Longmeadow Dedicates New Torah

Lubavitcher Yeshiva Academy of Longmeadow, MA celebrated a Torah dedication in memory of Moshe Brown, of blessed memory on his first yahrzeit just before Pesach. The event was attended by around 250 people. The Torah was donated by his wife, Joanne Brown. Many people in the community dedicated sections of the Torah as well.

The Torah was completed at the home of his daughter and son-in-law, Rabbi Chaim and Rochel Leah Kosofsky, shluchim in Longmeadow, MA. Many people from the general community participated in the completion of the writing of the Torah. Most of the people had never attended a Torah dedication before and were moved by the experience.

The crowd marched with the Torah down Converse Street to its new home at Beis Medrash Lubavitch / LYA accompanied by live music. After lively hakafos and dancing, a dinner was served.

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Moshe Brown OBM and his wife Joanne YBD”L are members of the Lubavitch community of greater Boston for almost 40 years. Moshe worked as a draftsman at a small, family-owned construction company.

Following a trip to Israel in 1970 with Temple Israel of Sharon, MA, Moshe and Joanne began to learn about Yiddishkeit, and were put in touch with Lubavitch rabbis. They koshered their home and sent their children to Jewish schools. It was not long before they earned the friendship and admiration of the Lubavitch community of greater Boston. They became close friends with shluchim Rabbi and Mrs. Chaim Prus as soon as the Prus family moved to Boston.

In Brookline, the Browns lived near the shul of the Bostoner Rebbe. While Moshe davened there Friday nights, he walked to the Lubavitch shul in Brighton Shabbos day. At one point, he decided he would support Rabbi Shmuel Posner’s minyan at the Chabad House of Kenmore Square. He walked two and one-half miles to the Chabad House each Shabbos, through summer and winter. He enjoyed davening with Rabbi Posner and the college students, and they enjoyed davening with him.

Joanne worked in the office at the Chabad House, a job she held for twenty years. During this time she became very close with the Posner children, who spent many hours in her office.

Moshe and Joanne hosted college students at their home every Friday night. The Browns’ home became a popular hangout in Brookline for Shabbos dinner. Many lively discussions, sometimes raucous, took place at the Browns’ Shabbos table during those years.

People often came to them for help. Moshe took an interest in each person he met, concerned for their welfare. When he was able to help them, he did.

After he retired, Moshe learned in the Sephardic shul in Brookline every morning after davening, and studied with a chavrusa every afternoon. Moshe and Joanne would come often to spend Shabbos with their daughter’s family in Springfield. Moshe enjoyed much nachas from his grandchildren, whom he always encouraged to study Torah and perform mitzvos properly. A few years before he passed away, the Browns moved to Longmeadow, MA, to be near their children, Rabbi Chaim and Rochel Leah Kosofsky, shluchim to Western MA.

About 300 people, including many shluchim and prominent Rabanim, attended Moshe’s funeral. Many people felt their relationship with Moshe was unique, not realizing that many others felt that way as well. In his memory, his family donated two torahs: one to the Chabad House at Kenmore Square, and another to Beis Medresh Lubavitch – Longmeadow.