Houston's Andy Serotta pays tribute to his mentor Rav Michoel Bender
Reb Michoel was the legendary longtime mashgiach at Yeshiva Bais Binyomin (Stamford Yeshivah, which moved to Monsey several years ago) and one of the hidden tzaddikei hador, who spent his life as an extraordinary oved Hashem, staying under the radar with his acts of chesed and deep humility.
Reb Michoel was a son-in-law of the late Stamford Rosh Yeshivah Rav Simcha Schustal; and son of Rav Dovid Bender, master mechanech and longtime menahel in Torah Vodaath, and Rebbetzin Basya Bender, one of the first students of Sarah Schenirer in Cracow and a pioneer of the American Bais Yaakov movement.
My wife, Stephani, and I began married life together in 1994 as relatively new baalei teshuvah in Boston. I was an investment portfolio manager at the time and had been working for the Boston Company, when my division dissolved and partially reorganized in Stamford, Connecticut. We were concerned that the community where the company had relocated wasn’t strong enough for us newcomers.
Reb Michoel grabbed me for a dance at my daughter’s wedding. I was an unlikely talmid, but Reb Michoel never let go
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