Leader of Haredi Synagogue Passes Away at the Age of 69

It was recently reported that a noted leader of the local congregation, Rabbi David Yehuda Borstein, passed away over Shabbat. The late Rabbi had been 69 years old at the time of his death. Bornstein had been born in Uruguay and had been assigned the responsibility of one of the most important synagogues in Jerusalem, the Zoharei Chama Synagogue. It is an iconic structure, located in close proximity of the Mahane Yehuda market. The building is famous for exhibiting a huge sundial on the outer side of its walls. The synagogue was designed somewhere between the years 1908 and 1917 by an American oleh. 

Another interesting fact about this place is that it is said to be the first skyscraper in the city of Jerusalem. Up until some years ago, the building had a total of five floors and housed a hostel as refuge for new immigrants. It was also home to an art gallery, and of course, the synagogue. However, over the years, the structure of the building weakened and became damaged. Currently, it only has a synagogue, which does not permit women to enter its premises. Every Friday, a Shabbat siren is sounded for the people of the area to hear. 

In addition, the now deceased rabbi was well-known for being a halachic authority. He had previously also been employed in arbitrations as a posek, which had been presided over by Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, the leader of the non-hassidic haredi in the State of Israel. As of now, the cause behind Borstein’s death is still unclear. The funeral procession for the deceased leader was started off at 10 pm on Saturday night. It began from his home, which is located near the David Yellin Street, and went all the way to the Mount of Olives cemetery. 

In other news, The Prime Minister of Israel, Naftali Bennett, was stuck in the capital city of the United States of America for a Shabbat. He then spent Shemini Atzeret in the state of New York, before he and his staff proceeded to spend some additional time in a foreign location for Jewish observance. The Black Sea resort town is located in Sochi, where the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, owns a vacation home. The two leaders had a meeting, which went on for longer than expected, which led to the Prime Minister missing spending the Shabbat with his family. 

The Chabad of Sochi is currently under the leadership of the well-known Rabbi, Sholom Lazar. He sprung into action in order to prepare some kosher meals for the visiting delegation. Late that night, Bennett talked about the Torah portion of that week, which was revealed by a member of his delegation. The Prime Minister went on to talk about the historical connection that Russians and Jewish people share, which made it special for him to be spending Shabbat in Sochi. Ze’ev Elkin, the housing and construction minister, also shared his stories of how he secretly learned Hebrew, while in the Soviet Union.