Stranded at Sunset

It may have happened more than 30 years ago, but Rabbi David Shenker, director for Jewish Education Program (JEP) of Long Island and Camp Nageela, remembers that Friday in February 1982 as if it happened yesterday. Back then he was a 20-year-old bochur learning in Torah Vodaath, and he had the important job of driving Rav Nison Alpert ztz”l to Far Rockaway for Shabbos. Rav Alpert, a talmid muvhak of Rav Moshe Feinstein ztz”l, was the rav of Agudah of Long Island.

The weatherman predicted a bit of snow, but nothing serious. When Rabbi Shenker picked up Rav Alpert from his home on the Lower East Side at 1:30, they had plenty of time to make it to Far Rockaway before shkiah.

But weather forecasters can be wrong.

“The snow was getting heavier, and I tried taking side streets because the main highways were congested. It was really difficult driving,” recalls Rabbi Shenker. “The Rav remained calm, but I was not. I had the responsibility of transporting the community’s rav in my car! With only an hour left till candle lighting, we were backed up near Kennedy Airport and traffic was at a standstill.”

They realized they weren’t going to make it to Far Rockaway in time. Rav Alpert directed Rabbi Shenker to pull off the highway to find a pay phone — this was in the days before cell phones — to call Rabbi Shenker’s parents and tell them not to worry. They would be walking the remaining seven miles.