Rabbi Meier Eisemann - Q&A on the Radio - 1966 - Minnesota

Description

Rabbi Meier Selig Eisemann z”l - Ambassador for the Jewish People The son of Rabbi Chaim and Leah Eisemann, Meier Selig was born July 8, 1924 in Frankfurt, Germany. As a young child, Meier studied in the S.R.Hirsch School in Frankfurt. Shortly before his bar mitzvah, as a result of the challenges of wartime, Meier’s parents felt that it was prudent to escape from Germany and they relocated to England. During those difficult war times, the English government, in a desire to protect the safety of the young children, designed a plan to transport the children to the countryside city of Shefford. Meier Selig was also transported to Shefford. At the young age of 15, he served as one of the staff members in Shefford. “It was because Meier Selig was so bright and had a ‘can-do’ attitude, that he became an all-around assistant in the new school,” explained his younger brother, Rabbi Moshe Eisemann, a yeshiva leader in Baltimore, Maryland. After the war, Rabbi Eisemann married Nechama Rokeach, a sixth-generation descendant of the founder of the Belzer dynasty, Rav Sholom Rokeach zt”l, at the age of 21 After his marriage, Rabbi Eisemann taught at the Avigdor High School in Stamford Hill, England, under the direction of Dr. Judith Grunfeld, mother of Miss Naomi Grunfeld. While in London, he studied with Rav Yosef Horowitz, the Frankfurter Rav, and received semicha from him. After his tenure in London, Rabbi Eisemann decided to take a look at what needs there were for a quality educator in the United States. Upon contacting the offices of Torah Umesorah, he was first placed in Bangor, Maine, and then in Toledo, Ohio. As soon as Rabbi Eisemann arrived in the United States, he became very involved with the work of Torah Umesorah. Having a powerful vision and an understanding of what was needed, Rabbi Eisemann assumed the role of National Vice President of the Midwest region of Torah Umesorah. Rabbi Eisemann formed very close relationships with many educators in the United States and became exceptionally close with Dr. Joseph Kamenetsky, the Executive Vice-President of Torah Umesorah. As Rabbi Eisemann assumed a leadership role in the Midwest, Dr. Kamenetsky encouraged him to survey the Minneapolis Jewish community and learn about its needs. Those people who knew Rabbi Eisemann from his days in Minneapolis describe him as someone who was much more than just a school principal. He understood the value of achdus and worked tirelessly to bring all factions in the community together. The word Reb Yaakov Roberts uses to best describe his previous principal is class. He remembers Rabbi Eisemann teaching music in addition to his role as principal. When Rabbi Eisemann took over the leadership of Torah Academy, there was a student body of forty children. In those days, convincing parents to send their children to a Jewish day school was no easy task. Rabbi Eisemann would walk from house to house and search for a mezuzah posted on the doorpost. That would be his indicator that he should knock on the door and recruit the children of the family. As soon as the door was opened, he would ask for a chair so that his wife can be seated. That was his opening for a discussion about the benefits of Jewish education. Rabbi Eisemann was very successful in recruiting many children to the school. Parents enrolled their children in a summer program and were excited that, after just a few weeks with Rabbi Eisemann, their children would be so eager to continue with him in school. Rabbi Eisemann’s influence didn’t stop at the doors of Torah Academy. He made it his business to create a Kiddush Hashem in all his interactions. He even befriended Vice President Walter Mondale and Vice President Hubert Humphrey, with the hopes of having a positive impact on the larger Jewish community. His weekly radio talk show, titled “Ask the Rabbi” reached fifty communities! Rabbi Eisemann would wake up at 4:30 each morning to sit and learn before davening. For many years, even after he moved to Eretz Yisroel, he would spend Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur providing various services to the Fargo Jewish community. As a leader of Torah Umesorah, he created the Agudas Menahali, a conference for principals in the Midwest. Again, this was an example of how seriously he took his responsibility to try to help others, and Jewish education in particular, in any way he could. It was during one of these chesed trips that a deep relationship was formed between Rabbi Eisemann and the Klausenberger Rebbe zt”l. The Klausenberger Rebbe was once at the Mayo Clinic and was in need of a Sefer Torah for Shabbos. Rabbi Eisemann not only brought a Sefer Torah to the Mayo Clinic, but he also spent Shabbos there. The Rebbe asked Rabbi Eisemann to come with him to Eretz Yisroel and help build Laniado Hospital in Netanya. Rabbi Eisemann spent the rest of his days creating and building Laniado Hospital. His three children are Mrs. Judy Klatzko, Rabbi Shalom Eismann, and Mrs. Chani Lapin