Our community had a huge honour, because Thursday morning the Pupa Rebbe, R’ Yaakov Yechezkiyah Grünwald שליט”א visited us, who is the great-grandson of the late Pupa Rebbe known as Arugat haBosem, R’ Moshe Grünwald (1853–1910) זצוק”ל. The lack of heating in the Hanna restaurant, which hosted the event and was closed down months ago by the intruders, was compensated by the heated prayer of 50 chasidim who accompanied the rebbe. Our guests joined us in reciting the selichot said during the weekly portions of שובבים ת”ת – during the repetition of the amidah in accordance with the custom of our ancestors. Later the rebbe was called to the Torah, and following the prayer he learnt Talmud as well.

Then the rebbe had breakfast in the apartment of the chief rabbi of our community, R’ Aryeh Mordechai Rabinowitz שליט”א. Subsequently, he travelled to Pressburg with his chasidim to visit the grave of our master of blessed memory, the Chatam Sofer זי”ע. The rebbe spent the Shabbat of Mishpatim in Pápa, because the main reason of his visit was the yahrzeit of his grandfather and namesake R’ Yaakov Yechezkiyah Grünwald (1882–1941) זצוק”ל on 2 Adar. The visit of the rebbe also brought about a miracle, because the usurpers reopened the Shas Chevra hall, which similarly stayed empty for months. This meant that for the first time since July 2023 our community could pray in a room with proper heating during the Shabbat.