TU BISHVAT FEATURE: The Pupa Shul’s Legendary Fruit Tree - Preserved Through Generations

By Y.M. Lowy

In honor of Tu B’Shvat, we’re marking the day with some fruit tree focused features.

The Pupa Shul on Bedford Avenue is well known to everyone in Williamsburg, but what many might not realize is that for decades, a single fruit tree in the yard shaped every plan for the shul’s expansion.

The story stretches back even before World War II. In the early 1940s, the original Pupa yeshiva had grown to over 400 bochurim, and expansion was necessary. Yet on the property, a lone fruit tree stood stubbornly in the way. With guidance from the Belzer Rebbe zt”l, a careful plan was approved, ensuring the tree could remain while the yeshiva grew.

Decades later, when the first Pupa Shul opened in Williamsburg on the lot known as the “Belvedere Mansion,” the community once again faced a familiar challenge. As the Kehilla expanded and additional lots were purchased, a mature fruit tree stood in the very spot planned for the new 2002 shul.

Builders and rabbonim worked together to weave the tree into the shul’s design. The aron kodesh and the hall were carefully planned around it, leaving enough space, light, and soil for the tree to continue thriving.

For years, the tree stood proudly. On one Hoshanah Rabbah, however, a strong wind eventually toppled it. Today, while the tree is gone, the Bedford Shul continues to flourish, and its history of respect for Halacha serves as a lesson for all who pass through its doors.

This article was featured in “Shrift” magazine, one of the four content-filled booklets included in the weekly Mega Dee Voch Package.