyone including myself to try and bve a little more caring in the memory of Lipa. 

--
Rabbi Yacov Barber

Melbourne Australia