Rabbi Ben Tzion Zilber, son of legendary Rabbi Yitzchok Zilber, visited Latvia and Lithuania August 15 and 16.

Rabbi Kalev Krelin of the Vilnius Jewish Community escorted Rabbi Zilber to locations where the latter’s ancestors lived. His father Rabbi Yitzchok Zilber belonged to a long line of scholars and suffered under Stalin, both at labor camps and under the atheist policies of the Soviet Union. Despite extremely difficult circumstances, Rabbi Yitzchok Zilber not only managed to hold steadfastly to his faith in the Creator and to keep His laws, but also to deepen his Torah study and teach others. After making aliyah to Israel Rabbi Yitzchok Zilber had hundreds of followers in whom he inspired faith in the Creator and adherence to the Torah.

Rabbi Ben Tzion delivered a lesson at the Riga Synagogue attended by Torah students and those interested in Judaism. A group from Klaipėda and Vilnius in Lithuania also attended. The teaching was dedicated to the problem of rumors and gossip.

The rabbi visited the restored synagogue in Rēzekne, Latvia, where his great-grandfather was rabbi in the early 20th century. The rabbi comes from the Tsiyuni family, the dynasty of rabbis of Rēzekne and Lutzin (now Ludza, Latvia). No graves of his ancestors could be located at the cemetery in Rēzekne. The rabbi said kaddish at the grave of Rabbi Simkha Memir, and at the grave of the Rogatchover Gaon in Daugavpils.

The rabbi visited Raguva in Lithuania, a small town near Panevėžys where his mother’s ancestors lived. He located easily the grave and monument of his great-grandfather Rabbi Moishe Shmuel Shapiro in the small and overgrown cemetery. The former synagogue now houses a woodshop whose owners allowed the group to enter the building where his great-grandfather was once rabbi.

In Vilnius the group visited the grave of the Vilna Gaon and Rabbi Boruch Ber Leibowitz’s grave at the Užupis cemetery. His sister Chava Kuperman accompanied him everywhere. They visited the kosher Bagel Shop Café and tried the teiglakh there. Asked how it was, the rabbi said: “Just like my mother’s, and my mother is from Raguva.”

Rabbi Kalev Krelin said he believes the visit by the famous rabbi has inspired the Jews of Latvia and Lithuania to study the Torah more deeply.