Rabbi Tzvi Kushlevsky, an esteemed head of a Jerusalemite yeshiva, has welcomed his first child at the age of 88, sources confirmed Sunday morning.
Kushlevsky's wife, who is approximately 56 years old and from his second marriage, gave birth to their son at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem. The birth has ignited a wave of excitement, drawing parallels to biblical times. "Since the time of our forefather Abraham, there hasn't been such a historic birth," exclaimed a spokesperson from Behadrei Haredim, a leading Haredi news website.
A fixture in the Har Nof neighborhood, Kushlevsky is known for his daily Torah study sessions at the yeshiva he leads. However, Sunday's session was unlike any other, as his students celebrated the news with extraordinary joy, marking the occasion with singing and dancing.
A remarkable event
This remarkable milestone came six years after Kushlevsky was widowed from his first wife. He remarried shortly thereafter, at the age of 82, to his current wife, then 50. The couple's decision to wed was made swiftly, just a week after their match was arranged, but until now, they had not been blessed with children.
The haredi press has been fervent in its coverage of the event, with many noting the rarity and historical significance of such a birth. "Some might say that since the time of our forefather Abraham, who was blessed with his son Isaac at age 100, there hasn't been such a historic birth," reported Behadrei Haredim. The site added a forward-looking note: "When his firstborn son reaches Bar Mitzvah age, the head of the yeshiva will be celebrating his 101st birthday, God willing."