A Call to Action
Sadly, serious illness has taken its toll on this legend of a man. Diagnosed 3 years ago with Lewy Body, a debilitating illness with symptoms similar to both Parkinson's and Alzheimer’s, Reb Meir's condition has declined in recent months and he now requires full-time medical care.
If ever there was a time for us to give back to Reb Meir, this is it. You can help today by: Davening for Reb Meir Tzvi ben Merka - Making a donation of any amount to the Reb Meir Schuster Trust Fund - And sharing your story with us, which we will publish here and send on to the Rebbetzin.
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The Man at the Wall
- by Bracha Goetz
Reading the stories about Rabbi Meir Schuster that are just now being collected, I am transported back over thirty years ago.
It is 1976. The man who was to become my husband was praying at the Kotel. Larry had finished his time in a kibbutz ulpan, and was still volunteering in a development town in the Negev, when he decided to spend the weekend in Jerusalem. He was scheduled to return to the States a few weeks later, with no clear plans. Larry put a note in a crevice in the Wall and then prayed sincerely to find his path in life. When he finished, there was a tap on his shoulder. It was Rabbi Schuster, asking him, “Do you have the time?” Thank G-d, Larry did have the time, and he followed Reb Meir to a yeshiva for baalei teshuva where he began the process of finding his life's path. After nine years of learning and teaching at Yeshiva Aish HaTorah, young wandering Larry became Rabbi Aryeh Goetz. It is 1978, and after completing my first year of medical school, I was volunteering on the oncology ward at Hadassah Hospital, visiting with patients who were dying, while my secret mission was to learn the purpose of living. During my first few days in Israel, I went to the Kotel, and Reb Meir Schuster found me there. His purity and his sincerity came right into my heart. I began to study at the women's division of Ohr Someyach, and the process of understanding the purpose of living began for me as well. It is 1979, and every torch is lit on the Menorah beside the Kotel, as it is the eighth night of Chanukah. My soon-to-be husband is sitting near me… (continued)
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