Hundreds Celebrate Sukkos and Commemorate Life of Dr. Verter
Over 250 members of the central New Jersey community gathered to celebrate in the Rutgers Chabad House Sukkah and commemorate the "Shloshim" of the community leader, Dr. Moshe Refoel (Michael) Verter. As the evening began in the giant Sukkah, a short documentary film was shown which elicited many emotions as Moshe's life of Torah and Mitzvos was viewed. The first speaker and Master of Ceremonies, was the Director of Chabad House, Rabbi Yosef Carlebach. Rabbi Carlebach noted that he had a huge file containing many hundreds of hand-written letters that Moshe had written over a period of 33 years. One letter that was shared with the crowd, dealt with Moshe's efforts to be exempted from jury duty on a Friday, due to Moshe's myriad activities every Erev Shabbat, including visiting patients in seven local hospitals, preparing the Chabad Mikvah, and pre-Shabbat activities.
The Chabad Campus Director, Rabbi Baruch Goodman, spoke emotionally of his decades of working side-by-side with Moshe, and fondly remembered his weekly Shabbat walks from the Rutgers campus to Highland Park. Rabbi Goodman told all assembled that one of Moshe's granchildren stated during the "Shiva" period, "that Hashem needed Moshe to help finish building the third Beit Hamikdash, and Moshe was a master builder".
The daughters of Moshe, Mrs. Ilana Gootblat, and Nechama Verter spoke eloquently and emotionally of their wonderful loving relationship they had with their father. They recounted numerous stories of how their father supported them in every way, and was a shining example to them of how Judaism and Torah guide ones life entirely.
Rabbi Eliyahu Kaufman, spiritual leader of Congregation Ohav Emet of Highland Park, spoke, and stated that Moshe would always 'davven" every word slowly and with great "kavanah'-concentration. He said that all his shul members were inspired by the mere pesence of Moshe in his Shul.
Rabbi Yakov Luban, Rabbi of Congregation Ohr Torah of Edison, recounted stories of the great humility and righteousness of Moshe. He said that this individual was a true "Chossid", living his life in a 100% committed to Torah and Chassidic teachings lifestyle.
The crowd also heard from Rutgers Chabad alumni Steve Schwartz who spoke of how the students at Chabad were positively influenced by the presence of Moshe in Chabad House.
Also present were community leaders Rabbi David Glicksman, Rabbi Avrohom Mykoff, Rabbi Yakov Hilsenrath, and many Chabad Rabbis and Shluchim from the central and south New Jersey area, including Ocean Township, Matawan, East Brunswick, Holmdel, North-South Brunswick, and Colts Neck.
The assembled enjoyed a "seudah" in the Sukkah, and were given a beautiful 237 page Hebrew-English Tehillim-Psalms as a memento. All participants left inspired to do more in Torah and Mitzvos in honor and memory of Dr. Moshe Refoel (Michael) Verter.
