In his honor of my father’s first Yahrtzait , I share the following tribute to this great man.
Our father, Rabbi Boruch Saks o.b.m., was born to his parents David and Ida Wolinsky Saks on September 4th 1936 (my birthday too) and was raised in the lower east side of New York.
Boruch was the name his parents chose because while his mother was pregnant, she had fallen off a step ladder and was unsure if her baby would survive. When he was born in good health, she called him Boruch as a Hodah/praise to Hashem for her special Brocha.
Our father and his older brother Moshe attended Yeshiva Rabainu Yaacov Yosef – RJJ.
Our father stayed in RJJ starting with elementary, through high school and Bais Medrash. He was the high school valedictorian and received Semicha before he was married.
Our grandmother Chaya (Ida), was so proud of his accomplishment of receiving Semicha, she gifted him a beautiful gold watch.
A friend of our father, from RJJ Rabbi Chaim Herber related to me that when the photographer for the high school yearbook asked for our father to come forward so that his picture be prominent on the back page of the yearbook, he noticed that he had not shaved and wouldn’t be fit for the photograph. Rabbi Herber continued, “I was then chosen to be photographed and I did not have a jacket. Your father took off his jacket and gave it to me so that I would look best in the picture.” Rabbi Herber continued, “I feel that special caring till today, over 65 years later”
In 1958, he married our mother, Malka Herzberg and they settled in Boro Park, New York. As children we were blessed to observe what an idyllic marriage is all about. Our mother a’h recognized awhichnd respected our father’s Kochos/strengths and supported him and encouraged him in every way allowing him to learn uninterrupted. Our parents were involved in successfully matchmaking approximately 40 couples!
Being a rebbe in the morning afforded our father the ability to seek out a place to learn in the afternoon. It was at this point that he was introduced to the great Sage Harav Moshe Feinstein Zt’l, as he joined his Kollel Bais Medrash Lehoraah in the lower East side.
The reverence that our father had for Reb Moshe was beyond. Reb Moshe recognized our father’s talent and appointed him a Rebbe in the afternoon at the new Yeshiva Staten Island, where he delivered an hour-long shiur/class every day for over 50 years!
Our father set an example for us by the way he lived and seldom did he make demands. He had the ability to discipline us through coming up with a humorous expression or saying that got his point across. He was so down to earth; he was always there for each of us children and cared for his students and congregants.
The shul that our father attended in Boro Park was called Zeirai Agudas Yisroel. When they were looking for a Rav, they turned to our father, their fellow congregant to become Rav, a position he held for over forty years. On Simchas Torah the dancing at ZAI was legendary. Our mother would prepare a huge and sumptuous Kiddush/luncheon for the shul in our home in honor of our father receiving the honor of Choson Torah Aliyah each year. The dancing would continue as they escorting the Rav from the shul until they got to our home!
In the early 1960’s Camp Mogen Avraham in the Catskills hired our father to be the Rabbi, a position he held for 45 years. The twice a day Torah learning groups were taken seriously and he was busy going from group to group engaging the campers in what they were learning.
There are so many stories of how our father injected self-confidence, giving assurance to youngsters so that they tap into and develop their inner talents. He showed them love, warmth and kindness when they needed it most, and his interest and caring has carried them throughout their lives. He just had a knack to spot those who needed a boost and encouragement.
Our father was an excellent speaker. Whether it was a drasha in Shul and shmooz in Yeshiva or speaking at a Simcha, he always made it custom made for the baal Simcha. When his family grew, it was the highlight when Zeidy spoke and gave his individualized charge at a bris, bar mitzvah, bat mitzvah; to a choson and kallah and also lauded the parents, his children and in-laws, who were hosting the Simcha.
Our mother passed away at a young age, 37 years ago, with the youngest child only 9 years old. Our father dealt with and navigated during that very trying time with tremendous strength and he immediately adapted to a new role of giving us more of his precious time and interest in his eight children.
One of his daughters relates: When my mother passed away my father called me in privately and he said, “I want to split up the house-jobs between everyone so that everything will stay in order. And for you I have something very special… You know how much Mommy loved making Shabbos. I want you to be the one in charge of making Shabbos! You’ll be perfect for the job!”
“It was because of the manner in which my father presented the special job to me that to this day it is an honor and privilege to make Shabbos!”
At our father’s Levayah/funeral, Rabbi Reuvain Feinstein the Dean of the Yeshiva said there was no such thing as ‘burnout with Reb Boruch.’ Each day he came in to Yeshiva with a smile and a youthful spirit, even when he needed a walker or when he was wheelchair bound. Nothing stopped him.
Our father was blessed twice. He married Hindy (Sommers) who supported our father’s busy schedule and cared for him and his health in amazing ways.
Around twelve years ago, our father and Hindy moved from Brooklyn to Pine River Village in Lakewood NJ. He didn’t stop; he became a beloved Rav of the Sefard Minyan at Pine River Village.
During the Shiva someone who knew me but did not know my father asked if I could encapsulate my father’s life in a few words. I thought for a moment and responded – he wasted no time.
With all his responsibilities he conducted himself with ease, he was always approachable and he greeted everyone with a beautiful smile – Besever Panim Yafos. Our father dressed impeccably well and exuded a sense of regal dignity.
Our father was stricken with Corona during its first phase, and he miraculously made it through with his health much modified. We merited to have him for an extra year and a half and he participated at some of the family’s Simchos.
On the 12th day of Cheshvan, his holy soul ascended to the Heavens. This left us with a gaping void for we always turned to him for advice and direction, and feeling his deep love towards us.
A final thought. No matter what challenge our father faced, we witnessed how he navigated through it with his deep belief and faith in G-d which gave him the ability to move on.
May his memory be a blessing!
