Memory Lane: Rav Yoel Summer

The Bielsker Iluy 

Born in the Polish town of Bielsk in the year 5725 (1865), Yoel became known as the “iluy of Bielsk.” He learned and excelled in the yeshivos of Radin and Volozhyn, and received his semichah from Rav Chaim Brisker. According to the sefer Doros Ha’acharonim, he became the Rav of Linova (today in Belarus) at the astoundingly young age of 16, in 1881. 

As the lives of Russian Jews became more and more miserable in in Advance of WWI—scores of Yidden from the region sought to immigrate to America to escape the suffering. Rav Yoel’s sister from Brooklyn, Sarah Lieberman, sent him travel papers to come to America. He went to consult with Rav Chaim Brisker on whether to make to the move, his rebbi answered him, di shteiner in America zennen treif, even the stones in America are treif.” 

He remained there of course, through the war, and was almost killed by the Poznanchikes, the Polish peasants who were known for their viciousness. He pretended to be sick with Cholera, and that is how he escaped, arriving in America with his wife and children—aside from one son who was killed in Linova—in the year 1921. 

Boro Park 

Upon arrival in America, he headed for Boro Park, and became an unofficial Rov of the beis Hamedrash on the lower level of the Shomrei Emunah shul. He led the Chevra Mishnayos, and was known for his yiras Shamayim, his piety, his humility, and his harbotzas Torah. Boro Park was undergoing significant growth during that era, and Rav Summer would have found a growing following at his shiurim—with so many Yiddish-speaking immigrants, his landsleit, among Boro Park’s growing population at that time.  

Mordechai Liphschitz— a grandson of Rav Yoel Summer and a born and bred Boro Parker—explains that the vast majority of the Rabbanim and Shuls in Boro Park of that time were from the Russia and Lithuania, and graduates of the yeshivos of that region, and Rav Yoel would have found companionship among these learned men with whom he shared a common background. 

Mr. Liphshitz, today of Chashmona’im, in the Modi’in area, further provided a sociological backdrop to “geography” of Boro Park of that time: “This is why the Sfardishe Shul is called First Congregation Anshei Sfard; because it was the first congregation to serve the chassidishe population who davened nusach sfard. The others—Bnei Yehuda, Shomrei Emunah, the Eleventh Avenue Shul (Beth Israel), Linden Heights Shul, Beth El, and others, were all nusach Ashkenaz, and led by Litvishe Rabbonim.” 

One Photograph 

The photograph of Rav Yoel that accompanies this article is the one and only one in existence, the one he took in Europe for travel purposes. Being a Brisker talmid he was makpid not to create a likeness of himself. Cleverly, he wrapped a handkerchief around his fingers, so that it would not capture him in his entirety. In later years, his daughters took the photograph to Menorah Photographers on New Utrecht Avenue in Boro Park to have it enhanced, so they could have this one lasting image of their illustrious ancestor. 

Rav Yoel left this world on the holy day of Yom Kippur of 1938, and the levaya on the following day, mocharas Yom Hakipurim, drew a large crowd from Boro Park and beyond. He was eulogized by Rabbi Zev Gold of Shomrei Emunah, as well as Rav Yehoshua Peikes, and other prominent Rabbonim. 

He left behind a beautiful family of upstanding Torah Yidden—his son Reb Moshe, his sons in law, the aforementioned Reb Moshe Yehuda Gleicher of Boro Park, and Rav Duber Shulman of Bayonne, and Reb Yehuda Leib Liphshitz— whom he raised with piety and holiness in Boro Park of yesteryear.