14 Nov The Mayor of East 24th Street
It was in the late 1960’s that I encountered Yonah Meyer Ben Chaim Alexander Ziskind A’H. It was my first Summer as a counselor in Camp Munk and I was meeting Rabbi Yehoshua ‘Josh’ Silbermintz A’H (“Rebbe’) to discuss some aspect of the upcoming Summer. I had Rebbe in the second grade in Toras Emes and he was one of my favorite Rabbeim, Head Counselors, Pirchei mentor, etc. Yonah had some Pirchei or Agudah matter to discuss with Rebbe. I vaguely knew Yonah from Torah Vodaas, but he was a few years ahead of me so we didn’t travel in the same circles.
In October of 1981, Barbara and I moved onto East 24th Street between Avenues N & O. Almost immediately we were introduced to the Mayor (‘Meyer’) of the street. Anytime day or night there were lines of people waiting in front of 1417. At first I wondered if there was a great Doctor, Lawyer or Rav who lived there. Eventually, we found out it was the home of Yoni and Freidy Blumenfrucht and the people waiting were there because there was an illness in the family, somebody getting married, a Yeshiva in need of funds, etc. I often wondered why didn’t they see him in the Sasregen Bais Medrash ? Why were they blocking my street?
In 1992, a group of us started davening in Sasregen. Only then did I understand the tremendous amount of chesed that Yoni was involved with on a daily basis. The lines that appeared in front of his home started in the morning in the Sasregen Bais Medrash. I was so amazed at how he would take time to listen to every story, every situation and act accordingly. Not only would the people walk away with a check, they got a smile and the knowledge that when things were tough they could always turn to Yoni for help.
But, don’t think for a second that Yoni was one dimensional. He was a tremendous Talmud chochom. Often, he could be seen in the den in his home with seforim at his desk with a lamp learning to all hours of the night. Of course, he was known as a great orator. His speeches were legendary, both in content and delivery. His wit, his creativity always shone through. There was this Shabbos Parshas Tetzaveh, when Moishe Frankel was giving kiddish, but did not show up to Shul that Shabbos. Without hesitation during his introduction Yoni pointed out that there would be two Moshe’s missing from that weeks parsha.
If you think that’s it think again. Yoni was a tremendous Baal Tefilah and davened with such warmth and a great voice. As long as I can remember, he was our Baal Tefilah for Mincha on Yom Kippur. We all knew his nussach, we all knew his nigunim and we sang along and were so inspired despite having fasted almost twenty four hours at that point. This past Yom Kippur we didn’t have our Yoni to lead our Tefilla. Although, Rabbi Noam Rosenzweig filled in admirably, it wasn’t Yoni. Many of us found ourselves humming his nussach, his nigunim. We will never forget.
We first heard of Yoni’s illness about one year ago. I remember it was the first time since I joined Sasregen that he missed the Melave Malke. As time marched on, we saw less and less of him and it pained so many people. The collectors lost their main man, the oilam lost our Rosh Hakohol, the RAV Hatzair lost his mentor. However, nobody in Shul was more affected than our beloved Admor Shlita. Not a day went by that he did not ask about Yoni. I can’t imagine a father caring about a son more than the Rebbe cared about Yoni. This was painfully obvious when the Rebbe spoke and the bitter tears he shed at the levaya Sunday night.
We didn’t always agree on how matters should be handled in Shul, but I always respected his opinion and deferred to him on all matters, because he was our Yoni. I would like to ask mechila if I didn’t always pay him the proper respect he earned from all of us. May he be a maylitz yosher for Freidy, his children, his grandchildren, his family and klal Yisroel.
Respectfully submitted,
Jerry Weisman