New Breslov Shiur at The White Shul

Abba Richman's Photos of Uman

One of the special treats of going to Uman for Rosh Hashanah is seeing old and dear friends -- and for me, Abba Richman is at the top of the list. 

Abba is a wonderful photographer (and book designer), whose 2014 Uman photos may be sampled here. 

We look forward to seeing the new ones from this past Rosh Hashanah. And we wish Abba a refuah sheleimah for the cold he caught this year -- an inevitable hazard of all those planes and crowds -- and which I inherited once we got back to New York... DS

On another website, Abba writes:

"I was born in the UK and have been living in Israel since 1967. I studied Graphic Design and Photography at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem. 

"My waking hours are spent in front of a computer (far too much) photographing for a living (trying to), photographing for pleasure (not enough), teaching photography (love it) and as a volunteer Magen David Adom Medic/Ambulance driver (sorry, no pictures). 

"There is nothing to be invented in the visual world, it's all there and been photographed a million times. I don't photograph glorious sunsets, fantastic landscapes, flowers, pets or beautiful things (or people). I find myself again and again looking at ordinary everyday things, at rubbish,  backyards, at the man in the street, looking at things really close up and trying to find beauty in their colour and form. Sometimes I find that beauty, more often I don't. Now and then I am satisfied with what I have photographed, occasionally very satisfied, and sometimes well, I just start again and keep on looking.  In my search I constantly thank God for giving me the eyes to see. 

"I live in Efrat a small township near Jerusalem, with my wife Liliana. We have six children and 16 grandchildren."

Rabbi Avraham Yehuda Jakubowicz zatzal

We are saddened to announce the passing of Rabbi Avraham Yehuda Jakubowicz (pronounced “Yakubovitch”) of Toronto, one of the most loved and respected Breslov elders. 

He was 93 years old, and leaves a family of bnei Torah v'anshei maaseh.

Rabbi  Jakubowicz, of blessed memory, was born in Toronto, where his parents had emigrated from Poland after World War I. As a youth, he studied at Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim in New York. He also had close family ties to the Modzitzer Rebbe (the Imrei Shaul), and through Modzitz he met the devout Polish Breslover chassid, Rabbi Baruch (“Beirich”) Rubinson, zatzal, one of the leading members of the post-World War II New York Breslov kehillah. He once remarked, “From the day I came close to Rebbe Nachman I have been happy!”

He also had a close relationship with the Breslover kabbalist Rabbi Shmuel Horowitz, zatzal, who penned most of the letters subsequently published in “Michtevey Shmuel” to him.

Rabbi Jakubowicz was renowned for his hachnosas orchim, and his home was open to guests of all sorts, including Gedoley Breslov such as Rabbi Elya Chaim Rosen and Reb Noson Zvi Kenig, zikhronam levrakha. He was also a co-founder of a tzedakah organization for the benefit of poor families in Eretz Yisrael.

May he be a meilitz yosher for his family and for all Klal Yisrael.