Dear Ehrenpreis Family, I just recently heard of the petira of Reb. Akiva a’h. The article on Yeshiva World News was very moving and gave us a glimpse of his greatness. Having had the zechus of learning with Akiva for a period of time, I would like to share with you my personal recollections. In the summer of ‘94, Harav Chaim Segal zt”l asked me to learn with Akiva, whom I had only known by face up until that point. He briefly told me of Akiva’s situation and that he thought it would be good if an older bachur would help him get ready for the upcoming zman. I still remember my hesitation as I stood outside your home on East 18th St. Did I have what it took to encourage someone who was suffering in ways that I could not imagine? My rebbe told me to try; so I knocked. That was the last time I was nervous — if anyone got chizuk from our chavrusah-shaft it was me. If anyone gained from our time together, it was me. We sat and learnt the beginning of mesechtas Bava Metzia every day for an hour or so for a few weeks. Part of the time we spent learning, part schmoozing. I felt so welcome and comfortable in your home. I truly looked forward to Akiva’s smile, his love for Torah, his quest for the truth. When spending time with Akiva, I came to a new understanding of the words of a different Reb Akiva – the taana who said, “Whatever Hashem has done, it’s for the best.” For that was the credo that Akiva lived by; he would tell me about the difficulties he faced with complete equanimity; nothing could keep him from his learning, from his love of life. At the beginning of the zman we had to stop but we occasionally schmoozed in learning and other topics. Shortly before Pesach, he asked me to learn with him again. “It would be my pleasure; what would you like to learn?” I asked. “This,” he said as he handed me a copy of a the recently published, new edition of the Maharal on the Haggadah shel Pesach. “This is your copy. When can we start?” I still have the sefer and inside I wrote: I received this sefer as a gift from my dear friend, Akiva Ehernpreis, erev Pesach 5755. I still remember how he would jokingly call me his rebbi. But I knew then, as I know even more now, that he was my rebbi. Hamakom yenachem eschem bsoch shaar avlei Tzion v’Yerushalyim. Yihye zichro Baruch. YMG