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[Page LV]
by A. Ackner, Tel Aviv
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More than twelve years have gone by since the sudden and untimely death of Charles (Hayim) Silber. His demise was a sad blow to those who had known and loved him, and it proved difficult to accept the tragic reality that this striking and gifted personality was gone from our midst. Charles had symbolized the pulsating life of Mosty and no one grieved more deeply over its grim extinction than he did.
Despite the passage of the years, I still feel his loss acutely, for his presence is lacking from our activities. Only now can we fathom how much he had contributed to them. His fine qualities, nobility of soul, generosity and enthusiasm had endeared him to all.
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Like his father Avraham before him, Charles' doors were open to all in need. His hospitality and that of his wife, Lili, was warm and from the heart. They devoted themselves lovingly to charitable works, both organized and personal. These deeds came naturally to Charles for he was one of those rare souls who would gladly run to the ends of the earth to help someone.
A few glimpses will illuminate some of the rich variety of personality traits that made up his character. Charles began his manifold activities while he was still a boy, Hayim Silber of the wealthy Silber family of Mosty. He never joined the elite social circles, however, choosing rather Histadrut “Ha'Or” as his milieu. This was a non-party Zionist organization with a membership composed of young people from every economic and social level in Mosty. When “Ha'Or” and “Ahva” combine to found a
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branch of the Labor Zionist “Hitachdut” Hayim joined it and put his whole heart and soul into its activities.
On one occasion Charles was director of a play put on by the dramatic circle of the organization. After many weeks of hard work and long rehearsals, the play was ready for its opening night. On the very same day, Shlomo Reiter, who had a starring role, withdrew from the cast because his father, a Beiz Hassid, had promised his rabbi to forbid his son from participating. The play almost had to be called off, but at the last moment Hayim stepped upon the stage and took over Shlomo's role, playing the part with verve and talent. The success of the play, despite the attempts of the rabbi and his zealous Hassidim to prevent its performance, was a feather in the cap of the youth of the town in their struggle against religious fanaticism.
In 1926, Hayim immigrated to Israel. It was his misfortune to arrive just at the end of the Fourth Aliya amd at the beginning of the great economic collapse. It was hard for him to find work and to adjust in the face of conditions that went from bad to worse. Nonetheless, he wrote enthusiastic letters to his parents, his friends, and his teacher, Eliahu Teitelbaum whom he respected greatly. Every letter reflected Hayim's love of Eretz Yisrael, in spite of the difficulties he was having. Neither the deprivation nor the hard conditions of life in Israel finally broke his spirit and made him return to the Diaspora, but rather the frequent letters from his parents full of pleas to him to come back to his home in which nothing was lacking. Hayim simply could not hold out against their never-ending pressure and he finally gave in and returned to Mosty, though it was a heart-rending decision he had to make.
In 1935, he became so homesick for Eretz Yisrael that he returned for a visit for several weeks. Upon his return to Mosty, he gave a talk to the members of the “Hitachdut” organization, that people from all the other Zionist movements came to hear. For several hours on that Saturday afternoon, Hayim shared his
[Page LVIII]
impressions of Israel with us. We drank in his words and were thrilled by them.
When the Second World War broke out, he somehow escaped from Poland and after being tossed hither and thither, he managed to reach the United States. There, Hayim – now calling himself Charles – joined the American Army and took part in a number of battles. After the war he returned to New York and started a family as well as new economic ventures. Needless to say, he was successful in both respects. At the same time, his devotion never flagged in helping refugees from Mosty who had managed to survive the Holocaust. When I visited him in New York, I saw dozens of letter from survivors then living in the various Displaced Persons camps. Charles answered every letter he received, encouraging the people and sending them parcels and money to keep them going. Nothing was too hard, no obstacle too great for him when it came to helping the survivors of the Holocaust. It was he who organized a special committee of Gross Moster Society in America to provide for them.
Charles and Lili visited the newly established State of Israel frequently. He loved the land with all his heart, and was deeply immersed in the realization of the Zionist dream. One of his greatest pleasures in Israel was getting together with his fellow Mostyites. It was Charles, in fact, who took a hand in setting up the organization of Mostyites in Israel, stimulating it to activity and infecting its members with his own passion to do the utmost for new immigrants from our town. Each time he visited us, he would ask, “Who needs help?” And he would put large sums of money at the disposal of the organization for helping individual members in need.
During one such visit, he sat in at the meeting of the Free Loan Fund of the organization. At the time, there were a number of people who had defaulted on their repayments. Charles requested a list of people who owed money and for whom repayment would be a difficult burden. When the list was handed to
[Page LIX]
him, he wrote out a check for the entire – and not considerable – amount, handed it to the treasurer, and told him, “I am paying their debts. Please remove their names from the list.”
Many such stories could be recounted about Charles Silber, for he was inherently a generous and noble soul. In 1961, he and his brother, Dr. Maurycy Silber established the “Silber Fund” in memory of his parents, Avraham and Lana Silber. This Foundation and its activities will be described in a separate article.
Charles Silber conceived the idea of publishing a Mosty Memorial book, and he prodded us into gathering material for it. Just before his tragic death, he wrote to assure us, “Don't worry about financing the project. I will see to it that money is made available for the purpose. The main thing is to begin.” Charles, who did so much to help the people of our town and to perpetuate the memory of those who were killed, did not live to see the Memorial Book completed. He was uprooted from our midst before he could complete his life's work. There was still so much he could have contributed to his family and to society.
Yes, twelve years have passed since the disaster in which he lost his life, but each of us feels his loss as though it had occurred only yesterday. Charles Silber, man of deed and of action, is lacking in all our doings, and no one can replace him. The Memorial Book of Mosty-Wielkie, which he helped to conceive, contains a number of pages dedicated to his memory. They serve as part of the memorial to Charles Silber, a man upon whose strength we leaned for so many years, a man beloved by all, a man to be proud of. He is gone, but he will never be forgotten!
[Page LVII]
by Moshe Starkman (Hazkoni),New York
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Never in my most fearful imaginings did I ever dream that I would be faced with the task of eulogizing my childhood companion, Hayim Silber. But the older we become, the more strongly we feel the closeness of death, even when we are well and prepared for a long life ahead of us. We feel the cold fingers of the Angel of Death and hear the beat of his black wings when one or another of our close friends passes away. I feel the touch of death quite strongly, for with the sudden demise of Hayim Silber, a bright and lovely part of my own childhood and youth has departed from the world. My own grade and high school days have died with him, as have the years of childish play, of hiding and running. With his death I have lost my youthful strolls in the Mosty forest, and the secret conversations we used to steal during the reading of the Torah when we were two among the half dozen little boys
[Page LVIII]
who prayed with the important men of Rabbi Yankele eli Avigdor's congregation.
Hayim was the child of a fine family, the son of Avrahamche and Lana Silber. He suffered no want in his own childhood himself, but he always saw the need of others, the need of those who came to beg from his father – and who never went away empty–handed. During his whole life, therefore, Hayim was permeated with a great sensitivity, with sharp sympathy towards those who suffered. This expressed itself most especially toward fellow Jews from Mosty who were in unfortunate circumstances, and toward Mosty Jews who managed to survive the Holocaust and to reach Israel.
I received letters from Tel Aviv following his death which conveyed the feelings of his fellow townspeople. His passing away was not only a frightful and horrible event, but actually a catastrophe for everyone from Mosty.
Hayim brought lovely song with him wherever he went– not songs that were sung aloud, but a music that was deep within his heart and in his beautiful soul. The songs were linked with his life partner, Lily, with his two children, with his brother and sister–in–law and their children, with his close relatives, his companions, friends and fellow townsmen – and with Mosty Jews in Israel. He was always greeted by the Israeli Mostyites with love and honor, and he showed special love and honor to a number of them.
All these songs in his heart and soul joined together to form one great chorale. But suddenly, unexpectedly his heart stopped beating, and the gentle soul returned to its creator. The song of his life was broken off in the middle. The life and achievements of Hayim Silber were really a lovely melody.
“No man dies, except to his wife” (Sandhedrin 22). No one feels the death of a man except his own wife – and therefore we can all understand what a blow his passing was for Lily Silber. But perhaps she has more strength and vigor than many of us, and instead of us consoling her, she can have compassion on those
[Page LIX]
of us who don't know how to console ourselves. I can only say one thing to Lily, “How fortunate you were to have been the life partner of Hayim Silber, may his memory be blessed.”
If he was well off materially, it can be said that the world contains many wealthier men. He had a certain wealth, however, which not everyone possesses. He had a rich soul. In order to achieve a rich soul, one has to work hard, even harder than to amass money. If one loses money, it can be won back by favorable business deals. But if a person loses his soul's richness, he can never recover it.
Hayim Silber was born with a rich soul, and he continued to enrich it all the days of his life. He enriched it with good deeds, with love of the people of Israel, and with love for the Land of Israel. We know that Lily Silber, and that his brother and sister–in–law, Dr. Moshe Silber and Mildred have rich souls as Hayim had, may he rest in peace. We know that if his children, too, possess rich souls from their memories of Hayim, from thinking of his deeds, and from following in his fine, Jewish–ethical ways, they will achieve a consolation which cannot come from other people, for fine values are the consolation and blessing given by God.
In today's portion, we read about the death of Nadab and Abihu, and how Moses consoled Aaron, “This is what the Lord has said, “'I will show myself holy among those who are near me'” (Lev. 10:3). According to Jewish believe, every human being can be holy by imitating God, who commanded the Jews, “You shall be holy; for I, the Lord, your God am holy” (Lev. 19:2). How can one follow the example of God? God clothes the naked, and in the same way, a person must see to it that a needy man is clothed. In all the ways that God does good for people, people can do as God does by helping others.
In this manner, through charity and devotion, Hayim Silber imitated the Lord of the Universe, and it is therefore fitting to quote God's consolation on this occasion of Hayim's death, “I will show myself holy among those who are near me”. We can also
[Page LX]
cite the passage from today's portion concerning the death of Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, “The whole house of Israel (and the sons of Mosty here and in Israel) may bewail the burning which the Lord has kindled”.
There was once a great, learned man named Rabbi Moshe Sofer who was nicknamed “Hatam Sofer” for the initial letters of his book, “Hidushei Torah Moshe”. He said, “People worry a great deal about having with what to live from, but very few worry about having with what to die”. Those who knew of the deeds of Hayim Silber knew very well that he took good care to have with what to die – with kind acts for others, with fine deeds which is heirs, his children, can consider the finest part of his estate.
When Hayim and I were children in the heder, we were always in the same class, sitting one next to the other, and learning from the same Gamara. As though it were yesterday, I can recall how we used to sing out, with the Gamara intonation, the section of the Baba Mitzia which starts “When two people grasp the same tallis” (Tylu Mitziot) and the portion Hamafkid.
I shall end my eulogy over my childhood companion, Hayim Silber, with words from the Gamara, as he himself would no doubt have wanted me to do, “As your departure from the world was without sin, so your leaving it is without sin. Like very human being, Hayim must, at one time or another, have hurt someone unwittingly with an angry word. But if so, he did it because of his strong feelings of justice, for he could not stand evil acts. It is no sin to hurt someone in order to set right a wrong. Through his devotion to others, through his unstinting efforts for the good of all, through his many acts of charity performed in secret, he personified the words of the Gamara. “As he came into the world without sin, so he departed from it without sin”. May his memory be a blessing for his wife and children, and may it be a blessing for us all. May Hayim's soul be inscribed in the Book of Life for all eternity, till the coming of the Messiah, when all the dead shall rise. May it come soon, in our own days. Amen.
[Page LX]
by Avraham Ackner, Tel Aviv
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“If one sheds tears for a worthy man, the Holy One,
The news of Prof. Maurycy Silber's sudden death in New York on 19 October 1976 came as a great shock. He was our fellow townsman and an outstanding friend. How can we accept the sad reality that he is no longer with us? Never again will he come to visit us in Israel as he did so many times, from a deep sense of yearning for the land, for his fellow Mostyites, and for his many friends here. His relationships extended to doctors and hospital directors with whom he maintained close contact to the last.
From the depths of sorrow and distress into which his
[Page LXI]
death plunged me, a deep need has sprung to portray the exalted and rich personality of Professor Silber, and to record a few fragments about him in the Mosty-Wielkie Memorial Book.
He was one of a small, select group whose accomplishments brought glory to our town. From the time he was a lad, he attracted about himself a group of friends and admirers, drawn by his magnetic personality and intelligence. He chose the field of medicine as his life work, seeing it as a way to help people in distress. It did not take him long after reaching the United States to achieve status in his profession and to become recognized as an authority in his specialized field of medicine.
Some twelve years ago, Prof. Silber was appointed Professor of Rehabilitation of the Handicapped. He dedicated himself, body and soul, to the task of helping the crippled and achieved great things in his new field of work. His name became internationally known, and the government of the State of Israel invited him to come as consultant and advisor in the treatment of handicapped soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces.
Prof. Silber accepted the invitation gladly and willingly, happy to be able to contribute his knowledge and experience towards easing the lot of amputees. He gave them immeasurable help.
An article that appeared several years ago in the newspaper, “Ha”Aretz' gives some idea of Prof. Silber's character and accomplishments. The article deals with a wounded soldier whose leg had been amputated. He had been fitted with an artificial limb at the Sheba Medical Center, but had continued to suffer great pains because the artificial limb did not suit him and had not been properly fitted. The soldier travelled to the United States especially to consult with Prof. Silber. There he was hospitalized and a new artificial limb prepared for him.
The soldier tells about his stay of several weeks in the United States and related he often visited Prof. Silber's home and enjoyed the warm hospitality of his family. Upon
[Page LXII]
his return to Israel, fitted with his new limb, he felt as though he had been born anew. He learned to drive a car and became a student in the Technion.
He writes that Prof. Silber saved his life and made it possible for him to become a normal, happy human being. Many such tales could be told of Prof. Silber no only with regard to his professional personality and ability, but also about him as a human being, tales of how he manifested himself as an angel of mercy with his many generous and open-handed acts of aid and benevolence.
It is still too soon to evaluate the many-faceted character of Prof. Maurycy Silber. He was full of life and charm, elegant and handsome, noble and fine, but he also exhibited unusual force of character. He was a true friend to those close to him, but in addition he had a wide circle of acquaintances. He was noted for his kindness to strangers and outsiders. He cared tenderly for the needs of his family and lived a life of integrity and high principles.
With his untimely death, we have lost a dear friend and a devoted townsman who brought honor to us. His loss will be felt in many circles, and especially among his former fellow townsmen of Mosty.
Prof. Maurycy Silber will be remembered; his memory will be with us forever.
[Page LXI]
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[Page LXII]
This Was Your Life
by Clare Silber, Netanya
Dear Mrs. Silber,The unforgettable memory of your dear husband is as warm and beautiful today as it has always been since we last saw him over a decade ago. When I think of Mr. Silber I think of the old values, values so estimable and so conspicuous by their widespread absence today: devotion to wife and children, commitment to the responsible performance of one's work, and adherence to a high standard of personal ethics.
I best remember Mr. Silber in the role of the especially conscientious and concerned father who spared no effort to give your children unending guidance, patience and love. Whenever I saw him, you, Mrs. Silber, were not far behind, nor were Jerome and Albie. The family unit meant everything to him, and everyone who knew him recognized this devotion. Indeed, the wonderful development of your sons reflects in large part his impact, however foreshortened it was by the standard of time. Mr. Silber had a special aura of righteousness about him that commanded immediate respect and admiration. In his presence I always felt honored and secure.
Judaism, too, played a profound role in the Silber home. Not meaningless, empty and formal Judaism, but rather a concern for the preservation of the valuable cultural and ethical traditions which we are given as a trusted legacy. Mr. Silber paid a dear price for his Judaism in Europe, and he made every effort to make your sons aware of their responsibility in carrying on fight to keep our religion alive. Though not formally religious, he embodied the values of Judaism in their highest form – a life of decency, integrity, compassion and justice. His impact here, too, is as strong as ever in your life and in those of your sons.
This then was your husband – a towering figure of integrity, family loyalty, and faith in its deepest and most beneficial sense. The greatest tribute to him, perhaps, is the feeling of immense loss
[Page LXIII]
which we continue to feel day after day. No one will ever fill the void he created with his untimely death. In recognizing this, we acknowledge his unique place in all of our hearts.
Fondly,
Robert Serkey
Dear Albert,We just spoke to Jerome. He is well and fine. We told everything about you and he was very happy to find out how well you're doing and how much everybody in Kingsley Hall likes you.
Jerome will be home for the weekend and he'll speak to you Sunday on the phone.
Please dear Albert, take good care of yourself. Do not over work yourself. We love you very dearly and we want our Albert to be happy. You're a wonderful boy and we're very proud of you. We don't want you to drive yourself too hard. You don't have to be number one. Just do what you can do and do not overdo.
We're looking forward to see you home next weekend. Meantime take good care and we love you.
Your Dad and Mom
Letter from Hayim to his son, Albert
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This Was Your Life
by Clare Silber, Netanya
At ten you were a child,
At twenty wild,
At thirty settled,
At forty wise,
At fifty rich,
At sixty famous.The youngest son of a noble family, Lana and Avraham of blessed memory of Mosty-Wielkie.
Devoted husband to Mildred,
Father and grandfather.
Studied in Italy, suffering hardships during World War Two,
Working diligently in the U.S.A. and finally achieving acclaim.
Inventor of an air-suit which when inflated enables cripples to walk again.
Two years ago, by invitation, he visited Tel-Hashomer
Hospital and donated ten suits.
Unfortunately his beautiful work ended; death claimed him much too soon.
Today we grieve with the family on his untimely passing.
May the family be blessed and know no more sorrow.
[Page LXIV]
by A. Ackner, Tel Aviv
The Avraham and Lana Silber Memorial Fund was established in Israel in 1962. Its aims are two: to extend urgent aid and welfare to the needy and to give grants or scholarships to children of families originating from Mosty-Wielkie. These grants enable the children to continue their high school or university educations.
The Silber Fund was just established by Charles and Prof. Maurycy Silber, now both deceased, the only two members of their large and ramified family in Mosty to survive the Holocaust. The two brothers struck roots in the United States, economically and socially, began raising families, and soon involved themselves in philanthropic endeavors, as had been the wont of their parents. The brothers felt impelled to perpetuate the memory of their parents, but were in a quandary as to what form of memorial would best express the spirit and character of the deceased.
An early idea had been to build and endow a social and prayer center in one of the religious kibbutzim, where Mostyites could hold their annual memorial meetings for the martyred dead of their town. With the promise of a substantial sum from Charles and Maurycy, I was delegated to explore the possibilities of the plan and to present a blueprint for the project. The idea was shelved, however, in favor of a different and more suitable project.
Early in 1962, during one of Charles and Lili Silber's visits, I was asked to call a meeting of the governing council of the organization of Mostyites in Israel. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss a memorial for the Silber family. Charles said to us, “You all knew my parents, and you knew with what love and
[Page LXV]
devotion they participated in Jewish philanthropic endeavors, as well as personally helping the needy, confidentially and secretly. We, their sons, want to create a suitable memorial to our beloved parents that will be representative of their spirit of selfless giving. For example, a fund could beset up in their memory to help the needy; this would be a continuation of the good works to which our late parents devoted themselves in Mosty.”
Charles' words so impressed us that the Silber Fund was founded there and then, and a ten-man board of governors chosen on the spot to plan and direct its activities. A charter was later worked out and the Fund registered with the Ministry of the Interior as a charitable institution under the Ottoman law of Societies. The Fund has been functioning for thirteen years at this point.
After Charles' untimely death in 1965, a new activity was added. It was decided that scholarships in his name would be granted. Every year, in the month of Adar, a special service is held in memory of the Silber family, representatives of the finest qualities of the Jews of Mosty-Wielkie. The service opens with el Maleh Rachamim and a Kaddish. It closes with a ceremonial granting of the scholarships, in accordance with the choices made by the committee in charge.
The Silber fund is financed by Prof. Maurycy Silber and his wife, and by Lili Silber, Charles' widow, who views it as the lifework of her late husband. Charles' son recently visited Israel and evinced great interest in the Fund to which he made a personal contribution, thus attesting that a happy and satisfying link has been forged with the coming generation.
Professor Maurycy Silber and his wife, Mildred, visited Israel this year. They participated in the board meeting of the Fund's board of governors where details of the Fund's future were discussed. It was decided to coopt younger people, the offspring of the present members of the Mosty organization into the Fund's leadership, among them should be the children of Prof. Maurycy and
[Page LXVI]
Charles Silber. Thus the continuation of the work of the Fund would be ensured.
It was also decided that the money accumulated in the Fund's coffers should be invested under the trusteeship of Bank Leumi Le-Israel. With its compounded interest and linkage increments, the money would grow and become the wherewithal for financing the Fund for generations to come.
The Silber family undertook to make an annual contribution in order to finance all the running expenses and current activities of the Fund so that the invested capital could remain intact and thus increase from year to year.
It is fervently to be hoped that the Silber Fund whose first modest steps were symbolic of what is to come, will eventually become a force to be reckoned with in matters of charity and welfare and will thus be an eternal monument to the deservedly honored Silber family, so cherished by all Mostyites.
This splendid tree has been cut down, but new shoots and branches have sprouted. The offspring of the Silber family show the strength of their stock and continue in the ways of their parents, in their spirit, their philanthropy, the manner of bringing up their children to Jewish and universal values. They have implanted in them the strength and desire to bequeath to future generation their own cultural, traditional and educational values.
In this there is consolation and a pledge that the Avraham and Lana Silber Memorial Fund will function and endure for generations to come, and will be a living monument to the Silber family of blessed memory.
[Page LXIV]
by Abraham Ackner. Tel–Aviv
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On Tuesday, the 23rd day of Shvat, 5735, our dear, unforgettable friend, Moshe Starkman–Hazkoni was laid to rest. He was buried in the section of a New York cemetery reserved for natives of Mosty–Wielkie.
The news of his sudden and premature death broke upon us like a thunderclap. We never expected that so energetic a personality, a man so full of life and as yet unrealized plans, could be uprooted from our midst with such speed.
Confused and shaken were we by the catastrophe, and full of the grief visited upon us, his fellow townsmen, his friends and companions. It is terribly hard for us to accept the sad reality, the knowledge that Moshe is no more, and that never again will he visit us in Israel as he was wont to do. He saw his trips to Israel
[Page LXV]
as the fulfillment of the mitzva (commandment) of pilgrimage to the Holy Land. His visits, moreover, were a preparation for carrying out his heart's desire and coming to live permanently in his homeland, which he loved and to which he was attached with all his heart.
It is difficult to estimate the height of a mountain, and to see its peak when standing close to it. Only from a good distance away does it appear in all its glory. We valued Moshe's greatness and special characteristics when he was still with us; we saw in him a man of great spirit, of rare talents, so deeply learned that he achieved the highest renown, and furthermore a brilliant scholar of Talmud and Bible.
From the time he was a child in our town of Mosty, we knew that one day he would rise above all of us. The whole town loved and respected him, and this attitude followed him to America and continued to prevail all the days of his life, to the very end. Nevertheless, until now, half a year after his demise, we didn't know how great a man Moshe had been. Only now can we begin to truly appraise his personality.
His loss was a great blow to all the natives of Mosty, especially to those who had been his close friends and who love and were deeply attached to him. His sudden death left a void in all our lives. My words cannot do justice to his success in the fields of creative endeavor, of literature and journalism. that task will be fulfilled by those better and more accomplished than myself. In the role of friend and fellow townsman, I shall try to paint a few details into the figure of Moshe as a man and as a companion.
He was a simple man, almost meek in his ways. He never exalted himself, nor did he have any pretensions to greatness; he did not put himself to the “Eastern wall” of the society in which he lived and was active. He love truth and hated falsehood, and he treated with respectful awe every person who consistently fought for the integrity of his own beliefs. He loathed flatterers and those who smoothed a way for themselves with their elbows. He was never
[Page LXVI]
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[Page LXVII]
Jealous of the success of others; on the contrary, he rejoiced at their achievements. Moshe had a sharp sense of humor. He was full of optimism, and he love life and people.
At the time I was studying at the University of California, I was overburdened with a heavy work load and underwent a difficult period of crisis. In those desperate moments, I would pour my heart out to Moshe in letters I wrote to him – and his answers came back, so full of encouragement that they enabled me to continue my studies and to recover my confidence.
When Moshe used to visit Israel, he would join me on trips to all parts of the country. He was full of wonder at his visits to agricultural settlements, and his meetings with various people. His enthusiasm knew no bounds when I brought him to the excavations of Beit Shearim, to Sepphoris (Tsippori), and to the Arbel Valley. And great as was his awe at the sight of the historic places, my own awe was even greater at his deep understanding of the period of the Sanhedrin, all of whose ways were illuminated for him as though he himself had lived in that time. It was enchanting for me to hear whole portions of the history of our people from his lips, to see how every historic spot was as familiar to him as though he himself had walked there two millennia ago. These visits to ancient sites were unforgettable experiences for me, thanks to Moshe's profound explanations. More than once when listening to him, it seemed to me that I was in the company of a historian or an archeologist.
Though Moshe left Mosty when he was quite young, he always bore within himself memories of our community. It remained so alive and green in his heart and spirit, that even through his long sojourn in America, he continued to live in Mosty. He nurtured this love for his town, and was in active contact with all his fellow townsmen in America and in Israel.
Moshe was one of the leaders in the Gross Moster Association in the United States, and an initiator of the Memorial Book project. He was regrettably denied the satisfaction of seeing its fulfillment.
[Page LXVIII]
His sudden death was a sad loss, not only to the emigres of Mosty–Wielkie, to his family and to his friends, but also to the Jewish people as a whole, who have lost a dear son whose entire life was dedicated to disseminating Zionism and its principles, and to enhancing Hebrew culture and the heritage of our forefathers.
Stricken with sorrow and in mourning, we cannot be consoled for our loss.
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