Random Phone Call Led to a Party

By COLlive reporter

A phone conversation between two rabbis in London, mentioning an outstanding halachic posek, has resulted in a Chanukah party in one of the oldest cities in Poland.

It began with a call a respected rabbi in London held with Rabbi Levi Liberow, Director of Ohr Hatorah Chassidus Library in London, during which he mentioned his recent visit to the gravesite of the famed Rabbi Akiva Eger OBM.

As a descendant of Rabbi Eger, one of the greatest scholars of the early 19th century, this rabbi said he was quite distraught to see the great city in ruins.

This prompted Rabbi Liberow to suggest travelling to Poznan on the Warta river in west-central Poland to bring some light to local Jews on one of the nights of Chanukah.

Early Wednesday morning, on the first day of Chanukah, Rabbi Liberow moved forward on the plan and traveled to Poland with his son, Yosef Chaim Liberow and Shmuel Kaytel, who is fluent in Polish.

They traveled with a case full of menorahs, doughnuts and a music box, plus Chanukah literature and translated and transliterated blessings of Tefillin and menorah in Polish.

They even held a Chanukah party where the menorah was lit and all local participants sang Haneros Hallalu together with music in background and enjoyed a festive meal.

From there, the visiting rabbis and locals continued to pray at the gravesite of the city’s great rabbi. “It was a great awakening for the town and was truly inspirational,” Rabbi Liberow said.

This event was sponsored by a generous donation from the Keren Shmuel charity and by a respected member of Anash London.