RAV ELCHONON (CHUNA) HALPERN zt”l (1922-2015),  was the Rav of Bais Medrash Bais Shmuel, Av Beis Din in Golders Green, London, and Nasi of Hisachdus Kehillas HaChareidim. Rav Halpern was born on the first night of Chanukahin the town of Kosice, Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia), to his parents, Rav Dovid and Mindel Halpern. His father, Rav Dovid, who served as Rov of Dovshitz, was a descendant of the Divrei Chaim of Sanz.

He studied in his youth with his maternal grandfather, Rav Shmuel Engel, and his paternal grandfather Rav Yissochor Pardes.

At age 14, he wrote a letter to the Rogatchover Gaon, who, in his reply, called Rav Chuna “HaRav HaGaon.”

Upon his arrival in London, Rav Chuna became close to Rav Shalom Moskowitz, the Schatzer Rebbe zt”l.

In 1960, he opened the Pardes Yeshiva, named after his rebbi, Rav Yissochor Pardes. In 1984, after the passing of Rav Shlomo Schonfeld, he became Nasi of the Hisachdus Kehillas HaChareidim.

Rav Halpern was very close to numerous Admorim, including the Sanzer Rebbe Rav Yekutiel Yehuda Halberstam, the Satmar Rebbe Rav Yoel Teitelbaum, and Stopkover Rebbe Rav Avrohom Shalom Halberstam. He considered himself a talmid of Rav Itzikel of Pshevorsk.

Rav Halpern was the author of various seforim on Chumash, halacha, hanhagos, and Chassidic mesorah.

From age 14, Rabbi Gerzi spent much time with Reb Chuna almost on a daily basis, as they shared family connections. Reb Chuna gave Rabbi Gerzi shimush in halacha, and encouraged Rabbi Gerzi to give public shiurim and chaburas, to write down his own chidushei Torah, and to learn for semicha. More fundamentally, Rav Chuna shared stories and traditions about their shared ancestors, gifting Rabbi Gerzi with a deep appreciation for his own yichus.

Reb Chunah was also a Talmud Chaver of the late Pilzno Rav (Rabbi Yosef Singer) in Europe and told Rabbi Gerzi many stories about the two of them from Europe.

Rabbi Gerzi has said that from Rav Chuna he learned the importance of kedusha, tahara, having a depth and breadth of knowledge in Chassidic Torah and history, and the importance of his own personal yichus.

What I learned from Rav Chuna, the Radamishler Rebbe, was the importance of tradition and
the importance of kedusha and tahara. It doesn’t matter whatever generation we are living in. Those
standards need to be kept and met.