Passing of Toronto Shliach in 2005

↑ proudmom ↓

Fri, May 27 2005, 4:51 pm

Chabad rabbi killed by GO train

By LEILA SPEISMAN
Staff Reporter

Rabbi Levi Bialo
It started out like any other morning for 25-year-old Rabbi Levi Bialo.

He got in his car to drive to Shacharit services at nearby Chabad of Markham synagogue, but he never got there.

Just after 7 a.m. on May 16 at a level crossing on Green Lane east of Bayview Avenue, his car was hit by a southbound GO train and dragged nearly 200 metres. Rabbi Bialo was pronounced dead at the scene.

Sgt. David Mitchell, who is in charge of York Regional Police’s collision reconstruction unit, is leading the investigation of the accident. A reconstruction of the event was being carried out as this article was being written, but Mitchell said it appears that all of the crossing’s safety equipment – including four sets of flashing lights, two control arms and warning bells – and the horn and bell of the train were working properly.

“The sun was coming up in the east, and was very bright,” Mitchell said. “It appears that [Rabbi Bialo] was not wearing sunglasses, and that the sun visor of the car was not down.”

The rabbi may have been blinded by the sun, or distracted by something, he said.

He saw the train coming, Mitchell said, and tried to avoid it. But when the hood of the car hit the control arm, the car was perfectly lined up with the path of the train.

Everything happened in a matter of a few seconds, Sgt. Mitchell said.

No one among the train’s the crew or its nearly 500 passengers were hurt, but many, especially crew members, were very upset by the accident, he said.

GO trains have video cameras mounted on their fronts and backs, and the films will be examined for more information. Also, police are conducting interviews with witnesses.

Rabbi Bialo’s death stunned the community at Chabad of Markham, where he worked as a fifth grade teacher in its cheder, said the shul’s spiritual leader, Rabbi Avraham Plotkin.

His special responsibility was working with young adults ages 18 to 26.

“He was very successful,” said Rabbi Plotkin.

He described the young rabbi as “charismatic, an amazing communicator. He had a genuine, sincere faith in God, and was able to project that.”

Rabbi Bialo’s father-in-law Michael Konsker described him as sweet, sensitive and gentle.

“Nobody didn’t like him,” Konsker said. He had a great sense of humour and a sharp wit, he added. He loved sports, and liked to play basketball with the young people of the community.

Rabbi Bialo was the oldest of nine children in a close-knit Cleveland family. He married Torontonian Shira Konsker 21/2 years ago, and the couple has a 15-month old son, with another child expected in the fall. About two years ago, he and his family moved here from New York City as a Lubavitch shaliach (emissary).

Goldie Plotkin, the rebbitzen of Chabad of Markham, said other shlichim are mourning him as one of their own.

“Shlichim all over the world are having special events in his memory.”

Shul president Richard Steyn said that Rabbi Bialo’s “special charges, the young adults of our community, were the recipients of his light, as he drew them into Judaism with honesty and companionship.

“For him, the performance of mitzvot was not an obligation, but rather an enthusiastic honour, and his passionate love of all things Jewish and of Jews infected all of us with that same passion.”

Melinda Paiken, who with her family spent Rabbi Bialo’s last Shabbat with him and his family, called him a “special angel.” She was especially impressed with “his adoration and respect for Shira… He held on to her every word with love and affirmation.”

The rabbi’s sudden death has left his wife and child in serious financial straits. A Shira Bialo Relief Fund has been set up at the Toronto Dominion Bank, and donations can be made at any branch. Rabbi Plotkin also offered to forward any contributions sent via Chabad of Markham.

Rabbi Bialo is survived by his wife Shira, son Zalman, parents Shlomo and Gitty, and eight brothers and sisters

http://www.cjnews.com/viewarticle.asp?id=6449

↑ proudmom

Tue, May 31 2005, 11:35 am

I received this as an email today

Can't We All Get Along?

Reflections at a funeral of a young husband and father

By Chana Weisberg

Ten days ago, on May 17th, our Toronto community gathered on the front lawn of our Synagogue. It was chilly and cloudy on that Tuesday afternoon, the 8th of Iyar. But the day was not nearly as gloomy as the darkness filling our minds, and the frigid cold gripping our hearts.

It was the funeral of Rabbi Levi Bialo, a twenty-five year old beloved teacher at the Yeshivah and a Chabad ambassador in Toronto who had worked tirelessly throughout his short life to bring people closer to the beauty of Torah and Judaism.

Until that tragic morning when, on his way to pray shul in the morning, a train struck his car, he had touched the lives of countless individuals. Through his warm, genuine respect and belief in the good inherent in every individual, he was able to bring out the G-dly potential in every Jew. As his fifth grade students would later attest, and as more and more stories came forth throughout his shiva, Levi did not preach love of a fellow Jew; he lived it.

Standing at this funeral, we were all overwhelmed by the enormity of our loss. Levi is survived by his one-and-a-half year old son and his wife, Shira, who is pregnant with their second child, as well as his parents and siblings.

I was clutching my baby daughter in my arms as we walked the few blocks to accompany Levi to his final resting place. My daughter quietly babbled, "Mama, Mama" and I prayed in my heart that G-d grant Shira the strength to cope with her loss. A woman next to me said, "It is only for the sounds of these little ones that we can go on."

As my daughter caught sight of the men in front of us and excitedly babbled "Dada, Dada!" it broke my heart to think how Shira’s baby would not have the "Dada" to applaud her proud murmurs.

We were in the days of Sefirah, between the festivals of Passover and Shavuot, when our nation collectively experienced the loss of the 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva because, as the Talmud states, "they did not show respect for one another." I thought of the irony that Levi, who exemplified the highest standard of respect to others, should be taken at this time.

Though Rabbi Akiva is the author of the famous dictum that loving your neighbor as yourself constitutes a vital principle in Torah, his students failed in this area. It wasn't that they didn't love each other. To the contrary, they deeply cared about one another, so much so that when a friend veered even slightly from their own understanding of their teacher’s teachings, they wished to correct him, and could not accept him unless he changed.

Centuries after Rabbi Akiva’s student’s demise, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the author of the Tanya wrote, "The greatest suffering that the Jewish people will experience will come from ‘machloket leshem shamayim,’ principled fighting or contention that is done for the sake of heaven."

Why so much divisiveness?

Our nation is comprised of many groups with many diverse customs, practices and lifestyles —all of which are valid expressions of Torah.

"There are seventy faces to Torah," our sages declared — seventy ways to understand or interpret every aspect of Torah.

As separate communities, we place different emphasis in our respective paths toward serving G-d. These differences, though, should not make us mock each other’s leaders, or deride each others practices. But, moreover, we need to learn to respect those who have chosen a different path. We must realize that G-d enjoys the symphony of the orchestra, as each Jew plays his different instrument.

Standing at the funeral of the young precious gem, it occurred to me that when tragedy strikes, leaving behind a trail of weeping, it doesn't differentiate between "black hatter" or "knitted kippa", between Chassid or Misnagid, between Lubavitch or Litvish, between Ashkenaz or Sephard.

The unified pain that we all felt in those moments standing behind Levi’s casket transcended all our differences.

It was a pain and a sorrow for the loss of such an optimistic young life. It was the gnawing sadness of a widowed, pregnant wife whose husband would no longer gaze with cherished respect into her eyes. It was our united, desperate sorrow for an orphaned toddler who would no longer be lifted by the strong arms of his proud Tatty. It was a joint melancholy for, the soon-to-be-born (G-d willing) infant who would not ever feel the doting embrace of a father.

But why does it take the loss of a life to make us appreciate its beauty? Why does it take such an immense tragedy to make us realize how connected we are? Why is it only in pain that we realize how much we share?

Sadly, more and more of these shocking tragedies are happening everywhere. It is a pain that is afflicting all our communities.

Should this not drive home a message to each of us?

Just as the pain and tragedy is coming so randomly and so unexpectedly, so must our level of tolerance and love for each other. Not a love based on our affiliation; not a love based on which particular Rabbi or Rebbe you follow, or what color or style clothing you wear—but a love, respect and tolerance for each and every one of us as a child of G-d, trying to do his best to serve G-d, in his own unique, and valid, chosen path.

Despite our differences, despite our different customs, despite our different paths towards serving G-d, let us all stand united this Shavout to receive the Torah, with a dignity, respect and outpouring of love for one another.

To make your tax-deductible donation to the Shira Bialo trust fund, please call Chabad of Markham at 905-886-0420 x 222, or visit www.chabadmarkham.org

The writer of this article, Chana Weisberg, is the author of four books, the latest, "Divine Whispers," soon to be released by Targum/Feldheim. She is the dean of the JRCC Institute of Jewish Studies in Toronto and is also a columnist for the Jewish Press Newspaper. Weisberg lectures regularly on issues relating to women, relationships and the Jewish. You can e-mail her at: weisberg@sympatico.ca

↑ amother

Tue, May 09 2006, 10:52 pm

Quote:

Hundreds on hand to mark 1st Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Levi Bialo OBM
New Youth Wing in Chabad of Markham named in his memory
9:49:PM Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Over four hundred people from all over Toronto packed the main sanctuary of Chabad Lubavitch of Markham for a very meaningful and moving memorial for Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Bialo,of blessed memory, featuring guest speaker, Rabbi Yossi Jacobson from New York.

It was exactly a year ago – 7 Iyar 5766 - when Rabbi Levi Bialo, a young Shliach of the Rebbe, was tragically killed in a head on collision with a GO passenger train on the way to Shul for Shachris. Rabbi Bialo was the Young Adult Coordinator at Chabad Lubavitch of Markham and a fifth grade Rebbe at Cheder Chabad. He was survived, at the time, by his young, pregnant wife Shira and their son Schneur Zalman. Subsequently, Shira gave birth to their daughter Chaya Mushka.

Rabbi Avraham E. Plotkin, director of Chabad Lubavich of Markham opened the evening by setting the tone and appealing to the crowd to make it a positive, meaningful event by focusing on Rabbi Bialo’s joyful life. He pointed out how the Rabbi managed to change the lives of so many of his students in such a short lifespan.

While he was speaking a very strange thing happened. A passing outside train sounded its loud horn and send chills through the entire crowd. It was quite unusual to hear this in the Shul, as the train is down the road and rarely sounds its horn. Many felt like it was a sound from heaven.

He then introduced Rabbi Dovid Schochet , Mara Di’asra of the Toronto Lubavitch community. Rabbi Schochet drew a parallel between Rabbi Akiva whose final recital of the Shma was interrupted by the Romans and the tragic accident of Rabbi Bialo on the way to Shul. He reassured the large family representation gathered from all over North America that Levi’s work would continue like Rabbi Akiva through those that love him and by his many students around the world.

Richard Steyn, President of Chabad Lubavich of Markham spoke of the amazing work that Rabbi Bialo did with the Young Adults in the community and of his inimitable, soft spoken manner with which he succeeded in influencing them positively.

He then called up one of the prominent young adults in the community, Daron Odes who told of his personal relationship with Rabbi Levi. There was not a dry eye in the room when Daron described how he and his friends initially had resisted the rabbi’s overtures and how eventually Rabbi Bialo won them over, earning their respect and admiration. He spoke of how painful Rabbi Bialo’s passing was to him and his friends and of their firm commitment to continue his work.

Dovi Bialo, Levi’s brother appealed to the crowd to participate in a special new Sefer Torah that is being written in honor of Rabbi Bialo followed by Michael Konsker, Shira’s father who thanked everyone on behalf of his daughter and grandchildren for helping them over the past year and for the amazing outpouring of generosity from around the world.

Rabbi Boruch Zaltzman, principal of Cheder Chabad of Toronto spoke about the individual attention Rabbi Bialo gave to every child in his class and also related what transpired at the school on Levi’s passing. He then introduced one of Levi’s students, Sruly Steiner who conducted a Siyum, concluding a tractate in Rabbi Bialos honor.

The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly the highly inspirational talk of Rabbi Yossi Jacobson on the controversial topic of “When bad things happen to good people’. Despite the sensitive nature of the topic, Rabbi Jacobson moved the crowd and gave tremendous comfort and encouragement to the shattered family and community.

He kept the crowd simply mesmerized as he weaved a most beautiful tapestry of life, connecting the happy moments and the sad, the ups and the downs, the beautiful and the ugly. Most important, he infused the audience with strong feelings of faith and optimism. He assured them that the great work of Rabbi Bialo and the work of the Shluchim in general will continue until the imminent arrival of Moshiach.

The evening concluded with a surprise announcement by Rabbi Plotkin that it has been decided that the new wing on the existing Chabad Lubavich of Markham building, now under construction, is to be named “The Rabbi Levi Bialo Youth Wing”. The Rabbi explained how this was a fitting memorial for a man who dedicated his life to helping the youth of his community!

Its been a year already!!! Ad Masai!