Rabbi Howard Morrison

Dear Congregational Family,

Over this past weekend, another great rabbi died,  Rabbi Abraham Twerski, zichrono liveracha - of blessed memory. This sad passing comes soon after the recent passings of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks and my childhood rabbi, Rabbi Yehuda Kelemer, both of blessed memories.

Rabbi Abraham Twerski lived in Milwaukee. He was a Chasidic Jew and part of a famous multi-generational Twerski/Twersky rabbinic dynasty. Growing up in Boston, I was familiar with the Talner Rebbe, Rabbi Isadore Twersky, z"l, who also taught at Harvard University. His son, Rabbi Moshe Twersky, z"l, tutored me in Talmud at the Maimonides Day School when he was in twelfth grade and I was in seventh grade. Tragically, Rabbi Moshe Twersky was murdered in Israel several years ago by terrorists when he and others were davening in shul on a weekday morning. His younger brother, Rabbi Mayer Twersky, was a classmate of mine and is now a renowned Torah scholar associated with Yeshiva University.

Rabbi Abraham Twerski was a prolific writer and speaker. Long before Jewish organizations began to address addiction and abuse in the Jewish community, Rabbi Twerski was doing so. I own and have read some of his books which apply the Parsha and Jewish values to challenges people face in their personal lives.

Rabbi Abraham Twerski died at the age of ninety. "Yhi Zichro Baruch - May his memory be a blessing."

Sincerely,

Rabbi Howard Morrison