Meyer Gutnick’s ‘Red’ Affiliation

By COLlive reporter

As the Chabad House in the Carmel area in the northern Israeli city of Haifa plans to expand, a key donor of theirs came for a visit.

Rabbi Meyer Gutnick, a philanthropist and book publisher from Crown Heights, was warmly welcomed at the center, along with his wife Sheindy and family on Sunday.

“I would like to tell the Gutnicks thank you for their continuous support over the years, and especially with purchasing this building,” said the Shliach Rabbi Yehuda Dunin.

Dunin said that “we are now renovating the building and we plan to add a mikvah in it as we continue to grow in size and quality.”

Present at the “evening of recognition” in honor of the Gutnicks were Israel’s Minister of Science and Technology Prof. Daniel Hershkowitz and Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg of Afula, father of slain Mumbai Shlucha Rivky Holtzberg.

Gutnick, founder of the Kol Menachem publishing house and a donor to right-wing causes in Israel, told participants the source of his affection to Israel’s third-largest city, traditionally known as a Labour party stronghold.

“My grandfather, of blessed memory, was from Haifa,” he said.

“The last time I visited here was 30 years ago when there was nothing frum to be seen here. I’m now happy to see that the city has also developed spiritually as well.”