Simcha Wasserman

Elazar[1] Simcha Wasserman (1899 - October 29, 1992) was described as "a Pioneer Educator"[2] who was sent before World War II to the United States by his father, Elchonon Wasserman, to improve the level of Jewish education.

Much of his life's work was on the West Coast, although he did open one school in Israel.

While in Israel he facilitated the reprinting of his father's works; some of his own writings "appear in the booklet Simchat Elazar."[3]

Outreach

Among the keywords describing his methodology are patience and simplicity:[4] "Whatever is within my ability to fulfill I do, and whatever I can’t accomplish I don’t worry about."[5]

In 1970 he wrote an article for The Jewish Observer titled "Memorandum To: Concerned individuals From: Rabbi Simcha Wasserman Re: Reaching out"[6] in which he encourages more outreach "to the entire Jewish community," adding that "Unless the public is Torah educated, the Yeshiva contributor will soon be supplanted by the philanthropist whose list of priorities does not even include Yeshivos."

He was not a fan of "new and improved" when it came to Judaism: "... the plastic potato. It looked like a potato, smelled like a potato, even tasted like a potato .. the only significant difference .. was that when you planted a plastic potato, it didn’t grow, it couldn’t reproduce, it was sterile."[7]:p.49[8]

Some of Wasserman's students went into non-Yeshiva fields,[9] even though still involved in the Jewish community.[10] As to the difference between whether his students became yeshiva rebbes later on or not: most students invite their Torah teacher to their wedding.[11]

Career

Although most of his career was in the United States, "Wasserman founded the first of his four rabbinical seminaries at Strasbourg in 1933" (where for a while he lived) and "all four are in operation."[2]

During the 1940s Wasserman strengthened[2] Detroit's Yeshiva Beth Yehudah and served as dean. It had been founded in 1914 as a Talmud Torah and renamed as a yeshiva in 1925.

Yeshiva Ohr Elchonon

Two of the schools founded by Wasserman were named Yeshiva Ohr Elchonon, one in the United States,[12] the other in Israel.

The school in Los Angeles included "elementary, secondary, college and post-graduate" classes, with some students "from as far as Arizona and Colorado."[2] Ten of the initial students at the college and post-graduate school were "accomplished young men" from Yeshiva Torah Vodaas, handpicked by Gedalia Schorr.[7] This was well before the school attained 300 students.[2]

Family

His place of birth was "in Imperial Russia."[2] Simcha Elazar was the oldest of the three sons born to Elchonon Bunim and Michla Wasserman. The children were nephews of Chaim Ozer Grodzensky.[13]

Except for him, all of his birth family died during World War II. He and his wife Fayge, who outlived him, had no children.

References
  1. monumument: "Rabbi Elazar Simcha Wasserman".
  2. Mathis Chazanov (November 5, 1992). "Rabbi Wasserman, a Pioneer Educator, Dies". The Los Angeles Times.
  3. "Letter from Rabbi Elazar Simcha Wasserman".
  4. Akiva Tatz; Yaakov Branfman (1994). Reb Simcha Speaks: Rabbi Simcha Wasserman's Insights. ISBN 978-0899-06116-0.
  5. Yochanan Gordon (October 27, 2013). "Something Positive For A Change". Five Towns Jewish Times.
  6. Rabbi Simcha Wasserman (November 1970). "Memorandum To: Concerned individuals From: Rabbi Simcha Wasserman Re: Reaching out" (PDF). The Jewish Observer. pp. 3–5.
  7. "Rav Mendel Weinbach" (PDF). p. 13.
  8. Zadok Shmuel Suchard (2005). Inspiring Insights Into the Parashah. p. 158. ISBN 1583308172. As Rabbi Simcha Wasserman ... a potato created in a laboratory may ...
  9. Rabbi Dr. David Fox (1995). Greatness in Our Midst: The Life of Rav Simcha Wasserman. ISBN 978-0873-06704-1.
  10. Yitzchok Adlerstein (March 6, 2011). "Yaakov Horowitz's Campaign – And Why We Ought To Support It". CrossCurrents. Rabbi Dr. David Fox teaches at California School of Professional Psychology... He wrote a biography of Rav Simcha Wasserman zt”l who was his rebbi.
  11. "May 2012". 'No yeshiva student would ever contemplate getting married without inviting his Torah teacher,' said Rav Simcha.
  12. 1953
  13. "2 Cheshvan". Torah Umesorah.
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