By COLlive reporter
After his wife Yehudis Posner fell ill, Rabbi Zushe Posner moved from their long-time residence in the city of Lod to the home of their daughter in the village of Kfar Chabad.
Rabbi Posner, who was one of the Shluchim the Rebbe personally sent from the United States to Israel over the years, has since been serving as a spiritual mentor to residents.
Now, with the passing of his wife this past month, congregants of the Raichik Shul are pleading with Rabbi Posner to remain in Kfar Chabad and continue to be their Mashpia.
“Your Chassidic and inner character influences us and our children,” they wrote in a jointly signed public letter to Rabbi Posner. “Your place is with us.”
Rabbi Posner first arrived in Israel at the Rebbe’s direction in 5717 when Arab terrorists murdered students and their teacher at the Trade School in Kfar Chabad.
It was one of the early terror attacks in the State of Israel and has deeply shocked local residents. The Shluchim the Rebbe sent were to comfort the families and neighbors and bring their strength.
While members of the delegation returned to Crown Heights, Rabbi Posner received an instruction from the Rebbe to remain in the Holy Land. Two years later, the Rebbe told him to begin teaching in Reshet Oholei Yosef Yitzchok network of Chabad schools.
Over the years he was a member of the administration of the Central Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch in Israel, Mashpia in the Chabad Yeshivos in Lod and Bnei Brak and head of education in the regional council Emek Lod.
Rabbi Posner has not responded yet to the letter.