Iconic Williamsburg: Harav Mordechai Meir Zilberman, zt”l

Referred to as the zekan Harabanim of America, and the head of the Rabbanim of Williamsburg, Rav Silverman came to America in 1926 at the advanced age of 66—following an illustrious career in Rabbonus in a number of towns in Russia.

Undeterred, he threw himself into leading his fellow Yidden through the challenges that faced the Jews of America at the time. Drawing on his decades of leadership in Russia, and his experiences and friendships with the gedolim of his time, he made a great impact on the American landscape during his ensuing three decades in a new land. 

Russia

Rav Silverman was born in Landwarów, Lithuania, a small suburb outside Vilna, in the year 1857. His father, Rav Shimon Yisroel Moshe, was the rov of the small hamlet, and young Mordechai Meir had an idyllic childhood there. He went on to learn in the prestigious yeshivos of Europe, including Slabodka and Telz. 

He became a Rav in the small hamlet of Hresk, near Slutsk in what was then Poland. In the Yizkor book of Slutzk, his tenure there is noted, as well as the fact that he would travel around to surrounding cities to speak to the Yidden there. His name obviously spread, because after short while he was given in the coveted position of being one of the Rabbanim in the city of Karlin—a locale that boasted truly great men for leaders (among them were the aforementioned Rav Dovid Friedman-Karliner and Rav Baruch Epstein, author of the Torah Temimah, as well as Rav Aaron Walkin). He came into this position with the strong recommendation of Rav Dovid, and numerous other great Rabbanim. 

In about 1908, the rumblings preceding the Russian Revolution were being felt throughout the region, and this made the Czar very paranoid—and the Jews were always scapegoated (the violence and the displacement that resulted from this was the primary reason for the influx of Russian Jews to America during these years). One day in the spring, the agents of the Czar got wind of the collection of a large sum of money. 

In reality this was a ma’os chittim collection. But no explanation sufficed; and all those involved in the fundraising were shot to death. After this, a peasant overheard the soldiers saying, “Now let’s go get the Rabbis.” Now, Rebbetzin Itta was an exceptionally clever woman, and saw the wisdom of cultivating relationships with the peasants. Thus, the peasant immediately came to warn them. She dressed her husband as a peasant, and he escaped to the countryside town of Motele. 

It was in this town that Rav Silverman saved the entire city from a pogrom. 

Williamsburg

In 1926, the Silverman’s took up an offer from Congregation Beth Yaakov Tzvi Zichron Yosef (a merger of two shuls) in Williamsburg, and he left for the new country. In   Due to his stature, it was arranged that he would not have to go through the regular process at Ellis Island, and Mayor Walker’s people boarded the ship to escort him off. The first part of the Shul’s name, Yaakov Tzvi, alludes to its founder, Reb Yaakov Tzvi Werberlowsky, one of the most consequential philanthropic figures in Williamsburg of yore, who has been featured in this column in the past. 

It is said that Rav Shlomo Heiman would send talmidim to Rav Silverman for their semichah farher, and in addition to a tremendous posek and baal halachah, Rav Silverman was famed as an exceptional orator—and his derashos on Shabbos would attract 500 people, in Williamsburg of the 1930’s (!). 

Rav Silverman left this world in the year 1954 at the ripe old age of 96, leaving behind generations of descendants who follow in his ways, and a legacy of three decades of incredible leadership in old Williamsburg.