Leader with Heart

      As we mark the shloshim of Rabbi Moshe Hauer ztz”l, Mishpacha contributors share more memories

It’s hard to believe a month has passed since Rabbi Moshe Hauer was silently and suddenly taken from us. The shock has somewhat lessened, but the realization of what we have lost grows stronger with every passing day. As we mark his shloshim, Mishpacha contributors share more memories.
Chaval al d’avdin v’lo mishtakchin

Leader with Heart

Rabbi Yissocher Dov Krakowski

When Rabbi Hauer first assumed his position as a shul rabbi 30 years ago, very few people realized that the young, reserved rabbi, passionately in love with Torah, was going to engender a renaissance for the Orthodox Jewish community in Baltimore.

Under his leadership, two vastly differing congregations merged together in total harmony. The shul flourished, growing into one of the largest  in the community. People would walk miles to hear his derashah Shabbos morning. There were even those who would make the walk Friday night, just to hear the thought-provoking question that he would regularly ask between Kabbalas Shabbos and Maariv. He didn’t offer an answer until the following day at the shul’s Seudah Shlishis, and over the course of Shabbos, mispallelim would often come and present their possible solutions to him.

Rabbi Hauer was a true leader who valued every member of his congregation and was determined to find the path to each one’s heart. On one occasion I was the shaliach tzibbur for Mussaf in his shul. As I approached the amud Rabbi Hauer whispered a request, asking me to sing at least two segments of Kedushah. He later explained that not everyone can be inspired by the words of Kedushah alone, but through singing a bit more, everyone would be inspired.