29 Av · Yahrzeit
Rabbi Eliezer Zusia Portugal - the Skulener Rebbe - Father of Orphans
Rabbi Eliezer Zusia Portugal - the Skulener Rebbe - Father of Orphans (1898-1982).
Yahrzeit - 29 Av
Resting place - Monsey, New York
He was cherished by his followers in Russia, Romania, Israel, and the USA for his personal warmth and his care for hundreds of Jewish war orphans, whom he personally adopted as his own children. He founded the Skulener dynasty in America in the 1960s. His only biological son, Rabbi Yisroel Avrohom Portugal, succeeded him as Rebbe.
A Rabbi at Age 17
The Skulener Rebbe did not become a Chassidic Rebbe until he was sixty.
His first communal position was as rabbi of the Bessarabian town of Skulen (Sculeni), his birthplace. He was appointed to this position at the age of 17, after the passing of his father, Rabbi Yisroel Avraham, who had been the town's rabbi.
The Skulener Rebbe connected successfully with both the young and old members of the Skulen community (in present-day Moldova) through his extraordinary warmth and compassion for others. He was especially effective in working with Jewish youth, who were rapidly assimilating and abandoning mitzvah observance. Rather than becoming discouraged with them, he drew them close with love and deep discussion of the profound meaning and importance of Judaism, which convinced many to return to their heritage. When the Rebbe of Sadigura, Rav Mordechai Sholom Yosef Friedman, visited Skulen and saw the Skulener Rebbe's accomplishments, he urged him to move to the much larger city of Chernovtsy in Bukovina. Although the Jewish population of Chernovtsy numbered approximately 21,500 out of a total population of 68,400, this city was also undergoing strong assimilation. Together with the neighboring Chassidic courts of Sadigura, Vizhnitz, and Boyan, the religious Jews of Chernovtsy appointed the Skulener Rebbe as their chief rabbi to help preserve what they could. During World War II, the Skulener Rebbe lived in Chernovtsy. As part of Northern Bukovina, Chernovtsy was annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940, then occupied by German and Romanian forces during World War II until it was liberated by the Soviet Army in April 1944.
Father of Orphans
Starting in 1945, the Skulener Rebbe began adopting dozens of war orphans and caring for hundreds more. When he was able to move to Bucharest, Romania, he secretly brought his "family" with him and began adopting even more children, establishing an orphanage to care for them. Years later, he wrote in his will that his "children" should express their gratitude to him by remaining faithful to Judaism and studying Torah at every opportunity.
In 1959, the Communist government of Romania accused the Skulener Rebbe of spying for Israel and the USA. He was imprisoned together with his only son, Rabbi Yisroel Avrohom Portugal. Mr. Harry Goodman, Rabbi Eliezer Silver, and Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson led international efforts to secure the release of the Skulener Rebbe and his son.
Eventually, through the intervention of the U.S. State Department, the two were released in August 1959. The Rebbe later said that he chose the United States over Israel in order to better help those who remained in Romania. The Rebbe settled in Crown Heights and continued to help the destitute. When the Jewish population of Crown Heights began to decline, his followers moved to Borough Park and Williamsburg. However, the Skulener Rebbe remained in Crown Heights out of respect for the Lubavitcher Rebbe's request that the Jewish population stay.
Because of his lengthy prayer schedule and the lack of Skulener followers nearby, a daily minyan was formed for him at his home with Lubavitch students. He later moved to Williamsburg. When others urged him to open a yeshiva, he replied: "What would my yeshiva add to all the others? A person who wants to fulfill a mitzvah should ask how he can bring the greatest pleasure to G-d."
Instead, he opened a network of schools called "Chesed L'Avraham." In Israel, his schools competed with secular left-wing schools for the children of immigrants to the country. In 1961, the Skulener Rebbe visited Israel for the first time. He went to a left-wing kibbutz to forgive a Romanian socialist who had been one of his fiercest opponents years earlier. (This man's descendants became observant Jews.)
The Skulener Rebbe wrote "Noam Eliezer" and "Kedushat Eliezer," and composed many popular Chassidic melodies.
He passed away on August 18, 1982, and was buried in the Vizhnitz cemetery in Monsey, New York.
Sipurei Tzadikim
He was a diamond merchant, rushing to the train station for a very important business meeting. As he passed by the Skulener Beit Midrash, one of the Jews there asked him to help the Skulener Rebbe's community by completing the minyan for Shacharit.
The diamond merchant replied that he was in a hurry, but the man convinced him to stay and help complete the Rebbe's minyan. He entered the synagogue and saw that they were still one person short of the ten needed for a minyan, but since he had already come in, he decided not to leave the Beit Midrash.
Finally, they gathered the required ten men and began praying at the Rebbe's usual unhurried pace. The man kept glancing at his watch and realized he was going to miss his important business meeting.
In the end, that is exactly what happened - he was late for the important meeting. However, that day turned out to be his most successful day in business, despite missing the important meeting. Reb Shlomo Mandel concluded: "Of course - after Shacharit with the Skulener Rebbe, it was the most successful day of his business."
"Baruch She'amar" - the Secret of the Prayer Sent Down from Heaven, or How to Be Saved from Tzarot
https://silatehilim.com/барух-шеамар-тайна-молитвы-сброшен/
May the merit of the tzadik protect Am Yisrael!
(https://dailyzohar.com/tzadikim/793-Eliezer-Zusia-Portugal)