Weekly Story: Reb Shlomo Aharon Kazarnovsky Part 1

by Rabbi Sholom D. Avtzon

Being that this past Wednesday was the yahrzeit one of the pioneering askanim of Lubavitch in America, Rabbi Shlomo Aharon Kazarnovsky, I am presenting a part of a booklet that I wrote up on behalf of one of his descendants wedding.
If anyone has additional stories about him please share them with me and I will forward it to the family. Your feedback is always welcomed.

Mr. Glazer accepted that and contributed to the publishing project.

HaRav HaChossid Rabbi Sholmo Aharon Kazarnovsky

It is with a tremendous sense of humility and pride that I present to you this short compilation about my grandfather, HaRav HaChossid Reb Shlomo Aharon Kazarnovsky a”h.

Reb Shlomo Aharon was one of the first Tmimim who came to America, and here in America, he exemplified to all the essence of who and what a Tomim is.

During the six years that he was in Tomchei Tmimim, he was extremely close to Beis HaRav, and that closeness remained throughout his life. This was true during the fourteen years he was in America before the Frierdiker Rebbe settled in America, as well as during the forty-three years afterwards.

No, he wasn’t one of the Rebbe Rashab’s chozrim, nor was he considered one of the ovdim or maskilim of Tomchei Tmimim. He was a regular Tomim, but a Tomim who was devoted with his heart and soul to the Rebbeim.

Knowing that the financial situation in Beis HaRav was desperate, he began collecting maamid from the chassidim in America, and would send it on a monthly basis to the Frierdiker Rebbe in Riga and Poland. Later, as you will read, he was instrumental in saving the Frierdiker Rebbe and bringing him to America. Once the Rebbe was in America, Reb Shlomo Aharon was a trusted servant, involved in every aspect and was available whenever the needed someone.Yes, there were other members of Anash who were also part of Agudas Chassidei Chabad and were involved in many aspects. However, Reb Shlomo Aharon was at the Rebbeim forefront. This is evident from the numerous pictures where you see only Reb Shlomo Aharon in close proximity to the Rebbeim and in many letters that they wrote, only he is thanked for his dedication.

At the same time, this collection barely touches the surface of his greatness and everything that he accomplished. So I ask of all of you who know additional details of his rich and productive life, to please share them with me, so that with the help of Hashem, a comprehensive description of his life achievements can be published.

P.S. This compilation was based in part on Rabbi Michoel Seligson’s article that he published some years ago about Zeideh, as well as additional details that some members of the family contributed.

His Birth

Shlomo Aharon was born in 5657 (1897) in the city of Mohilov (Mogilev) to Lubavitcher chassidim, Moshe and Shifra Kazarnovsky. Reb Moshe’s father Reb Dovber was a grandson of Rebbetzin Menucha Rochel, and he was therefore named DovBer after her father, the Mitteler Rebbe.

He had an older brother and sister.

Reb Moshe was considerably well-to-do and helped out in communal matters with an open hand.

Coming to Tomchei Temimim

Shlomo Aharon was a young boy of thirteen or fourteen years old, living in the province of Mogilev (Mogilev Guberna as he called it). Although his father was a Chabad’ske chossid, he wanted his son to learn in the Volozhin yeshiva.
One Friday in 5671 (1911), there was big news in Mogilev: two Tmimim had arrived in the city. These were real, live talmidim of the famed, almost other-worldly yeshiva of Lubavitch, and these larger-than-life young men would be spending the entire Shabbos in Mogilev.

That entire Shabbos, Shlomo Aharon did not take his eyes off the Tmimim. He was mesmerized by their presence and studied their every nuance, watching how they davened and conducted themselves. Not a word was exchanged with them; he was much too in awe to approach them.

On Sunday morning, in shul after davening, he was at the other end of the shul when one of the Tmimim caught his eye. He turned towards him and strode right over to the young teenager. “Ich zeh az du bist a yirei shomayim,” I see that you are a reverent young man. “Tommer du vilst oisvaksin a mentch, zolst du forin in Lubavitch.” If you want to grow up to be a mentch, you must travel to Lubavitch.

The young Shlomo Aharon was too stunned to speak. He ran home and told his mother of the epiphany. His mother thought for a short while. “Kum,” she announced, “mir forin in Lubavitch.” Come, we are going to Lubavitch. And without telling her husband a word, she hired a wagon and driver and off she went with her young son to Lubavitch.
There is a verb in English with an interesting etymology: to stump. It hails back to the days of unpaved paths cut through dense forests. As trees were cut the roots were not always removed, and the result was a tree stump which served as an inverted pothole. Sometimes it would stop the wagon wheel in its tracks—hence the verb stump—and oftentimes it would catch the wheel and upturn the wagon, which is what it did this time. Shlomo Aharon‘s mother Shifra was blessed with the very Russian virtue of ample girth and the Russian highways were blessed with ample blottes, potholes that filled with rain and become thick mud. The wagon got stumped and Shifra got catapulted from the wagon into the blotte. Shlomo Aharon grabbed hold of her and tried to tug her out and up.

“Oy!” she exclaimed. “Are you sure this Lubavitch trip was such a good idea?” she asked only half-jokingly. And her young son retorted, “Besser di blotte fun Lubavitch vi di bank fun Volozhin.” Better the blotte of Lubavitch than the benches (the seating of choice) of Volozhin. And with these words of resolve, the young chossid was born.

They arrived in Lubavitch where the Menahel, (the director whom we know as the Frierdiker Rebbe), promptly informed them that the zman, the term, had already begun and that they do not entertain the notion of admitting a new talmid until the next zman. Come back later, was the dismissal.

“I don’t care what,” Shlomo Aharon told his mother, “I am NOT going back to Mogilev!”

There was a custom then, that visitors to Lubavitch paid their respects to the Alte Rebbetzin, the tzadeikis, Rebbetzin Rivkah, the widow of the Rebbe Maharash, mother of the then-present Rebbe (Rashab) and grandmother of the then-Menahel. It is gripping to see the reverence with which the Frierdiker Rebbe wrote of his grandmother.

Shifra and her son entered to the Alte Rebbetzin’s audience. “What is your name?” asked the Rebbetzin.

“Kazarnovsky,” she replied. (The accent, as my grandfather told the story, was on the zar syllable, not the nov.)
“Velche Kazarnovsky—which Kazarnovky?” the Alte Rebbetzin asked with a slight startle in her voice, and Shifra told her. “Zets zach aveck, ich’ll aich dertzeilin de yichis.” Sit down and I will tell you your yichus, your lineage. She proceeded to tell them how they descend from the Mitteler Rebbe.

“So what brings you to Lubavitch?” she asked.

“My son would like to go the yeshiva, but the Menahel informed us that he cannot be accepted at this time.”

The Alte Rebbetzin thought for moment. “Zolst zich ibernechten doh in Lubavitch.” Spend the night here in Lubavitch. The next day young Shlomo Aharon got an urgent message; report to the Menahel.

“You’ve been accepted,” the Frierdiker Rebbe told him. “Report to Seder tomorrow morning.” He and his mother went to see the Rebbetzin. (It is not clear if she had summoned them, or they understood that she helped and went to thank her.)

“Zolst du vissen, you should know that you were accepted in yeshiva thanks to me, but I only got you in on a tnai, on a condition: from now on you must come and make Kiddush for me every Shabbos morning after davening.”

“And every Shabbos until she passed away three years later,” said my grandfather, “she heard Kiddush from me.”
Years later, when Reb Shlomo Aharon reminisced about his six years in Lubavitch, he would say, “It was a different world. It was a spiritual world that was completely removed from this physical world.” Although he left after his marriage and then lived in America, he remained a Tomim, devoting his entire life to the Rebbeim and their ideals.

His Wedding

Some weeks after the histalkus of the Rebbe Rashab on Beis Nissan 5680 (1920), a shidduch was proposed to Reb Shlomo Aharon. Would he consider Chaya Freida Grossman? She was the youngest daughter of the famed chossid Reb Asher Grossman, or, as he is affectionately called by chassidim, Reb Asher Nikolayver, who had recently passed away.

As a chossid, one doesn’t decide on his own, so he went to ask the Frierdiker Rebbe about it. However, as is known, at that time the Frierdiker Rebbe wasn’t accepting pidyonos or answering most questions. He replied, “I don’t respond to such questions. Go to the Tzion of my father and ask him directly.”

Obeying, he went to the Ohel and requested that the Rebbe Rashab instruct his son, the Rebbe, to reply. He then returned to the yeshiva.

Two hours later, the Frierdiker Rebbe opened the door of his room and asked, “Where is Shlomo Aharon?”

When he arrived, the Rebbe said to him, “My father came to me and instructed me to reply to you: ‘It is a good shidduch.’”

The Frierdiker Rebbe then took out or pointed to an envelope and said, “Before he passed away, your father-in-law, Reb Asher Nikolayver, gave this to my father to hold as the dowry for his youngest daughter, [your kallah]. Here it is.”
Shortly afterwards, they were married in Kislev of 5681 (1920).

In Russia

After their wedding they lived in Moscow and they were blessed with a daughter Sarah and a son Moshe.
Coming to America

Six years passed since they were married, and the Communists were doing their thing, harassing religious Jews and especially Tmimim. Then, one day, Reb Shlomo Aharon received papers from his brother who had already established himself in America, for him, his wife, and their two children to come to America. These were his tickets to go to freedom: America. Yes, Shlomo Aharon was from the lucky ones; he had family in America who could help him.

On the one hand he was jubilant; he could now escape from the persecution of the Communists. Yet, the Rebbe was encouraging everyone to do whatever they could to strengthen Yiddishkeit in Russia. So should he run away? Also, he was afraid of the dangers of raising a family in Golden America, where so many wonderful Jews lost their children to the American way of life.

He went into yechidus and asked the Rebbe.

The Rebbe replied, “You should go to America.”

Prior to going, he went for what he thought would be his last yechidus and began crying.

“Why are you crying?” asked the Rebbe.

“I don’t know when I will see the Rebbe again [if I accept my brother’s offer],” cried the anguished chossid.

“Nonsense!” said the Rebbe. “Not to worry,” was his brochoh. “With Hashem’s help, we will see each other in the near future.”

Reb Shlomo Aharon thought to himself, “Where will we meet?”

Reading his mind, the Rebbe added, “There.”

Reb Shlomo Aharon was both in awe and jubilation. He had just seen open ruach hakodesh, as the Rebbe had read his thoughts, and the Rebbe had indicated that he planned to come to America.

“And now,” continued the Rebbe, “let me tell you the story behind your coming to Lubavitch.”

“That evening [when you arrived in Lubavitch with your mother], my grandmother [Rebbetzin Rivkah] called my father [the Rebbe Rashab, her son] and told him that he must accept you, and it is on her acharayis, her responsibility. He, in turn, called me and reiterated his mother’s demand.”

Rochester, New York

When Reb Shlomo Aharon first arrived in America in 5686 (1926), he settled in the apartment that his brother had arranged for him in Rochester, New York. A few months later, he became the Rov in the Ein Yaakov shul there, and spoke to the congregants about the importance of retaining Yiddishkeit.

However, the situation in Rochester was not ideal. The salary that the shul was able or willing to pay was inadequate. Furthermore, there was some friction, as the community was not ready for a Rov that only followed the Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law) and didn’t accept the opinion of the board of directors.

At that time, Agudas Chassidei Chabad needed a secretary and director. After hearing about Reb Shlomo Aharon’s predicament, they realized that he was the best one suited for this position and offered it to him.

Reb Shlomo Aharon accepted it and moved to Brooklyn. Shortly afterwards, he became the Rov of two shuls in Bensonhurst, in the Brooklyn section of New York, and settled there.

Saving The Rebbe From Prison

One of the members of his community in Rochester was Congressman Meyer Jacobstein, with whom he forged a close relationship.

The year after he settled in Rochester, the Rebbe Rayatz was arrested in Russia. The chassidim felt that the only way to save him was by exerting immense pressure upon the communists from world leaders. To this end, Reb Shlomo Aharon turned to his friend the congressman.

The congressman in turn turned to his friend Senator William Borah of Idaho, who was the chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He also turned to two senators from New York, Senators Kaplan and Wagner.
Boruch Hashem, their intercession (as well as the intercession of others, such as Justice Brandeis) bore fruit, and the Soviets instructed the Yevsektzia to free the Rebbe.

Becoming Rov in Bensonhurst

In Kislev/Teves of 5689 (1928/9), Reb Shlomo Aharon became the Rov of two shuls in Bensonhurst, Bnei Yitzchok and Tiferes Yisroel. He remained the Rov there for the next fifty-four years, until his petirah in 5743 (1982).

Being in Brooklyn, he became one of the pillars of the fledging Agudas Chassidei Chabad of America. In Elul of 5693 (1933), Reb Yitzchok Horowitz (Gurevitch) came to America for almost two years. The Rebbe sent him to be a shadar and influence Jews to come closer to their heritage.

During the months when he was in New York, he stayed in Reb Shlomo Aharon’s apartment/house, and that is where he conducted his farbrengens in New York.

Fulfilling the Frierdiker Rebbe’s instructions to him that a Rov should give shiurim, Reb Shlomo Aharon gave weekly shiurim in Chumash and Rashi and in Ein Yaakov, as well as in the Tanya.

A few years later, in 5697 (1937), the Frierdiker Rebbe wrote a letter addressed to him, Rabbi Yisroel Jacobson, and Rabbi Eliyahu Simpson. In this letter, the Rebbe stated that they should arrange a weekly shiur in Chassidus, and that they should also dedicate themselves to teaching the daughters of chassidim, sichos and farbreng with them twice a month.

Saving the Rebbe Again

Thirteen years passed since he was involved in saving the Frierdiker Rebbe from the Russians. Now he had to do it again. The Rebbe was now trapped in occupied Poland. He needed to escape Poland and then leave Riga and come to the United States.

One of the members of his shul was none other than the president of Agudas Chassidei Chabad, Reb Yekusiel Kramer. While Reb Yekusiel was extremely warm to the Rebbe’s needs, it was thanks to the pleas and inspiration of Reb Shlomo Aharon and others that Reb Yekusiel and his family stood up and gave all the financial backing and additional support needed to help save the Rebbe.

Buying 770

After the Frierdiker Rebbe arrived, he lived temporarily in the Greystone Hotel in Manhattan. After Pesach, when the Rebbe left Lakewood, the search for a house for the Rebbe began in earnest. Many chassidim were involved in this endeavor of finding a suitable place, as well as encouraging Jews to contribute towards purchasing it. However, Reb Shlomo Aharon, who was also on the committee, threw his entire energy into it and helped arrange the purchase of 770 Eastern Parkway.

Greeting our Rebbe

Once the Frierdiker Rebbe was safe in America, the efforts were now geared toward saving his other two daughters and their husbands. For over a year, Agudas Chassidei Chabad worked tirelessly to rescue them, and finally their efforts bore fruit: a visa was granted to his second daughter and her husband, our Rebbe and Rebbetzin.

Despite the Previous Rebbe’s joy at their arrival on the 28th of Sivan 5701 (1941), his poor health prevented him from coming to greet them personally. Instead, he delegated four of his elder chassidim: Reb Yisrael Jacobson, Reb Shmuel Levitin, Reb Eliyahu Simpson, and Reb Shlomo Aharon Kazarnovsky to greet his son-in-law at the port. By way of introduction, he told them: “I will reveal to you who my son-in-law is. He recites Tikkun Chatzos every night. He is proficient in the [Talmud] Bavli by heart, together with [the glosses of] Ran, Rosh, and Rif, the [Talmud] Yerushalmi together with its commentaries, Rambam, and Likkutei Torah with all its references. Go and greet him.”

The Frierdiker Rebbe told his son-in-law, our Rebbe, shortly after his arrival, to farbreng every Shabbos Mevorchim. At one Shabbos Mevorchim, when the Frierdiker Rebbe was still alive, the Rebbe told the story of how Shlomo Aharon was accepted in the Yeshiva and ended off with the words, “Not only did we lose nothing from accepting him, but we gained from it as well.” A startling and understated compliment from a Rebbe.

Buying the Beis HaChaim

In 5702 (1942), the Frierdiker Rebbe founded the Lubavitch Chevra Kadisha, under Agudas Chassidei Chabad. Around that time, when the Frierdiker Rebbe was in Chicago, his mother, Rebbetzin Shterna Sara, was niftar on Shabbos morning, Parshas Bo, the 13th of Shevat. The Frierdiker Rebbe was informed on motzei Shabbos, and he cut his visit short, leaving Chicago on Sunday afternoon and arriving in New York on Monday morning.

While in Chicago, he sent instructions to Reb Shlomo Aharon, who was one of the appointed gabba’im of the newly established Chevra Kadisha, to buy a lot in a cemetery. He further specified that the cemetery should be located in a place that doesn’t require crossing a bridge to get there. That very Sunday, he found a plot in the Montefiore cemetery in Queensand completed the purchase, and she was buried there on Monday.

In recognition of his dedication and efforts in arranging everything, the Frierdiker Rebbe gave him an envelope and instructed him to insert it in his mother’s closed hand, and she was buried with it.

The Rebbe’s Representative

The Frierdiker Rebbe sent Reb Shlomo Aharon to the various cities and towns where he had sent his students to open up yeshivos. The purpose was twofold: He was to farbreng with them and give them encouragement, while helping out in whatever manner possible (sometimes also in fundraising). Additionally, he was to observe and be the Rebbe’s eyes, and report back to the Rebbe on what was happening.

Everywhere he traveled, the situation was devastating. The local shliach (back then usually a single bochur) would almost invariably tell him about his arrival in town. He went straight to the local Rabbi who welcomed him with open arms. After all, there were very few Orthodox Jews in town, and certainly someone with whom the Rabbi could engage in a Gemara discussion. The bochur would typically board at the Rabbi’s home. Rapidly he opened a yeshiva and began a weekly Mesibos Shabbos group, amongst a whole host of other activities. The Rabbi eventually saw how popular these activities were becoming. Fearing he might lose his status in his community, he’d then inform the bochur along with the local community that his shul was taking over the school and all the other activities under its own auspices. The Rabbi and his shul would then happily reap the fruits of the Lubavitcher shliach’s hard labor. The hapless bocher would then need to begin anew, building himself from the bottom up.

Upon his return to 770, he entered the Rebbe’s room to report to him about his visits. In line with prevalent practice then, Reb Shlomo Aharon wished to spare the Rebbe the devastating story he had heard throughout his visits, considering the Rebbe’s precarious health. So he reported about the extensive educational and outreach activities he had found wherever he visited and the shluchim’s hard work throughout the States.

The Rebbe asked, “און וואס נאך (What else)?” (The Rebbe did not usually grill in this manner.) So Reb Shlomo Aharon shared some more details about his visits. “און וואס נאך?” The Rebbe asked again. And Reb Shlomo Aharon elaborated some more. “און וואס נאך?” The Rebbe persisted. Reb Shlomo Aharon finally realized that he could not hide anything from the Rebbe, and he was compelled to share with the Rebbe everything you just read. But to his pleasant surprise, the Rebbe laughed very deeply, “דאס איז דאך געווען דעם גאנצן כוונה (the entire purpose of sending shluchim was to get the local Rabbi and Jews involved in education and outreach)…”

Visiting The Refugees

The Frierdiker Rebbe recognized his talents, especially how he won over people with his sincerity. So therefore, when President Roosevelt established a refugee camp in Oswego, New York (many of the close to one thousand people who arrived there on August 5, 1944, were Jewish), the Frierdiker Rebbe set out to help them.

Shortly afterwards, he sent a delegation to see how Lubavitch could assist them. The delegation consisted of two of his secretaries— Rabbi Hodakov and Rabbi Dr. Mindel, as well as Reb Shlomo Aharon.

While there, they established a cheder to teach the children, and a Chevra Tehillim and Chevra Mishnayos for the adults. This was in addition to attending to their physical necessities.

In addition to being involved in all of these special projects, the Frierdiker Rebbe asked him to help with his three newly established mosdos: Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch, Machane Yisroel, and Kehos. Not only was he instrumental in implementing the Rebbe’s vision for these mosdos, but, as will be related, he raised funds for them as well.

Publishing Seforim

Reb Shlomo Aharon was a gifted speaker, and his warmth drew many people to him. The Frierdiker Rebbe asked him to find or speak to potential sponsors, and he was successful in helping get numerous seforim published.

The following is the story of one of the seforim that he was instrumental in getting published.

In the mid-1940s (I assume it was 5707/1946), the Frierdiker Rebbe called him in after Yom Kippur. He told him that during Yom Kippur, the Rebbe Maharash appeared to him and wanted a certain thing to be accomplished. The Frierdiker Rebbe concluded that he wanted him (Reb Shlomo Aharon) to be in charge of that specific project.

In the 1940’s, Mr. Glazer spent Yom Kippur with the Frierdiker Rebbe. After Yom Kippur, he decided to do something for the Rebbe. Reb Shlomo Aharon suggested that he enter into yechidus with the Rebbe and discuss it with the Rebbe.
Reb Shlomo Aharon went into the Rebbe’s room prior to Mr. Glazer’s yechidus. The Rebbe told him, “My grandfather [the Rebbe Maharash] visited me and asked that I publish his father’s [the Tzemach Tzedek’s] seforim. I don’t intend to say this directly to Mr. Glazer, because I don’t know if he is a vessel for such a revelation. I rely on you to know what to tell him and how to tell him.”

Mr. Glazer then entered into yechidus with the Frierdiker Rebbe. The Rebbe mentioned the sum that was needed to publish the Tzemach Tzedek’s responsa.

Mr. Glazer said that he was happy to participate, but he didn’t know if he could afford to publish the entire set.
The Rebbe responded, “When a Jew commits to contribute a large sum of money for tzedokoh, new channels are opened for him.”

An addition to the story was related by Reb Shlomo Aharon’s son-in-law, HoRav HaChossid Reb Zelig Sharfstein OBM, who served as a Rav in Cincinnati, Ohio:

“In order to convince Mr. Glazer, Reb Shlomo Aharon explained who the Tzemach Tzedek was. Reb Shlomo Aharon told the story of a woman who was an agunah. Her husband had left her, and the Tzemach Tzedek helped her find her husband. The Frierdiker Rebbe was very pleased with Reb Shlomo Aharon’s approach.”

From then on, Reb Shlomo Aharon would farbreng every year in 770 when Yom Kippur came to an end. His reason was because of the zechus that on that day the Frierdiker Rebbe related to him what he was told by the Rebbe Maharash (i.e., the zechus that the Rebbe revealed to him such a thing).

It should be noted that in his letter to Sefer HaChassidim, Reb Shlomo Aharon noted that over the years, he had the zechus to help publish the following seforim (in addition to the Shaalos U’Teshuvos of the Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek):
2. Piskei Dinim of the Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek
3. A reprint of the Tanya
4. Tehillim Yahel Ohr
5. Kitzurim V’Haoros L’Tanya of the Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek
6. Derech Mitzvosecha
7. Kuntres Heichultzu
8. The maamar Vehu Omed Aleihem
9. The Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Memoirs
10. The first two volumes of Our People
11. Sdei Chemed—10 volumes, sponsored by Mr. Robinson
12. Toras Sholom, sponsored by Mr. Ganeles

Rabbi Avtzon is a veteran mechanech and the author of numerous books on the Rebbeim and their chassidim. He can be contacted at avtzonbooks@gmail.com