Photos: Lakewood Rosh yeshiva Rav Yerucham Olshin on the chizuk mission to Moscow, Vilna and Eastern Europe
A delegation Led by The Lakewood Rosh Yeshiva Rav Yerucham Olshin on behalf of operation open curtain to visit yeshivos and kollelim in Russia. The delegation visited kevarim of the Vilna Gaon, Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzenky ztl and went on the Yartzheit of Rav Elchanan Wasserman HY'D at the 9th fort in Kovno where he was killed along with many other kedoshim. Photos by JDN more pics & video HERE
 |
| Kever HaGra |
7th fort
ReplyDeleteThe Hebrew article in JDN has it wrong it was the infamous 9th fort.
ReplyDeleteOn the 11th of Tammuz, 5701 (1941), the Nazis suddenly attacked the Jews of Slobodka and executed them. Before being murdered, Rabbi Elchanan addressed his friends, rabbis, and all Jews. He spoke softly, with the same inner calm that normally characterized his speech. These were his last words:
“Apparently they consider us Tzaddikim in Heaven, for we were chosen to atone for Klal Israel with our lives. If so, we must repent completely here and now. Time is short. The road to the Ninth Fort [where the Slabodka-Kovno martyrs were massacred] is rapidly approaching. We must realize that our sacrifice will be more acceptable when it is accompanied by repentance. We will thereby rescue our brothers and sisters in America. We are now about to perform the greatest possible mitzvah! ‘You destroyed it by fire, and with fire shall You rebuild it.’ The fire which will now consume our bodies is the very same fire which will give rise to the rebirth of the Jewish people.”
With the cry of Shema Israel, his soul ascended to Heaven.
Reb Elchonon was taken and murdered by Lithuanian collaborators on the 12th of Tammuz, 1941, in the Seventh Fort of Kaunas (Kovno) Fortress.
DeleteThe rosh yeshiva Rev yerucham went to the 7th fort.
ReplyDeleteMost historians hold that it was at the 7th fort where Rev elchonon was killed