Rabbi Dubravsky OB"M

Dear Dena and family,

I'm still in shock, and every time my thoughts return to thinking about Rabbi Dubravksy I feel a sick feeling in my stomach and I have a hard time believing that he is no longer with us. My next immediate thought is that this isn't fair.

I spent much of this past week pondering and thinking about how truly rare and unique of a person Rabbi Dubravsky was. The first time I spoke with him, I was struck by how different his style of communication was. He was exceptionally deep and thoughtful in every single word. His voice was different, it was coming from a deeper place. And he was looking at me in a deeper way. The feeling I got was that this person deeply cared about me. Which in my mind didn't make sense because he hardly knew me.

I was just a year after my bar mitzvah when you moved to Vancouver. At that young age I couldn't truly appreciate his greatness. And while I couldn't articulate it, I still felt it.

Over the years though, when I came back from Yeshiva, and in the summer I was fortunate to be able to go to his Sunday shiurim after davening.

One year during the pesach break I gathered the guts to ask if he would learn with me. I was too naive to realize how busy he was. Still, I was surprised when he said yes, and I remember being afraid, and thinking "uh-oh now I have to actually learn with this talmid chacham. Now what do I do?" I remember being very excited and nervous arriving at the old school building (this was at the time between the old chabad and the new chabad building) anticipating learning with him.
But he had a way of making me so comfortable and important when I learned with him. I remember coming away totally uplifted. That particular pesach was very, very special for me, and it was a definite turning point in my life.

I remember how he had a special way of building me up, by approaching me before some of the Sunday classes and saying with a smile "Yishai, maybe you"ll say something? Epes a Dvar Torah?" In my wildest dreams I had no intent of saying a Dvar Torah in his class, but to him of course I could do it. And he made me feel that way.

Over the years I had called him from Toronto to ask his advice in dating. I was struck by how well he knew me, and how well he listened to my situations. Much of his advice still sticks with me and often just comes up during the day.

I remember over the years being amazed about how much he cared for the well being of my friends...but really cared...."Yishai how is Eyal doing?" Waiting for the answer and listening intently.
And he cared deeply about my parents and would always ask. Nu, Yishai how is your father doing? How is your mother doing? Wanting to know the answer and waiting with a concerned look what my answer would be.

Rabbi Dubravsky was deeply connected with his neshama and he interacted with everyone on a neshama level. I have simply never met another human being who has done that.

Even though I have been away from Vancouver for many years, I always felt connected to him and only wish that I had more time to spend with him. I always suspected that he was a tzaddik and I felt happy for all the Vancouverites who had this hidden gem all to themselves. I also felt sad that perhaps they didn't know this great person in their midst (but after reading so many of the posts I realize I was mistaken, they did know of course).

I don't think he appreciated how much people like me enjoyed talking to him and how much it impacted us, simply because he was so completely selfless that he wasn't seeing himself as the the focus.

We will miss him very, very much.

My heart is with you and the entire Vancouver community....hoping that Moshiach comes very very soon, and we can all reunite in Yerushalayim.

Yishai Honig (Pavony)