Rabbi Pinchus Tzvi Birnsweig − menahel of the Yeshiva of Tel Aviv − passed away Wednesday, June 19, at the age of 88. His levaya was held in Bnei Brak, and he was buried in the Segulah Cemetery in Petach Tikva.
Rabbi Birnsweig gave Gemara classes for working men in several local synagogues. He was well known for his amazing ability to explain difficult concepts in a way that almost anyone could understand. He was also an experienced baal koreh, and his special manner of reading made the Torah, and especially Megillas Esther, come alive.
Stolen Torah Scrolls Recovered
After an intensive search, police and border control officers succeeded last Sunday in recovering four Torah scrolls that were stolen from the Tiferes Shimon synagogue in Bnei Brak.
The scrolls were found in a corral for sheep in the Aqraba village and were completely intact. Two Palestinians were taken into custody.
The theft occurred the week before, on Tuesday, June 11. In addition to stealing the Torah scrolls, the perpetrators left a scene of chaos at the synagogue, with holy objects strewn across the floor in a state of disrespect and the sanctuary heavily damaged.
On Wednesday, a joyful crowd of thousands accompanied the Torah scrolls through the streets of Bnei Brak. The procession made its way from the home of the late Rabbi Aharon Leib Shteinman to the synagogue on Rabbi Akiva St., where the scrolls were returned to their aron kodesh.
Also present were the officers who had discovered the scrolls and returned them to safety. They graciously received the outpouring of gratitude from the community.
