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Berland takes ill as followers pour in
Hundreds of Shuvu Banim followers of Rabbi Berland have arrived and thousands are expected in Johannesburg to spend the High Holidays with, or near, their leader – who is still being sought by the Hawks on an arrest warrant from Israel. Rabbi Berland, 77, took ill last week and required medical treatment and blood pressure-related medication after Shabbos. Last week he implored his followers in a televised shiur to go to Uman in Ukraine for the annual “Rosh Hashanah kibbutz” pilgrimage. It seems many followers have ignored his calls and are coming to South Africa.
ANT KATZ
Anyone living in the Johannesburg shtetl area would be aware of the additional influx of Breslov followers who are coming out to be with, or near, their leader Rabbi Eliezer Berland for the High Holidays. In the meantime, Israeli media reports, confirmed by Rabbi Berland’s Yeshiva in Israel, are that he took ill over Shabbos.
Moshe Weisberg, reporting on the BEHADREY HAREDIM website today (Monday), wrote that the “Shuvu Banim community leader, who is in Johannesburg, felt unwell on Thursday, and had to receive medical treatment and medication.
“According to reports,” wrote Weisberg, “Hagaon Rabbi Eliezer Berland, 77” again fell ill over Shabbos and needed treatment. “When his blood pressure rose on Saturday night, a physician was brought to his apartment to treat the Rav who also needed medication. His name for prayer: Rabbi Eliezer Shlomo Ben Etia for refuah sheleima.”
Jewish Report confirmed the veracity of this report with a senior follower of Rabbi Berland’s in Jerusalem who is in daily contact with him.
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The annual “Rosh Hashanah kibbutz” in Uman, Ukraine in 2008, when approximately 25 000 people from all over the world participated in this pilgrimage
Weisberg added that Rabbi Berland gave a shiur by satellite broadcast to all his followers throughout the world last week Tuesday, calling on them to travel to Uman for Rosh Hashanah.
But that does not seem to have stemmed the tide of followers who have been coming into South Africa. There are a reported 500 followers expected to arrive next week and more the following week.
Rabbi Berland is still being sought by the Hawks to execute an arrest warrant issued by Israel.
Read the previous story of how Hawks botched arrest:
ISRAEL CALLS FOR RABBI BERLAND’S ARREST & RETURN
Plus links to all previous stories, writings & related events.