Reb Yitzchak Meir Weisberger was born in Yerushalayim to his parents Reb Yisrael Yaakov and his mother Mrs. Henya Fischman Zichronam Livrocho. Up until the age of 9 he lived on Rechov Yeshaya Press with his brothers and sisters, adjacent to the residence of Reb Velvel M’Brisk ZT”l. Reb Yitzchok Meir was exposed to Torah and Avodah from a very young age.

He would relate to his children how as a young child he would watch the Brisker Rov, from his window, studying in his room until the wee hours of the morning. When R. Yitzchok Meir reached the age of three, his father requested of the Brisker Rov to give him his chalaka (upsherin). The Rov responded that he is not a barber but as a shochen tov (good neighbor) he would be glad to do it.

The entire family left for the US when he was approximately ten years of age and they settled in Williambsurg, Brooklyn where Reb Yitzchok Meir attended Yeshivas Chasan Sofer. Later he would also attend the Yeshivos of Reb Abba Berman ZT”l; Reb Levi Krupenia ZT”L (in Woodridge, NY); Reb Moshe Eiseman ZT”l (in Vineland, NJ) and Rav Paller ZT”L. As a resident of Williamsburg, he often attended the Stoliner Shtibel where he developed a bren for davening. Once, during a visit to Eretz Yisroel for a family Simcha, he davened in the Rachmastrivke Bais Medrash where the Rebbe ZT”L was mechabed him with Shacharis on Shabbas morning. At the conclusion of the davening, the Rebbe approached and shook his hand with warmth expressing that he had never heard a davening with such hislaavus and mesikus.

During his years in Brooklyn, he was also zoche to visit and maintain a kesher with the Satmar Rov ZT”L; The Skulener Rebbe ZT”L and the Malachim Rebbe ZT”L. His love for Torah learning he attributed to his time learning in the Yeshiva of Rav Moshe Eiseman ZT”L- who he used to say ignited his pintele yid. Reb Yitzchok Meir married his eishes chayil yblch”t Blima Engel- may she live and be well with good health ad meah v’esrim shana– and eventually settled in Boro Park where all of their 5 children k”eh were raised. Eventually, the family relocated to Lakewood where Reb Yitzchok Meir became a shem dovor for his dedicated pursuit of Torah and avodah. His days were filled with various chavrusos from morning until night. People who knew him related that they never saw him without a sefer. Many also related stories about his astounding bekius in Shas and in every facet of Torah.

For the better part of the last decade of his life, he was a dedicated mispalel at Bais Hamedrash Bais Elimelech on East Harvard Street and Park Ave where he developed a close kesher with the Moro D’asro, Rav Refoel Paskusz Shli”ta. He became a highly regarded and respected member of the community and a fixture of the neighborhood -where he would often be seen every morning, at the break of dawn, walking to the Bais Midrash with his tallis and tefillin while murmuring tefilos and bakoshos. These years were marked by much difficulty as he struggled with health issues but he never complained and exhibited tremendous mesiras nefesh in implementing his avodas hashem.

His wife related how for many years he would fast every day during the weeks of Shovavim even though it caused him great difficulty.

Also living with him and his wife, for the last 7 years, was his brother-in-law, Reb Mordechai Engel Z”L. Reb Mordechai, a choshuve yid in his own right, had suffered a stroke seven years before and the family had taken him in and were metapel with him with mesiras nefesh. He passed away tragically two months ago which left him heartbroken as the pain of every Jew touched him tremendously.

In general, Reb Yitzchok Meir was a nosei b’ol chaveiro and acutely felt the pain of every yid.

One menachem related how during the Eichah reading of the Tisha B’av following the tragic murder of Leiby Kletzky a”h, Reb Y.M. shed copious tears moving the entire tzibbur to tears along with him.

Speaking at the Shloshim for Reb Mordche Engel Z”L, he urged the community to look out for the disadvantaged of society. He related how he would spend his mornings being mechazek elderly people and learning with them. He urged everyone to do the same. He also urged the community to not forget and be mispalel sheyikuyam bonu chachmei yisroel, pointing out especially the dire matzav of the Marbitz Torah, Rav Moshe Zoberman Shlit”a of Boro Park, may he live and be well.

Another menachem related, amidst great weeping, how she and her husband organized a yahrtzeit seudah one year and few people showed up due to a heavy snowfall. Reb Y.M., despite the circumstances, came with mesiras nefesh and spoke and was mechazek the mishpocho. During the shivah, his children went through some of his many writings and found a list of a learning routine that he undertook in memory of his brother-in-law. The list included everything from Tanach, Gemoro, Mussar, Halocho, Chassidus and Kabbala.

On the tragic day of his sudden petirah, Reb Y.M. was studying, with his chavrusa, the sugya in Maseches Chullin, daf ches, amud alef, which discusses the dinim of tuma and tahara of negaim. That same day he was also honored with writing a letter in a Sefer Torah. His chavrusa expressed himself that yotzo nishmoso b’tahara and writing a Sefer Torah is of course the last mitzvah in the Torah. May his neshama be a meilitz yosher for all of us and may we be zoche to the geula ha-shleima speedily in our days Amein.

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A Special Thank You to Our Wonderful Community.

On behalf of the entire Weisberger family, we would like to extend a heartfelt Yasher Koach to the entire community during this difficult time. A special Thank You to Misaskim for supplying us with our needs for the shivah week. A tremendous Yasher Koach to Bais Hamederash Bais Elimelech, under the leadership of Kevod Harav Refoel Pashkusz Shlita and the directorship of Reb Menachem Kain; Reb Yanky Muller. Hakaras Hatov is also due to Reb Dov and Chevi Kaufman of Bagel Nosh; Reb Shmuel Bender; Reb Pinchas Rothenberg; the entire extended Weisberger and Fischman clan From Brooklyn and Lakewood; the Schwadron Family and the Moskowitz Family for all their help. Yasher Koach to all our neighbors on Park Ave and East 9^Th Street for their amazing support. Thank you to all those who traveled from near and far to be mechazek us this past week. Thank you to all the other oskim b’tzorchei tzibur be’emunah who stood by us to make sure that all our needs were taken care of. We apologize in advance for any inadvertent omissions. May the neshama of our father and husband Reb Yitzchak Meir ben Yisrael Yaakov Z”l be a meilitz yosher for us, them and all of Klal Yisroel and we may only hear besuros tovos from now on, Amein.

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