After a marathon of Torah shiurim in Vienna, the Admor, Rebbe Yoshiyahu Pinto, landed in Poland's capital, Warsaw, where he prayed at the Old Jewish cemetery in which many Gdolei Yisrael, zz"l are buried.
There was a particularly touching moment at the Jewish cemetery, as HaRav Pinto set a headstone on the fresh grave of a Jew who had fled the horrors of the war in Ukraine, and died on the way to Poland. He was buried in the cemetery in Warsaw, and, as mentioned, it was HaRav Pinto himself who lay the stone on his grave.
Prior to this, HaRav Pinto met with a stream of international businessmen and billionaires, including the American entrepreneur Brook Pierce, Georgian businessman Roman Pipia and Josef Lipsey of Puerto Rico.
Following the emotional davening at the cemetery, HaRav Pinto received a wonderful welcome as a guest of honor at the Jewish Agency headquarters in Warsaw, where he met with a group of 150 Jewish refugees from Ukraine. The new olim are expected to make Aliyah in the coming week and HaRav Pinto gave them chizuk, blessed them and encouraged them.
"You are the keepers of the flame for all of Am Yisrael", Rav Pinto told the Jewish refugees. "You endangered yourselves to continue to keep Torah mitzvot even at the hardest moments. You're giving HaShem enormous nachat", the Rav added, blessing each and every one of the participants personally.
Later, HaRav Pinto handed out gifts and useful equipment to the refugees which will help them when they make Aliyah to Israel.
The international "From The Depths" organization, working to commemorate the memory of the Holocaust worldwide, is behind the initiative, as they work to aid the refugees from the war in Ukraine.
Jonathan (Jonny Daniels) founder of "From The Depths", told the refugees that "We have the great honour that the Admor, Rav Yoshiyahu Pinto has come specially to visit us and give us strength. HaRav Pinto is a symbol of unity and peace and he illumined the Jewish world with his Torah". Daniels added words of blessings for the olim from Ukraine: " You're on your way to Eretz Yisrael, thanks to your spiritual resilience. You'll succeed and rise".
HaRav Pinto is scheduled to meet this evening with local diplomats and to strengthen the Jewish community in Poland, many of whom are hosting Jewish refugees from Ukraine.
This article was written in cooperation with Shuva Israel