It was January 12th when I got an email asking me to write about the Facebuker Rebbe, an individual named Dovid Winiarz who used Facebook as a kiruv medium. Having been friends with Dovid for many years, I laughed at the idea that I would actually get paid to interview him. A day later Dovid asked me when we could talk for the story. I was incredibly busy and told him that my schedule was full for the week and that we would be in touch.
I thought I had all the time in the world. How could I know that Dovid would lose his life in a car crash on his way to a kiruv convention? The story of the Facebuker Rebbe is still being told; instead of interviewing Dovid I am speaking to his friends and followers, just one hour after coming home from his levaya.
If you didn’t know Dovid, you missed out on an amazing person who lived to make others happy, do mitzvos and spread the light of Torah throughout the world. I know you’re thinking that somehow everyone suddenly becomes a tzaddik after he or she dies. But even in his lifetime, we all knew Dovid for what he was. His entire existence was about spreading simcha and glorifying G-d’s name on a daily basis. How better to do that than by reaching G-d’s children, no matter where they are, and helping them get closer to their Heavenly Father?
Dovid never did anything in a small way and he set his sights on Facebook, telling Humans of Judaism in 2014 that if Facebook’s membership were to be counted as the population of a country it would be the world’s third largest. Seeing an audience with so many unaffiliated Jews, Dovid anointed himself the Facebook Rabbi, sharing what he described as “authentic Torah values.”
Understanding the dangers of social media, Dovid consulted with Rav Reuven Feinstein before undertaking his mission. Rav Feinstein outlined guidelines for Dovid to follow and gave him a bracha to keep him safe in cyberspace.
“He went back to Reb Reuven every year to get that bracha renewed,” Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz told The Jewish Press.
Facebook shut down Dovid’s Facebook Rabbi page in 2012, saying it violated the site’s guidelines, severing all access to his followers. Undaunted, Dovid started again from scratch, creating a new page called Facebuker Rebbe which ultimately attracted over 12,400 followers. Dovid shared words of Torah, pictures of his family and the beauty and sweetness of a Torah lifestyle with his audience, enjoying immense success.
“He was a gaon in ahavas yisroel and ahavas habriyos,” said Rabbi Gewirtz. “Everyone felt he had their back. He made everyone feel that he was their best friend and he truly saw the good in everybody. One time there was someone who was bitter, insulting and vulgar to Dovid. He responded by getting someone to bring Mishloach Manos to that person’s house on Purim.”
Sara Vail Miedema of Minnesota, first met Dovid on Facebook immediately after receiving a cancer diagnosis.
“For some reason his post was right on my news,” said Miedema. “It was like G-d just brought him into my life when I needed that.”
Miedema recalls how Dovid helped her through a difficult time.
“He never held out false hope as we all know cancer is a killer but somehow he encouraged me. Sure a lot of other people were praying for me too. His voice rang out as well-versed in faith and belief.”
Dovid encouraged Miedema to explore her Jewish roots and to improve herself by focusing on others.
