The Minyan mourns the untimely passing of its founder, Meir Weingarten, on Shabbat Parshat Naso, 5781. Sivan 11 / May 22, 2021.

Meir founded the Minyan with a core of Israeli ex-pats and Aliyah oriented locals. Meir was the Minyan's first President and Gabbai, as well as baal tefilah for the Yomim Noraim. Meir had many other talents and interests as well, including serving as a host on Nachum Segal radio, helping to promote Jewish acapella and running a travel agency.

Meir was named for his great-grandfather Chacham Ben Zion Meir Hai Uzziel, the Sefardic Chief Rabbi of Palestine and first Sefardic Chief Rabbi of Israel. Meir was an expert in Tanach (Bible) and dikduk (Hebrew grammar), a true anav (humble person) and strived to be yashar (straight person) and a tzanua lechet lifnei Hashem (one who walks in G-d's way).

He is survived by his mother Shoshana (Rose) & brother Uzi. May they be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

Siyum Mishnayot in Memory of Meir Weingarten A"H
June 23, 2021

This year's Siyum is dedicated to the memory of Yavneh Minyan founder Meir Weingarten A"H.

Siyum Recordings

Yomim Noraim Recordings

by Meir Weingarten

Ari Kahn
Very sad to hear of the sudden passing of Meir Weingarten a great lover of Israel. Truly a person whose heart was in the East as he dwelled in the west. I understand he will be soon making his final trip home. We were in Mesifta Rabbenu Chaim Berlin together back when a few “kipot serugot” could be seen. Meir was named for his illustrious grandfather the Chief Rabbi of Israel Harav Meir Uzziel. YZB

Mayer Fertig
Our family is reeling from the sudden passing of one of our closest, most beloved friends, Meir Weingarten.Chani Bergan Fertig and I were both in our teens when we met Meir. I was 19 and had just joined the JM in the AM crew to ocasionally fill-in for Nachum Segal. Meir was 12 or 13 years older than me. Like most of the JM kids, ours have grown up knowing him as Uncle Meir and are as devastated as we are.
For years I referred to Meir on the air as my “Israeli music guru” but that was hardly his only area of expertise. He had a gift for making computers do his will and helped me with my first forays into the Apple and Mac universe. And most importantly, Meir possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of Tanach — Torah, Prophets and Writings — and his contributions to holiday and special programming on JM in the AM will be long remembered by tens of thousands of people — particularly his meticulously prepared segments for Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day). Many listeners over the years have described sitting in their car despite being late for work and appointments, so as not to miss any of Meir’s insights into one of the most momentous events in Jewish history. I did that too, more than once.
Along the way, I had the privilege of teaching him how to run a board and he joined us on the air as an occasional host and, more recently, as the host of his own weekly program, The Israel Show, which quickly became one of the most popular features on the Nachum Segal Network. Standing together outside Meir’s home very early this morning, Nachum mused about the many hundreds of hours of Meir’s engrossing, thought-provoking programming about Israel that training helped facilitate.
Aside from our shared love of Israel and of radio, Meir was a great friend in every sense of the word for over thirty years. He was beyond generous — he was the *very first* contributor to Hatzalah of Union County, mailing a substantial check the day I told him we were working on it — a patient listener, and a source of wise counsel, enthusiastic, genuine encouragement and thoughtful, constructive criticism. I can only hope that he felt I contributed equally to our friendship.
It was a running joke between us for years that listeners would confuse the two of us. I have always maintained that it was an honor to be mistaken for Meir Weingarten. I still do, though I could probably do without the inevitable confusion of some people thinking I’m the one who is no longer here.
Like all of us who loved Meir Weingarten — Meir Nachum Ben Dovid — like a brother, I’ve always felt sad that he never married, particularly because he would have been such a wonderful father. But that was not meant to be. Instead, it will be left to us, his friends, to perpetuate his memory as best we can.

Benjy Kramer

וַיִּתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ חֲנ֖וֹךְ אֶת־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים וְאֵינֶ֕נּוּ כִּֽי־לָקַ֥ח אֹת֖וֹ אֱלֹהִֽים׃ בראשית  ה:כד
All I can think about now is my dear friend Meir Weingarten’s absence. As the pasuk above indicates, Chanoch was the first person who died early and a close friend once pointed out to me that it is poignant that his untimely death is discribed simply as ואיננו כי לקח אותו אלוקים.
That is all I can think about - he is missing from our lives and he is close to Hashem now.
Meir was someone I spoke to often and we bounced so many ideas off of each other but mostly he was there for me and he inspired me so much in terms of his integrity and his caring and his love of Tanakh and Medina Yisrael and all that it has done for us all!

Shiri Barkai is with Meir Weingarten and Yoav Barkai.

    To be a niece of Meir Weingarten
    To play and go wild with you at 3 years old, when all the adults are already tired and only you keep playing with me with endless vigor and joy. To show you that I've learned to tie laces, shine with pride when you're excited, clapping and reading ′′ Hooray "!
    Get excited for weeks before you come to visit Israel, count the days and jump on you with hugs when you walk home and say ′′ Sh-Lum ".
    Roll up laughing when you make us noises, faces and nonsense. To ask you to whistle the special whistle and get so excited.
    To read a book with you in English and show off the words I learned. To read you writing and works that I wrote for school, to feel in your right, especially smart and talented.
    To miss you, to wait for the next visit before you left.
    To grow up and you are always in the background, also present from a far away land, to know that over the sea there is someone who loves me so much and to feel that he is always there, despite the distance
    To wait for a call from you before every birthday and know that the call will come, to feel how happy you are in me, how much love.
    To sing especially beautifully at the Shabbat and holiday table when you are around, to see you excited to tears and radiant from comfort.
    Grow a little and start talking about serious things too, understand how much there is in you that I didn't know, how bright you are, how extensive your knowledge is, to be passionate about your opinions and want to know what you think about everything. To receive articles and articles from you related to what we talked about and feel how much you care.
    To grow a little more. Introducing you to Yoav Barkai and seeing how your wings of love instantly spread on him too. To ask you to bless our altar. Cry together with excitement and joy. To know that you will come to Israel especially. To dance with you at the wedding, to see how happy you are with us. Saying goodbye after a few days and not imagining that this is the last time we will hug.
    Make video calls and long phone calls, talk about so many topics.
    To take care of you during the Corona period.
    To follow through you what is happening in the country and the country.
    Missing terribly.
    We spoke on the phone two weeks ago, as always you were the first one to remember and call to congratulate us, this time on the occasion of the We talked about your plans for the coming time, about how much we love and miss you, and we set to talk in two weeks. I would so like to talk to you just one more time.
    We are separated from you forever with a broken heart. Hurting for the tremendous loss. Crying for you. Unbelievers.
    From Irka. My beloved and dear uncle. There is no other man like you. Huge heart, illuminating personality, brilliant mind, huge knowledge in so many areas, unending talent. Love man, love israel
    You touched so many people, you changed their lives.
    I hope you knew in your life how precious and loved you are, how appreciated.
    My beloved uncle. Thank you for 26 years of endless and unconditional love, for the feeling that you are proud of me, for the feeling that you are always here, watching from afar. Thank you for always being interested, for remembering to write successfully in the exam or to ask how it was on the trip, thank you for listening and supporting. Thank you for being an uncle and a friend to me. Thank you for the immense privilege, for being part of my life.
    I love you with all my heart and miss you so much. I promise to remember and remind you as you were. A good and pure man. Happy. Enlightening. Love and loved.
    Rest in peace from Irka
    We loved love and will always love
    You will forever live in our hearts