The current craze among Jewish children of collecting picture cards of Torah scholars and leaders will probably remind many of their American parents and grandparents of the days when they collected cards of sports stars. There was, however, one youngster of that generation who collected photographs of great rabbis and pasted them into an album.

One place in that album was left blank and in it was written:

“Mordechai, if you learn seriously, some day your picture will be here with the other gedolim.”

The youngster took his self-imposed challenge seriously and eventually became the Rosh Hayeshiva of Yeshivat Telshe in Cleveland, Rabbi Mordechai Gifter of blessed memory.

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