During the War of Independence the residents of Jerusalem were subjected to heavy bombardment from the Jordanians, which took its toll in lives, limbs and property. One neighborhood was spared this terror. Not one shell fell on the Batei Rand neighborhood in Jerusalem.
In an effort to discover what special merit this neighborhood had to deserve such Divine protection, it was recalled that a philanthropist by the name of Mendel Rand had established this neighborhood and made its homes available rent-free to Torah scholars. Many distinguished Torah greats, including Rabbi Isser Zalman Meltzer, rosh hayeshiva of Yeshivat Eitz Chaim and father-in-law of Rabbi Aaron Kotler, lived in Batei Rand and provided it with a shield of safety.
