R'Hayim Leby Bakhrakh

"One of the above-mentioned Hasidim was R'Hayim Leyb Bakhrakh. He was a member of the famous Bakhrakh family mentioned in the genealogy book “Da'at Kedoshim”, a descendant of the famous author of “Havat Yair”."

"R'Hayim Leyb studied in Lomza Yeshiva. He was also related to the family of the founder of the Yeshiva – the great scholar and saintly man – R'Eliezer Shulavits. His father, R'Shaul Eilhanan was the son of the Greyeve Rabbi."

"R'Hayim Leyb came to Suwalk from Greyeve after marrying. The matchmaker was his uncle, Rabbi Zalmele Birger, who travelled around the Suwalk area collecting for the Rabbi Meir Ba'al Ha-Nes Fund. In the village of Olshanke, where at that time there was a fine Jewish community, he had a friend- a very pious man – R'Efrayim Zavaznitski. R'Efrayim loved the Torah and spent every free moment in study. He sent his son to the Volozhin Yeshiva and his major goal in life was to educate his children in Torah and observance of the commandments. Even the Christians of the village respected him and called him: “Holy Efrayim”. When R'Zalmele suggested that he marry his pious daughter Reyzl to a Torah student, he agreed to the match immediately."

"R'Hayim Leyb was close to all the Suwalk rabbis of his time; such as: R'David Katsenelenboygn; the Gaon R'Moshe Betsalel; the Gaon R'Aharon Baksht; and the Gaon R'Yosef Yoselevitsh. He was treated by the latter as one of the family. He believed in enhancing the observance of the commandments and would rise at dawn to pray and study."

"His custom of fasting on certain days of the year was not known in town, but his enthusiastic observance of the commandments with Hasidic fervour was known to all."

"In 1920, he became the mashgiah in the Talmud Torah and served until he and his family immigrated to Palestine in 1935. There he devoted his remaining years to Torah and he died in Tel-Aviv on the fourth of Shevat (5)697{1937}."

"His wife, Reyzl, was exceptional in her piety and good deeds. She died in Israel, in Kfar Haroeh, Menahem Av. (5)714{1954}."

Source: Portraits of Scholars,Communal Workers & Philanthropists by Rabbi Yehoash Zavoznitski. Translated by Dr. Ida Selavan Schwarcz in Memorial Book of Suvalk (Suwałki, Poland) 54°06' / 22°56' Translation of Yisker Bukh Suvalk. Editor: Berl Kagan. Published in New York, 1961