Special Interview with Behadrey Haredim from Buenos Aires: "A week ago Rabbi Birmajer was here and admitted that he was afraid"

"We are stunned here," says Rabbi Eliyahu Mara, a leading rabbi of the Jewish community in Buenos Aires to Behadrey Haredim.

He said the community was hit with shock at the murder of the veteran of the community who immigrated to Israel, Rabbi Reuven Birmajer HYD, yesterday at Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem.

Rabbi Birmajer was, as published in Behadrey Haredim, a yeshiva student and avrech of the Chafetz Chaim community in the city for many years. Only a week ago he visited his hometown of Buenos Aires to visit his father in law.

Rabbi Eliyahu Mara, Rosh Metivta at "Chafetz Chaim" tells in a conversation with Behadrey Haredim, about the mourning in Buenos Aires: "At this time the vacation season in educational institutions in Argentina is starting," he says, "Dozens of families were en route to the land of Israel, as many did in past years. But today they canceled their flights and their plans on account of the event.

"The event," he adds, "was covered on radio and in newspapers in Argentina. They reported everywhere about the murder. His brother is a famous journalist here and that also contributed to a very wide media coverage of the murder."

About the deceased HYD, he says: "He was known to all the communities in the city, it is not something ordinary. Everyone admired and loved him. He was a Jew who did tshuva and built himself perfectly.

"He was the first to everything in kedusha. He founded with his ten fingers together with a group of yeshiva students and ba'alei batim in the community, the "Shevet Achim" community. In Argentina, establishing a new community is a rarity, something that had not been for 50 years. Establishment of the community was accompanied with great difficulties, and today this community numbers about 200 worshipers on Shabbos. Every day there are many lessons there and many minyanim."

The funeral of Hakadosh Rabbi Reuven Birmacher on Wednesday night

Rabbi Mara relates that only a day before the murder he took part in the wedding of Rabbi Blumenthal – rabbi of the community which he had founded. "Friends from Argentina who met him at the wedding asked him if he was not afraid to walk around the Old City of Jerusalem where he was teaching, as known," says the rabbi, "He did not answer first, and then admitted that he was really very scared but he wants to continue to teach his Torah classes.

"He had a strong personality," says the rabbi, "he was widely recognized for his integrity and uncompromising observance. On the other had a radiant face and nice to people.

"It's chilling to think", concludes Rabbi, "that he visited here two weeks ago. Everyone saw him and talked with him and so he left them all".

Meanwhile, as it became known on Behadrey Haredim, tonight the Argentine community is holding a chizuk and mourning rally in memory of the Kadosh HYD.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!