I read this volume again!! Here is a fresh new look and not much different from my review of 2014!!
This is a biography of one of the Torah giants of the 20th century. The book is a well documented, annotated history of the growth of the German Jewish community of Washington Heights in Manhattan. It serves well also as a contribution to the history of American Jewry and how the philosophy of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, Torah Im Derech Eretz successfully warded off assimilation in Rav Breuer's community against all odds of the prevailing trends in American Jewry.
Rav Breuer was a successful Rosh Hayeshiva in Germany and well into his late 50s he wrestled the Nazi beast successfully enough to leave Germany and make his way to New York City. He overcame difficult trials and tribulations such that one could see outward miracles occur on his behalf.
Rav Breuer's strength of personality and absolute integrity is highlighted in this well, smoothly written prose. 'Glatt kosher implies Glatt Yosher' represents his demand for ethical integrity that one must be vigilant in fulfilling the commandments not only between one's maker but also among one's fellow human beings. One sees his success in his maturity that he was able to make ethical demands on people since he too applied those same standards upon himself.
When the young American born students came home from Yeshivah questioning the standard of the Mechitza, partition in the synagogue, wanting to add a curtain to make the partition opaque, Rav Breuer denied their request. He argued one can not come in and cast aspersions on complete kosher communities. When one of the community rabbis who did not help in the construction of the Mikva, ritualarium demand to see how water was collected, Rav Breuer was pained by the notion that one could entertain the possibility of nullifying the Kashruth of the mikvah which would put in doubt a whole community's family purity!
I was interested in the interactions between Rabbi Dr. Samuel Belkin president of Yeshiva College and Rav Breuer since I am a product of RIETS. It was Rabbi Dr. Belkin who was able to secure passage for Rav Breuer in offering a position at Yeshiva College. Rav Breuer was non committal about the offer with the authors claiming that his hesitation was due to the fact that the other Roshei HaYeshiva would have a problem with Rav Breuer joining the staff. With the untimely death of Rabbi Dr. Belkin the offer was never brought up again!
What makes this a lively read is learning how Rav Breuer was not interested in making a typical American synagogue but rather a traditional 'community' or Kehilah with the corporate structure of the old European communities that maintained a school, a free loan society, a court system, a Kashruth agency and Mikva society. As Rabbi Breuer aged and became more and more physically frail he asked that the synagogue add another Rav (not assistant) to split the rabbinical duties. His frailty was only physical, his spiritual strength was nevertheless impressive.
His vision and success is born out of the fact that the success of American Orthodox Judaism now can be traced back to a Torah Im Derech Eretz outlook in almost every American Orthodox community except maybe the Chasidic world.
As a rabbinical student of RIETS, newly married with child I lived in the same building as Cantor Robert Frankel of Blessed Memory and experienced the Kehillah first hand and was able to meet and interact with Rav Shimon Schwab ZTz"L on a regular basis. The Rav never made me feel uncomfortable knowing that my stay at the congregation would be temporary. His sharing of his experience, meeting the Chofetz Chaim had a profound impact on me. Selling my Chometz with Rav Schwab made an indelible mark on me as his radiant smile I can still see!
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