Shlomo Werdiger – The Beis Yisroel

[Music] hello everyone and welcome back to inside art scroll with the books you read and the people who write them come to life today I am privileged to be joined by rlma worder well-known Askin and the dedicator of a brand new book about the GB the B thank you for being here my pleasure my pleasure actually I stand corrected it's actually my son schi who's the dedicator of it he did it in this of of our fam's caser to to to my my my caser to the Bas Israel and our family's longstanding ker with G so I thank you for doing this it's a big for our that you did this for us yes we thank Ry for that and of course we thank Ruby besser the author of this book who's written so many beautiful books and he he's his masterful pen has brought out the life of the Bas in such no question about it and I I think here as I'm sure you'll see in the book and I didn't see the book yet but I'm sure you'll understand the caser that his Mish had to the basis Ro to his father who was very very big M and close to the basis Ro so here it was a labor of love not only what he normally does every everything he does is a labor of love but I think there was a special ceser here for him to do this for the on the Bas Israel so in in talking about the evolution of this book take us back we know that mishak worder goes back many many decades with theas of G talk about how that evolved and and where did that connection start yeah so so as as you'll you'll see in the book and and and as as Galia showed me this morning a famous picture of my father as a little child walking with the with the IM and the B Isel and so the cat goes back a long time but I was you know regular yes B my father you know we for years until they open the G in bar Park I I DED in in in in other places in BL and and so I didn't really have a g real G connection and then um my father was time for me to go to Yeshiva was time for me to go to Yesa imagine B I go to my father and I said to him you know where am I going he says wherever the Bas Israel tells you to go that's where you're going to go learn I said are you kidding me who today imagine if you sent your son to at you swirl he doesn't have a dorm he doesn't have a room he doesn't know where he's learning doesn't know if he's learning in or in K or in Ben but I was a I was a good son and I picked myself up and I I went there to S and again I had no idea where you were going where I was going I had no idea that night when I landed in the morning I had no idea where I'm parking my bags where I'm sleeping where I'm learning and I walked into the Bas Ro for the first time and I said to the basis before I even open my mouth he gave me a frosk across the face and he said you're going to tell me your name I knew Des that you're named after so he tells me uh and you you looked at the Bas is I mean Bas is was one stick fire you looked at them you started trembling I I think that in the hundreds of times that I saw him I was no less in fear of the basis role it was a combination is the love that he had for everybody but the fear the fire that he instilled in you I don't think the last time I was any less scared than the first time but he says to me was Vista was Vista I said the my father sent me here to to ask the rebba where to to go learn with a big smile on his face he calls in his Gaba and he tells his Gaba and he should call up and it was a year after the p of the and he says call upid by he was an aid by the CH yeah he was an Aiden by the and he says call him up tell him I'm sending somebody to himself to to go so the basis sends you to rabar shim and so I I I come to I come to chin and of course if the basis R sent me the rashash himself was waiting for me and uh and uh gives me a fair and he himself personally I daved Marv I they gave me some supper they take me took me downstairs to to and gave me a room I unpacked my stuff I was relieved I I and I go to sleep you can imagine I was both mentally and physically exhausted you know I wasn't my father didn't send me business class St so so uh so I got to sleep and all of a sudden all of a sudden somebody's shaking me says St off wake up wake up I take a look I see some gar guy with long payis it's my first night in see a guy with long payers says stay off I said who are you crazy I pulled the covers over my my my head takes the Nay off I said who are you he says I'm your I'm your the B Isel sent me last night I was there he sent me the first morning inel he sent me at 5:00 in the morning at Yaman to wake me up and to come and start learning with me every morning in as well that was of what 18 years old 18 years old that was my indoctrination he woke me up obviously he was a he was he was very very but he took me that first morning we walked from from Chim which was in Tara we walked up up uh to to to Gar and and uh and that was my start that was my first indoctrination after I learned for an hour the basis World cool me up is very famous I'm sure it's stories in the book about having Tha with mil tea with milk by the Bas as well was a big big big covered and uh uh actually the first time I had tee with milk I just reminded myself that first morning I didn't know what to expect so I come upstairs after learning and they give me a a tea with milk I'm holding in my hand the Bas walked in I got so shooken up I dropped the whole cup I dropped the hot cup of tea milk on the floor and and I was told next time leave it on the table they so they put me another one but that was my indoctrination what did he see Meer that had a that had a to from the but never learned in Gary yeshivas where did you learn you grew up in barar yeah I grew in barar I learned in taradas I was a taradas boy I graduated I went straight from tarvas wow so so that's the basis Ro I I think it's I think it's so important that that not just to understand what it means to build something from from from scratch to build something from the from from from from the depths of that came to M who sent their children after the m to rebuild why my father why did my father sent me my father sent me for a reason because he realized that that the the he wanted the heritage of our family with get to to reconnect right and who else is nobody in the world that could have re reignited that flame of love for this for for re more than more than the basis so I'm not saying my father had but my father understood that this was this was the opportunity and he understood that the basis Ro was going to put an eye on me listen my father was a was a working was a working person what you what your father do my father was in the was a diamond schlier was in the in the business um even though we came from probably in Poland uh My Father Here was not but the basis had had what what did he see did the basis all have EnV Vision that the worda family would would give the new Gabus medish right 50 years 50 years later uh there's no question in my mind that he basic put in all that me and and and and the and the scarv that we had he saw he's no question had saw the future right of the worda family intertwining with with G and continuing that we kept the ker with all the G Reb since then and obviously with with today the so um you know I really think that the today the should understand understand you know I I once met uh I once met the my father came once when I was learning in to visit me was there two years he came once we didn't go home for PES wasn't world and my father stayed in Mal at that time that was the hotel and walked in must want to see a want to see a and I walked over to he says he says what's your name I [Music] said said says let me tell you about the basis Ro andish had fire in his face says without the basis Ro there wouldn't be ponich today okay I looked at him and I said what do you mean says he sent me my first he sh me he he arranged for me my first money and he kept going on and on without the I never forget I went all the all the RAS all theas I went with the Bas myself as a he kept a he not only strengthened and built the G Community but he was M all of those people that came to this world that lost everything in theban EUR and that that's what it was I think it's very important that that everybody today not just not meant for I think most of the know who the B Ro was and know what he is and the impact that he had on on on all of our Lives I think it's important to understand there's so many l that he kept an eye on that became big Raj which you'll see in the book today big literature Ras who talk about the basis role and the impact that he had on their lives so so uh I encourage everybody uh I'm not I'm not a book salesman but I encourage everybody who who wants to understand we take it for granted we come today we have yeshivas and we have G and we have slot we have pich we take it for granted but but it's not the way it was 50 years ago when I was in Ed 50 years plus and a lot of that credit uh goes goes to the to the basis Ro what what do you think his secret was he had this like you said it was post the war many broken Yen the the the that we see today didn't exist as you said there were noas he came especially after he immigrated toel and he was able to rebuild really and uh and he lost his whole family too in listen that's the you think was he he no question that he he realized you know what what what the ma was then and he realized that he was saved no question to to to like we we had he was a one man he was a man that came and realized listen that he he encouraged everybody every Ro I'll never forget when when the he was you know when when the when the when the you know when the Bel who has one one he was a young man one son who was the son who was this who was Aiden by by by the who's the sandic by by this one son's BR the basis Ro basis Ro was was was with everybody he had he had this you read the book I don't want to I don't want to preempt the book but how many people and that I hear stories from in the middle of the night would get knocks on the doors from the bases all he he he bazer not only G but all of Claus Ro and I and I think that he realized that he doesn't have his own Mish he didn't have his own children and he took it upon himself make sure that that that the continuity of G and the continuity of goes on and becomes what it is today you go to today I DAV let's talk about G in general DAV built a Bish G that holds 25 30,000 people it's not enough you know so it's it's the same thing in the Lakewood and and in all the and and and so so I I think that's that's that was that was his that was his mission in life and and I could say that you're looking at one one example of one small example you see you see the the Bas is like the closenberg who lost his wife and 11 children and lost his family really came by himself and he was never and but with unbelievable devotion his his love for every you read the stories yeah yeah every individual he seemed to have a a sick sense about what to say and what to do some of these stories are like I don't I don't want to say Supernatural but you said the Reb it definitely seemed like he no question Supernatural the Reb told me things he would throw in a V that that it's 50 55 years later and I still patter my whole life and my M both my personal life my my CLA life my my my family life around things that he told me he he he he would throw in short little carts carts and shff you know G was never meant never longes but he threw in a V and everything else that there were lessons for life and and uh um you know uh this stories in the book I don't I don't want to tell you know remember the first time I'll tell you one quick story and I think it's in the book but one quick story that that's a lesson I must have repeated it thousands of times to all people that go to rebis today they get bris they went to they go in everybody's the first time I went to the G to ask him something and I I led with a question in a way of how I wanted the chuva you know sometimes you walk in you want you want to go in and get a bhha you could get a boa but if you want you want to ask something so to many people today go into to rabis rash and they ask him a question but they're leading the witness it's like they want an answer and he hopped it in 30 seconds he gave me a frosk across the face he says did you come to tell me did you come to ask me right and I said I said I came to ask and he said if that and the whole conversation changed and I told this over to hundreds maybe thousands of of people friends when you go in when you go in to ask you have to ask you have to be M I say this to all my they are good also we we have you can't go in and tell them what you want the cha to be you have to ask so that was the basis all he he he he intuitively he understood every by looking at you he knew right away you know what he shots you up right away and and and it's a lesson of life and and he did this I don't know where he found the time every day and and and but he did the lines the lines he always told me you know there used to be long lines to go into the basis Ro and people sometimes and and that was a small imag today and you'd you'd sit there and you'd think before you went into the re and the Reba once told me the once told me V is the waiting to go into a re and I tell this to all the guys too you're waiting to go in and you're through your mind you're saying you're walking into the Reber you're walking into whoever you're walking in he clearly sees through you you have to clearly understand you have to prepare yourself you're walking into a rebba and he says because you you got such a knowing that you're going to Bear your soul to the rebba to TOA we all have to know that and these are lessons that we're hoping everybody's going to read the book hear the stories and be inspired and and take away from that the lessons that I personally learned but it's so many years later and there's a d generation that's growing up now that never knew the basis Ro heard the basis Ro and we're hoping that uh that that by reading this book you're all going to be inspired and and take away valuable valuable lessons in life of how to conduct your life yeah question about it now it's not every day that we have you I just want to take a moment I'm curious when you came back after you learned in chabin you came back to America yes well what was your next step what did you well then I started getting a cash was a Gable I started D in the gel I didn't go to G yes but but I I kept up I kept up my CER with with G uh we we my my my father uh um you know reconnected again also once it was the Gish table with his friend my father started you know putting on the gett Lush again which he didn't you know before my going and and U um you know I have two brother-in-laws that are G so so yeah I kept up the connection I went Nas to the base Isel I'm I made a big n before my uh two weeks before my to the basis we kept up a very close that was probably close to the end of his life right that was very close the re was nft in the late '70s yes right yes late '70s I got married in the early '70s so yeah we kept I kept with him but because of that I became close to to the left who became my my place my place by ding by the basis and that was a small b b stood next to the next to the and and the left had a chair next to him and my place was right behind the chair of the of the left I became close to the left Sim became very close you know to the of course so yeah so that's really what I took back I came back I was the only kid I was a modern kid I used to go to the to the G theung today I used to go thereis and they all embraced me because they all knew that uh the the the the love that the affection that the Bas showed to me so they all uh they all figured there has to be a reason for it so uh so they they they continued with that uh I continued with their warm relationship with with my kids has a witness that is saw theas of this and took it upon himself to work very very hard what really and and they worked hours and hours and weeks I think it's maybe a work that's taken almost a year right sure sure sure so uh so my kids go to continue the relationship and and U very proud of it and it's all it's all due to the to the efforts of the basis world that that he that he put into me so was your involvement in our goodel also related 100% 100% when I first when I when yeah the one together with the and all of the were the ones the founders of a Isel and and um you know so who who recruited you to join that really recruited me because I used to go with him a lot to to to reab he was very close and I'm sure it's in the book as well if not it would be a big Miss but I used to walk with him I used to pick him up uh wherever he stayed we used walk together to G he was very close to the to the basis role and and the gbus encouraged me very much to to to get involved in the the whole role of is all due to the K that had they encourag me and they still even today I go into I spend long time with the Rebus discussing the various issues of of a my and many many times I get frustrated and say to myself enough the Reb doesn't want to hear from it doesn't want to doesn't want to hear from it the Z and and and and it's we said that is is Holy told it over to so so I'm continuing in that M as well and how about how about the role of the rebers when once you entered the business World there so many issues so many challenges so many questions is that yeah so the Reb listen the Reb always when it came to H questions regarding business uh we said g g fov you know he never he never is not a even though I'm not saying but how to conduct myself and how to in the workplace and how to make sure that you that you that you act the way you're supposed to act like like the that we are and to make sure that we act morally and ethically correct and how to conduct myself 100% all the time and to make sure that we're that we're in in in in business but business shist was Ron there's no shortage of Ron to go wasn't going to give ribb or other things but obviously that fire the the the basis Ro that was one of the when he came there that was one of the more laxas shabas was not shabas he was fire fire on shabas all the always shabas but um but of course of course I discussed everything with him and as I do today now you mentioned that you know when you go to reab mate frag n nag do you remember any instance where you Tako went into the Reb and you had a certain uh thought in mind maybe a certain approach and the Reb told you something totally opposite yeah not once many many times by the way the Same by the way that was the basis same thing here told me that when he when when I started working theod he says the highlight of everybody thinks you know the his accomplishment he says the greatest achievement that he has as the leader of AIS is is when he went in to the and he he was sure he had he had a case he worked up this scenario of how he's going to present it there wasn't a doubt in his mind that he's going to get through what he wanted and they turned him down he walked out with a smile on his face that's what it means to be so and I had the same thing many times not just not just with the basis well and there's a story in the book about about uh uh an instance that I had a medical issue that I had with the basis Ro you go in you have to understand you have to be M many times so that's important today the Y don't know that they they think their idea is the greatest idea but you have to and that's what I learned from the basis role if you go into ask you don't want to go and don't go in but if you go in to ask don't expect a rubber stamped answer you have to be prepared to accept what they tell you so that's that's very important and I hope that that many of them and there are people life death issues that come not just not just the basis Ro in general you're going what these rbes have on their plates today with these Ras have on their plates today they give away their lives for cl I think one of the lessons we can learn from here is to appreciate that to understand our gisis to to to appreciate what they're going through but if they but if you go in and ask and they tell you you have to listen mhm listen maybe one day we could have you back and we could discuss all the other issues I would love to speak to you about and and and and so many issues impacting that's not for today thank you very much I and I want to have as I said before not only butalia to yourself of course to toess for doing this and I think as I said I think that this is going to make a big impact on the Next Generation to understand you know we we take it for granted with 55 years later look what we have we have thousands of hundreds of thousands of of of of of yungal inting and learning anding that's not the way it was and a big part of the success of the continuity of of of of of Claus Ro is due to the basis Ro so I encourage you to to buy the book and and to read it and to and to take away the valuable lessons uh that I think you can from this book thank you for coming in thank you for all your efforts on behalf of CLA and just my BR she continued to have and carrying on the Legacy and the of the and the subsequent Rebus which you do with such pride and and and and with such uh you know such a kite so Contin thank you so much thank you very [Music]