Rebbe Rebbe

ME: What was his full name?

R.A.W: Ahron Walkin. I am named after him. I carry his name humbly since I don’t feel I do him justice, though I do try my best [light laughter]. He was indeed known as a great Gadol B’Yisrael. What isn’t clear is how he passed away. The full discussion is for a different time, but some accounts claim that he

was murdered in the Holocaust while others suggest that he perished in an old Jewish Ghetto.

His son is Rav Shmuel, who was the Rav of Lukatch. He fled the War by staying in Shanghai and eventually made his way to Crown Heights and was elected Rabbi. He eventually moved to Kew Gardens, Queens and was a Rav here for the re- mainder of his life.

In speaking to you and
your readers, I would like
to stress that this inter-
view is an opportunity for
me to discuss, more than anything else, the great work that is being done here in Queens. I’m a little less interested in