Greetings from the Chofetz Chaim Celebration in Radin: "This is the First Year We're Holding it on Such a Scale"

90 years have passed since the death of the Chofetz Chaim, Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan of Radin, of blessed memory, but it is only this year that a large and respectable celebration is taking place at his grave in the Jewish cemetery in Radin, with the participation of great rabbis and worshippers from all over the world.

The person behind the large celebration and other initiatives in Radin is a young man named Shuki Zeidel, who works in renovations and real estate in Israel but holds a special place in his heart for Radin. We conduct the interview with him on the eve of the yahrzeit, as he is already in Radin with his family preparing the site for the expected arrival of many worshippers.

Young Man, Big Dream

"It all started when I was a 19-year-old," Zeidel recounts, "I came to study in Belarus at the Pinsk yeshiva, and I often had the opportunity to pray in Radin. In those days, there were not even basic accommodations near the grave, not a place to sleep, no dining room, and not even a proper restroom. The grave of the Chofetz Chaim was not maintained at all—only a rickety shelter above it. But I felt a great connection to the place from the very first moment."

The grave of the Chofetz Chaim before renovation

For three years, Zeidel studied at the Pinsk yeshiva, and during those days, he found himself accompanying many groups who came from Israel to Radin to pray. Among them were groups of rabbis, private individuals, seminaries, yeshiva students, and more. "I used to wait for them at the airport and arrange bus services and a nearby hotel. This led me to deal with trips to additional righteous burial places throughout Poland, Belarus, and Lithuania. I always wondered why other rabbis had well-maintained graves, but in Radin, the burial place of the Chofetz Chaim, there was nothing. It troubled me greatly since anyone who has his books studies his halachas. How can it be that people don't pray at the site for more than half an hour because it's under the open sky—they're cold in the winter, hot in the summer, and there isn't even a reasonable place to sit and pray? I always dreamed of finding a nearby place to the grave to set up an organized guest house, but I knew the issue was complex, and I had no idea how to execute it."

A Neighbor of the Radin Yeshiva

After three years of studies in the Pinsk yeshiva, Zeidel returned to Israel and continued his yeshiva studies, later getting married. "Even during the engagement period, I told my wife that I have a strong urge to find suitable land in Radin to establish a guest house structure that would flourish there," he points out. "Her response was: 'Go there,' and indeed, a month before the wedding, I went to Radin and met with the mayor. Since I learned Russian during my years in Pinsk, I managed to communicate well with him and told him I'm bringing a lot of tourism to Radin, and I wanted to know if he could allocate a land or area near the cemetery where I could set up a structure. The mayor opened maps in response and showed me that the entire cemetery area is agricultural land and cannot be sold. The meeting ended, and I returned to my lodgings, contemplating that I must do something and come back to Israel with success in the matter.

Rabbi Moshe Pima, director of the Jewish community in Pinsk, Belarus, a partner in Radin's development

"The next morning, I got up and prayed at the Chofetz Chaim's grave, having special intent to be a good emissary. After the prayer, I decided to try my luck and knocked on the door of one of the houses adjacent to the cemetery. It was a big, impressive house, and it turned out the person who opened the door is a contractor. When I asked if he wanted to sell me the house, he replied negatively and explained that he just finished building it and isn't interested in selling, but he has a large plot in the city center that he inherited with his brother, and perhaps I'd want to buy it. I told him that doesn't help me, as all I want is to set up a structure near the cemetery. However, he insisted on taking me to the plot, and it turned out, to my amazement, to be next to the Radin yeshiva led by the Chofetz Chaim. 'This is the plot', he told me, and I felt butterflies in my stomach as I tried to hide my excitement and bargain, insisting it was far from the cemetery. But the contractor was eager to sell and even agreed to lower the price significantly. Eventually, the deal was closed, and I purchased a three-dunam plot adjacent to the yeshiva."

Zeidel emphasizes that things might sound simple, but actually, nothing was easy in closing the deal, as being an Israeli resident and not a Russian citizen made it very complicated to transfer the title deeds to his name. But eventually, the land was in his hands. "I returned to Israel, got married a month later, and shortly after, I began attacking the task. Initially, I sought suitable partners to help me with the budget for building the structure, but I had difficulty finding them. Finally, I approached my former yeshiva head, Rabbi Moshe Pima, who showed great interest and agreed to join me in the initiative. Together, we set out to invest in the project and set up a guest house structure."

Hundreds of Participants

In recent years, Zeidel has been investing all his strength and effort into establishing the guest house structure in Radin, setting aside all his savings monthly and sending them to the contractor managing the work at the site. According to him, he has witnessed many miracles over the years, with several instances where he had no money to send, and the contractor threatened to stop working, but each time, the money arrived at the last moment, allowing the work to continue.

Last year, exactly on the anniversary, Zeidel has the great excitement of affixing a mezuzah in the new building that stands at the site. "As of today, our structure includes two kitchens, a large dining room, four bathrooms, and a three-story hotel with fourteen rooms", he elaborates. "We can't sleep in the rooms yet, but the dining hall is fully ready, as are the kitchens and bathrooms. Everything is organized very impressively, and over the past year, we have hosted many groups who came to pray at the Chofetz Chaim's grave. I hope very much that by next year we can also operate the hotel, which will allow people to sleep here and receive full hospitality conditions at the highest possible level."

The structure of the grave has also undergone major renovations initiated by Zeidel. "It's no longer a small roof over the grave, but a paved area spanning 50 square meters with a closed structure with four walls and a roof. There is also lighting and heating at the site, as well as hot drinks and light refreshments available throughout the day."

And what's happening inside the Radin Yeshiva building? Is there a way to enter and visit it?

"Unfortunately, the Radin Yeshiva building belongs to the local city government, and the mayor chooses to operate it as a cultural center, meaning all cultural events, performances, and discos take place inside the yeshiva building. It's a great heartache and desecration of the sacred, but I have no way to solve the problem. I tried speaking to the mayor about it, and he replied that if I pay them half a million dollars, they'll leave and purchase a new building to serve as a cultural center. Of course, I don't have the budget for that."

Tell us how the celebration will look this year

"The celebration begins from Saturday night, the eve of the 24th of Elul, the day of the Chofetz Chaim's passing, and will continue throughout the day. Hundreds of participants are expected to arrive, and we are prepared to welcome them with sumptuous meals that I prepared along with my wife, by ourselves, with meat and poultry brought from Pinsk, from a kosher slaughter done in Moscow. The buns were also baked in the Jewish bakery in Pinsk, and everything is fresh and kosher."

Renovated grave of the Chofetz Chaim

Is the Russia-Ukraine war affecting the ability to reach the place?

"Not at all. The war is not felt here, and the only difficulty is the lack of direct flights from Israel to Belarus, so travel times are a bit longer. But as we saw over the past year, this doesn't prevent people from coming to the grave of the Chofetz Chaim, and even now, we are excitedly preparing for hundreds of people expected to participate in the celebration. Welcome!"