in 1947 his father died and rosenfeld assumed his charitable activities, which included fundraising for the small breslov community in israel. rosenfeld began corresponding with rabbi sternhartz, and visited him in israel for the first time in 1949. at that time, he expressed his wish to live in the breslov community in israel, but sternhartz urged him to continue as a teacher in america, telling him "that the merit of saving one jewish soul was worth more than the merit of living in israel". imbued with a sense of purpose, rosenfeld moved his family to the flatbush neighborhood of brooklyn, which then had a largely non-religious jewish community, and continued teaching at the talmud torah of the shaarei tefillah synagogue run by rabbi kahana for 15 years.