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The origin of the family of Rabbi Kaplivetzki z”l was Russia; during the second half of the 19^th century the family moved to Bessarabia. The dynasty of rabbis in the family lasted seven generations. A joke was told in the family, that once, when a boy was born, the maid said to the rabbi's wife, who had just given birth: “From now on I shall address your son with respect, since when he will grow up he will be a rabbi!”…

The first position of Rabbi Yona Kaplivetzki was Lublin, Bessarabia. From there he was invited to serve as rabbi in Căpreşti. It seems that he was the first rabbi in the shtetl.

Rav Yona was a God–fearing Torah scholar, and a great Hasid. His name was known among the Russian rabbis, with whom he was in constant contact; he exchanged questions and Responsa with the great rabbis of the generation, and often his decision in questions of Jewish Law [Halakha] was accepted. He wrote his questions and Responsa in the book Kanfei Yona, which, however, remained in manuscript form and was never published.

Rabbis and messengers from Eretz Israel were his constant visitors. Among the things, that he would never let the eyes of a stranger see was a little bag full of earth from Eretz Israel, which he had bought from one of the messengers.

Rabbi David Kaplivetzki

Rabbi Yona Kaplivetzki

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He kept this bag of earth, and ordered that it should be near his head when he dies. In his will he asked the community, which respected him much, to appoint in his place his son, who at the time was rabbi in Briceni; to read appointing document in front of his coffin and wish him Mazal Tov for having his son take his place. The community, which revered the old rabbi, fulfilled his wish with accuracy.

Rabbi David Kaplivetzki occupied the position of rabbi in Căpreşti until it was destroyed by the Nazis. Rabbi David was an impressive figure; his appearance commanded respect; his words were words of wisdom and understanding; his behavior reflected his elevated position. He was a real scholar, who has received his education in the Lithuanian Yeshivot. In his youth he participated in the compilation of the encyclopedia Otzar Israel. He wrote articles and Torah interpretation in many monthly journals. He was among the top speakers at rabbinic assemblies, where they discussed halachic decisions or matters of education of Jewish children, who were pupils in the government schools. Most of his suggestions were accepted, since they stemmed from his experience in the needs of his community and were easily applicable.

He was not only he rabbi of his community, but was an “institution” of many aspects, carrying the burden of all community needs. His house was open to all, without specific hours. Every ill–fated or desperate person would come to pour his heart out before the rabbi, and came out of the rabbi's house calm and reassured. When the rabbi heard that some member of the community is distressed, he would invite him and talk with him, encouraging him to speak about his problems.

He cared for the personal matters of the members and the community matters with the same vigor. With great effort, and with the help of the elders, a fund was established for building a new bathhouse, since the old one could not serve the needs of the community anymore. He visited personally the houses of the well–to–do and asked for donations, and did not rest until he saw with his own eyes the new building and appointed the attendant to manage it. The entrance fee to the bathhouse was low, so that every member of the community could use this important public service facility.

When Passover approached, Rabbi David Kaplivetzki convened an assembly of community leaders in his house, to discuss and decide upon the price of matzot and prevent black–market. The rabbi, accompanied by R'Aharon Wechsler, would go from house to house to collect Ma'ot Hitim [money to buy matzot, lit. “wheat–money”]. Every needy person in the community received a sum of money, according to the size of his family, in a sealed envelope.

For “public health” purposes, it was decided, in agreement with the doctor, upon the maximum fee for the needy sick. As recompense, the doctor received one Lei from every fowl slaughtered by the ritual slaughterer [shohet]. A special arrangement was made in order to pay the doctor his due.

A special plan of the rabbi enabled the children to learn Hebrew and Jewish Studies. Only one government elementary school, of four grades, functioned in Căpreşti. The instruction language was, naturally, Romanian. According to the law, the curriculum included “Religion”; but children whose parents declared that their children studied religion privately, were exempt from this course. Based on this law, the rabbi came to an agreement with the principal of the school that the lessons of Religion were set for the Shabat day; and since the parents declared that their children studied religion privately,

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the children were permitted to be absent from school on Shabat. The Căpreşti children learned Hebrew and Jewish studies in private schools and went to the public school only five days a week.

Conflicts between two persons, between a person and his neighbor or between partners – all were brought before the rabbi. In most cases he was himself the arbitrator; when he found it was necessary he convened a number of arbitrators. Non–Jews also brought their grievances to the rabbi, since all trusted his integrity and believed that he will issue a just verdict.

The rabbi represented the community vis–à–vis the local authorities, as well as the government. In most cases his demands were accepted, thanks to his pleasant manner in discussion and negotiation. In the years 1919–1921 he was very active, together with members of the community, for the benefit of the Ukrainian refugees. Every refugee who had passed through Căpreşti remembered the warm care received in town. The rabbi participated in almost every public activity.

Formally, the rabbi was a member of Agudat Israel, but he was not an active member. When the messengers from Eretz Israel came to sell land in Eretz Israel and the members of the community bought land, he bought a plot as well. He would always participate in the actions of his community.

After the Holocaust, Rabbi Kaplivetzki went to Czernowitz. He served there as rabbi, albeit not formally, and was called “the rabbi from Căpreşti.” I had a chance to see a divorce certificate [get] that the rabbi had given, and he signed “Formerly rabbi in Căpreşti”. The members of his community admired and respected him very much, and he was proud of them and loved them.

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And who in Căpreşti knows the Hebrew language as thoroughly as you? Yet you are like a brother to everyone, rich or poor, of a respected family or a simple man, a scholar or a craftsman. When dancing at a wedding, a “regular” lad would dance with a student or a rich man's daughter – while Yochan'tche would dance with the simple girls of proletarian families, as if this was the most natural thing to do: the girl was happy and the public applauded his good manners, although he was not one of the best dancers…

In his behavior toward people, whether adults or children, everything seemed natural, as if that was the only way one could behave. He would joke with children, with adults, with old ladies; nobody was offended when he kissed a young girl in the presence of old, religious Jews.

Yochan'tche was active socially. Together with a few friends, he founded the library, the Society for the Aid of the Sick and the Linat Tzedek [free accommodation for the night] Society. When he had the idea to establish a Bet–Ha'am [the “People's House”] in Căpreşti, he went, once a week, with Motel Feierman (Mordechai Rishpi) to collect money for this purpose. One could not say “no” to Yochan'tche. He would smile, and people would donate money even if they did not agree with the idea of the project – no one wanted to argue with him.

It was told, that already as a boy of 10 or 12 years he was “sharp.” His father the rabbi learned with him every day a “page of the Gemara” [Talmud]; only after that he was allowed to go out and play with his friends. One day he became angry and did not want to stay at the “lesson.” The rabbi, aware of the fact that Yochan'tche was stubborn and ambitious, asked him in a soft voice: “What is the reason that today you don't want to learn?” – “Because – answered Yochan'tche – other boys are free and after Cheder they go and play. Their parents permit them, but my father does not permit me.” The rabbi said, in a calm voice: “Those fathers let their children go out and play, because they know that their children already know how to study just like their fathers. When you will know how to study like your father, I will permit you to play like the other children.” Yochan'tche liked this reply very much; he burst into laughter and said, jokingly: When I will know how to learn like you, I will also be a rabbi and will compete with you.

This discussion between the rabbi and his little son, echoed not only in Căpreşti, but in the neighboring towns and villages.

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Thanks to this story, Căpreşti became known as a town of wise people. In the case of a dispute between two persons, they would come from other shtetlach to Căpreşti, to settle their problems. Most often they would return home satisfied, when the verdict was issued in Căpreşti, and not elsewhere. Our shtetl succeeded in establishing a good name for itself, mostly thanks to several excellent arbitrators, among them: Simcha Portnoy, Wolf Gelbard, Yankel Mer, Shayke Feinboim and other wise and sharp arbitrators, who have helped give Căpreşti its fine name.

Speaking about Yochan'tche as a Hebrew teacher, one must mention that he was a very serious teacher, totally devoted to his pupils; he was a very good pedagogue, who understood the soul of a young student. And, finally, we should mention his serious personality: talented, wise and possessing a tireless energy. He had an extraordinary memory and a power to quickly analyze serious problems. Yet, as every human being, he had some faults as well, one of them being his lightheartedness.

Yochan'tche studied Oriental Languages at the Philological Institute of the Vienna University. His main subject was Arabic, and he graduated with the title Doctor. He studied in Berlin as well, and finally published an Arabic–Hebrew dictionary.

Several years later, he came to Eretz Israel to settle there. He founded the “Semitic Institute” [Machon Shemi], which attracted many researchers of Oriental languages. Unfortunately, his big plans have not been realized. The former Yochan'tche, who has become Doctor Kapil (he Hebraized his surname), invested great efforts in order to create an Arabic Grammar book and other Arabic books, which he hoped to introduce in the schools as textbooks. However, his efforts caused opposition and conflicts, some of them based on personal reasons, his opponents using various means to block his plans. He became ill. His wife Soybel (nee Katz) tried to help him but his illness progressed and he died in 1960. So ended the impetuous life of Yochan'tche of the Rabbi – in his youth, and Dr. Kapil – in his adult life.

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Can one remember R'Aharon shochet from Căpreşti otherwise than as a person who was a man of Torah and good deeds, of initiative and effort for the benefit of his fellow men, loving and pursuing peace – like the High–Priest Aharon – wishing well to the depressed, helping the poor out of their troubles, saying to the weak “you are strong?”

R'Aharon was a unique person, who devoted all his time and strength to those who needed his help. Without an “information office,” without appointments and at every hour of the day or night – his door was open, and the poor and distressed found their way to it; R'Aharon listened to their troubles and gave them hope; R'Aharon listened, asked, comforted with good words; the person who just came in distressed and sad, was walking out reassured and with a smile on his face.

R'Aharon was active in many areas: help for the sick, Torah study, free–of–interest loans, help in marrying poor girls and orphans, and anonymous help [matan baseter]. His budget was based on donations, while he was the collector, the accountant, the treasurer, the buyer and the warehouse manager. When a sick and poor person came to R'Aharon, he would give him a “note” which enabled him to visit the doctor and receive free medicines at the pharmacy. In his warehouse one could find: bottles, plastic sheets, rubber wheels, thermometers, “cupping glasses” etc; everything was given on loan. He was not annoyed even if he was wakened in the middle of the night.

He was careful not to offend the poor and their families. Therefore he did not open special classes for the children of poor families, as was the custom in those days, but sent them to the regular classes, and the tuition question was taken care of by a special arrangement with the teachers. He obtained for “his” children warm clothing, shoes and books, so that they would not feel humiliated compared to the other pupils in the classroom.

R'Aharon realized that helping the needy must be not only a charitable action, but constructive as well. Therefore he introduced a special section in his activity: helping the craftsmen purchase tools; helping the water carrier buy a new horse when the old one breathed its last breath; helping the peddler buy new merchandise; all this supported the needy, enabling them to make a living by their own work, and not be a burden on the community.

During the summer months, R'Aharon received special time off from his work as a slaughterer, and he went to the villages in the neighborhood to collect money for poor brides; he would arrange pleasant and festive weddings. When the happy day arrived, he behaved like one of the family, dancing to fulfill the mitzvah of bringing joy to the bride and groom.

In the summer, the season of fruits and vegetables, he would make conserves for the winter and give them to the needy. Every Friday he would collect the necessary funds for this purpose.

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Early in the morning, he would be seen, walking from house to house and from shop to shop, several notebooks in his hand. The notebooks were organized, a page for each donor, and each donation was registered separately. If he did not finish his “rounds” on Friday, he would continue Sunday and sometimes another day of the week. All respected his work and contributed generously. Although he worked without helpers, and was not asked to report his accounts, he would go to the rabbi z”l, who was his neighbor, and present a detailed report about the income and the expenses, in order to obtain the rabbi's approval for his future plans. “Secret charity” [matan baseter] was an important subject of their consultation: it was important to determine the sums, the receivers, the way it was given, etc. It seemed that when discussing these matters, the two men entirely relieved themselves of all personal worries and their entire being was dedicated to caring for their fellows; it was as if they were partners of the Holy One, blessed be His Name, who takes care of all living things.

I mentioned above, in short, his praise and his deeds. Where is the pen which could describe R'Aharon shochet, who was so special? His figure would shine upon future generations and show the way to help others, without expecting words of praise.

This was the man. His memory will forever remain in our hearts and will not fade.

R'Aharon Liebstug z”l was a very special person. It seemed that he was born to help others and serve the community. He was blessed with a personality of a Tzadik and a special grace was radiating from his face. His aim was always to satisfy the needs of poor Jews. Although his own home knew the feeling of need and poverty, he did not pay attention to that; his thoughts were always with the needy, and all he did was wholeheartedly and without complaint.

In the treasury of the Holy One, blessed be His Name, He keeps good and pure souls, and in every generation He gives His people several of these special souls; R'Aharon was one of them. His thoughts were always directed to finding ways to improve the situation of those who came to him and he always managed to fulfill their wishes; this filled him with satisfaction. His home and his heart were always open to every good and useful matter. Things that others avoided, for lack of strength, will or imagination – he would take upon himself to do, with devotion, diligence, integrity and full attention. His memory will be etched in the history of Căpreşti, as a symbol of purity and concern for others.

There are years since he passed away and we have not forgotten him, his deeds, his sayings and the charm of his personality. His words were not like a storm, but calm and understanding. As our sages said:

“The words of the wise are spoken in a quiet tone.”

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Here are some of his words, said jokingly: one winter evening he appeared at my door, without galoshes, and brought in some mud. He turned to me and said: Mr. Pinchas, do not be angry, the truth is that I brought mud into your house and in exchange I will receive from you also mud – that is, money, which is considered nothing, as the popular (Yiddish) proverb says: “Money is mud.”

I remember R'Aharon as manager of the Pawn Shop. He was not satisfied with helping the needy of Căpreşti; in the neighboring villages he opened branches of his activity as well. He would travel from place to place and collect money for loans, in exchange of a pledge to buy a cow or a horse, to renovate the house or as help for a poor bride.

These were the deeds of R'Aharon.

There was a man, and he is not anymore! Woe for the loss of those who are not to be found!

R'Aharon Liebstug SHU”V Died13 Iyar 5711 (17 May 1951)

Two rows of houses open to the hot sun in the summer and sunken in mud in the spring;

Longing to spread the wings – and pitiful hopping in one place;

Provincial Jews of yesterday and young people longing or the day of tomorrow;

A strange little town.

Strange?

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A town like any other Jewish town in Bessarabia.

But was it like all others?

Of course not. It was o u r town.

A town where the director of the bank takes his goats to pasture on his way to … the bank;

A town of poor Jews who read – on their way to the neighboring villages – a book by Zhitlovski and… enjoy it;

A town that we have loved – even those who ran away from it as fast as they could, because their life was in danger.

We loved the Răut river flowing far, far below, where people looked like dwarfs and horses like toys; the Răut surrounded by rocks and caves, our play–nests during the sweet “almost–dark” hours – the present of spring at all times;

We loved the hills and the vineyards growing on them; the singing of the “shikses” (Christian peasant girls) in the nearby fields; the “Kol Nidrei” night, veiled in mystery; the smell of the matzot baked in the spring, the moon that met us with its smile as we came out excited from the “hora” dancing in the hall of the youth movement;

We loved the ridiculous in it, as well as the homey and comfortable;

First of all, we loved its people.

Indeed, we did not have many trees in our Căpreşti, but we had some people who were like oak trees, and among the oaks – one. Not too tall, but solid, deep–rooted, of a strong spirit – this was R'Aharon shochet.

Religious officers [lit. “holy vessels”] were many, but R'Aharon was one.

He was Holy.

The figure of R'Aharon shochet is one of the cherished memories of my early childhood. He was coming to the house for “business purposes.”

The “business” he conducted with my mother: firewood for the needy in town; help with the wedding of a poor bride (twenty eight brides were helped this way); money to buy matzot; who can count his many and diverse “clients?”

He would sit on the sofa, look at the ceiling (since one must not look at a woman) and spoke about his many worries. My mother sat in front of him and spoke to his… beard.

It happened once, that mother forgot about the prohibition, and sat down on the sofa next to him, and while excitedly discussing the important matters, involuntarily moved closer to him. He did not look and moved away a bit; and so it continued, through the discussion, until a loud laughter was heard from the window of our shop in the next room: It was father: R'Aharon had reached the edge of the sofa and was about to fall, and mother did not realize his distress…

But R'Aharon never fell. He was a great believer, and loved people…

It was during the big hunger after WWI, – so Father told us – and we organized help for the poor. We found some money, we obtained corn meal, and R'Aharon was appointed to manage the distribution of the treasures. One day I entered the hall where the distribution was taking place,

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and what did I see? Long lines of poor people waiting for their portion, and R'Aharon was standing, weighing a portion of the yellow meal for a “goy” from Prodăneşti…

I wondered: How come, R'Aharon?? There is scarcely enough for “our” poor?

R'Aharon looked at me and said: “They have a soul, too!”

I was ashamed and sneaked out.

Then I understood who R'Aharon shochet was.

– Write, something, my son, in the memory of our R'Aharon shochet from Căpreşti.

– Believe me – said Mother with shining eyes – believe me, we couldn't find many persons like him.

If you stopped a person in Căpreşti, Jew or Gentile, and asked: Do you know R'Aharon Liebstug? He would look at you strangely as if fearing that something is amiss in your “thinking–box.” It seemed that even a baby in his cradle knew the somewhat bent figure of R'Aharon SHU”V; in particular his beard black as coal, around a very white face, and his eyes hidden in a thicket of black lashes and eyebrows.

Why was R'Aharon known to all people of Căpreşti and surroundings? From the day he came to town, he didn't wait for people to come to him. He immersed himself in caring for the local needy, known and hidden, and did for them all that was expected from a man who was entirely devoted to the needs of the community. It is true that “for everything there is a time” – but for his work any time was good. One could come to him at any hour, tell him about his or her troubles and he would listen. A widow who has at home children who demand to be fed; a person who lost his entire fortune – all was brought to R'Aharon, and he would sit and listen, his hand holding his black beard, his eyes half–closed, and absorb into himself all the troubles of our brothers, the Jewish people.

One could rely on R'Aharon and be reassured, that he would find a remedy for every misfortune; even a good advice was valued. But he was not satisfied with an advice – a Jew needs real support, that is, money. So where would R'Aharon obtain money, when his own bread was scarce? He was relying on his good and merciful fellow Jews. He got on his feet and began walking: entered home after home and talked to the lady of the house in confidence: he needed such–and–such sum – tens or hundreds – and it was a very urgent matter! And when R'Aharon is asking, there are no additional questions. Coins are taken out of the secret little bag or other hiding places and given to him. He doesn't count it, puts it in his pocket, kisses the mezuza, sends a blessing to the charitable woman and is on his way. Nobody knows – and does not need to know – when and how much he has received and how he returned everything to the last coin.

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Where did he take the money to return the “loan?” R'Aharon's Gemilut Chesed [free–of–interest] fund included several people of heart and means, who, from time to time deposited sums of money, large or small; and if a greater sum was needed, somebody would give R'Aharon a valuable object and the latter would pawn it and receive a loan on his own name. In order to pay the loan and release the object, R'Aharon would use one day of the week to walk from house to house and collect donations for the Gemilut Chesed fund, which was never full. The needs are great, as is well known.

One day, I had a chance to observe R'Aharon in his activity, and from then on he seemed to me like an angel in Heaven. I found my mother very distressed and crying, and R'Aharon, who was always calm, walking around in the room very excited. From what they said I understood that my father had seen the daughter or daughter–in–law of one of the money lenders wearing my mother's winter coat.

This coat had been pawned by R'Aharon, and through the weeks of the winter my mother made every effort not to visit relatives and friends, under various pretexts. Now, as the secret became known and my mother could not explain how her coat reached the shoulders of an unknown woman, an argument began, and R'Aharon was called to save the peace in the family.

As R'Aharon noticed that I witnessed this agitated discussion, he called me, patted my shoulder and said: “Since you happened to be here, we shall give you an important mission and I am sure you will not divulge anything of what you heard. Please come in to me after the mincha prayer.” From then on I became a full partner of all that was happening. With a letter from R'Aharon in my hand, I left his fur–coat at the money–lender's house, in exchange for to my mother's coat, which was put back secretly in its proper place at home. In the next two Saturdays I saw R'Aharon walking to Shul with his weekly winter coat over his Sabbath clothes.

Since then we became good friends, in spite of the difference in age. Many times we would meet, during our walks from house to house – he for his collections and I to empty the Keren Kayemet (JNF) boxes where we collected money for our Bet Ha'am. R'Aharon would always come up with a saying or a joke, to start a conversation.

I asked him once: “Why would you visit Mr. X, who is known to be a great miser and you can be sure he wouldn't give you even one small coin?” R'Aharon smiled one of his wonderful smiles and said: “Do you think I can shame someone and not knock on his door?? And maybe one day he will repent? Can I miss this opportunity – to give the sinner a way out of his bad ways”?

Once he said to me: “How strange are those people across the ocean: a Rabbi, and his name is Stephen Wise! One of the two: if he is a rabbi, his name cannot be Stephen, like the cleaner of the stables, and if he likes this name, let him not be a rabbi!”

When I stopped wearing a kippah or a hat, the rabbi did not like it. Once he reprimanded me: “How could that be – a lad full of Torah like a pomegranate is full of seeds, and bareheaded?” I said “What has the head–cover to do with what is in the head inside?” He said: “It has, it has! Look and see: when a person sells textiles in his shop, how do the people in the street know about that? The sign–post on his door

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announces: Here this–and–this material is sold! So is the hat: it declares that there is Torah in the brain and it should be guarded! That's it!”

He was a sharp opponent of Zionism, by his religious belief (“if all the Jews will go on Aliya to Eretz Israel, what will the Mashiakh [Messiah] do when he comes riding on his donkey?”) When his own daughter went on Hachshara [training for Eretz Israel] it was as if she, God forbid, “fell into bad ways.”

I met R'Aharon several days after he made Aliya, after many years of wandering and suffering in Russia. The tribulations that he went through left their mark on him: he was stooped, his beard was spotted with white – but the eyes were the same eyes – smart and shining and lively as in his youth. He embraced me and burst into tears: “It's like out of this world!” he whispered, in a muffled voice.

After that we sat down and talked. He talked about everything that happened since I saw him last: his years of wandering which rattled his old bones; the regime in Russia; the Jews of Căpreşti who survived and who made Aliya to Eretz Israel. Those who remained wanted to keep him as their spiritual leader:

“How can you abandon your flock” – they argued, but he insisted: “I went through too much, and I am not able to fulfill any role in the Diaspora soaked with Jewish blood! My place is in our Holy Land! All the halutzim [pioneers] are worth more than all the religious people in the Diaspora!”

Before we parted, he held my hand and his eyes were filled with tears: – “Yes, my son, you were right in all our discussions, long ago at home!”

And added: “Indeed, when the Creator blessed be His Name, wants to punish a person, He covers his eyes so that he cannot see what is in front of him! That's how it is!”

For the last few years, a Gmilus Chesed exists in our town, which is today under the leadership of the Honorable A. Liebstag, ritual slaughterer (shochet), M. Peck and S. Schwartzman (secretary). Every year there is a collection for this institution. Following the last report, we can see that the Gmilus Chesed possesses a capital of about 110,000 lei which are distributed among 100 needy people—local as well as from the surrounding area—without any interest.

Last winter, when Bessarabia groaned under the heavy burden of need and poverty, the local poor received a substantial aid from this useful institution.

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Special thanks are earned by the honest and loyal social activist, Mr. Aaron Liebstag, for his untiring efforts for the needy and the suffering. .

In the name of the administration we would like to express our thanks to the following villages, whose Jewish inhabitants answered so warmly the call for this Gmilus Chesed during Mr. A. Liebstag's visit: Raspopeni, Fecista, Semaşconi, Ulişconi, Pripişeni, Ignăţei, Scurceni, Chiştelniţa, Nigureni, Căzăneşti, Pepeni, Cotuşeni Mare, Covilia, Soldăneşti, Olcidari, Sîrcova and others.

Hopefully, in the future, they will also answer in a proper way for the welfare of this institution.

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