By: YWN
The Novominsker Rebbe, Harav Yaakov Perlow, z’tl, was niftar early Tuesday morning at the age of 89, plunging all of Klal Yisrael into deep mourning.
The Rebbe has served as a leader of the American Jewish community, the head of Agudas Yisrael of America and the Nasi of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah. The Rebbe was known for his rhetorical skills and was the keynote speaker for many years at Agudas Yisrael and Torah Umesorah gatherings.
The Rebbe, who was ill with the coronavirus, collapsed in his home in Boro Park at 3 a.m. on Tuesday morning. Hatzalah volunteers who arrived at his home spent many long moments trying to resuscitate him but to their sorrow, they were unsuccessful and were forced to declare his death.
HaModia reported that the Rebbe was a towering figure in the leadership of American Jewry, and served as Rosh Agudath Yisrael of America since 1998.
The Rebbe was born in New York in 5691/1931. He was the son of the previous Rebbe, Harav Nachum Mordechai Perlow, zt”l, and Rebbetzin Beila Ruchama, a”h. He was named for his great-grandfather, Harav Yaakov Perlow, zt”l, the first Novominsker Rebbe. His maternal grandfather was Harav Yitzchak Zelig Morgenstern, zt”l, the Sokolover Rebbe, a descendant of the Kotzker Rebbe, zy”a.
Following his father’s death in 1976, Harav Perlow was appointed as the next Novominsker Rebbe and he established a shul as a center for Novominsker chassidim and yeshivas Kol Yehudah in Boro Park.
The Rebbe also authored the sefer Eidas Yaakov on Shas.
When he came of age, he married Rebbetzin Yehudis, a”h, the daughter of Harav Avraham Eichenstein, zt”l, the Ziditchover Rebbe of Chicago.
After his father’s petirah in Elul of 5736/1976, he was appointed Rebbe.
In 1998, after the petirah of Rabbi Moshe Sherer, z”l, the Rebbe was named Rosh Agudath Israel of America.
The Rebbe’s beis medrash was on 48th Street and 16th Avenue in Boro Park.
The Rebbe was a mainstay and keynote speaker at events related to Torah Umesorah and Agudath Israel. He was the head of Agudah’s Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah.
The Passaic Jewish Community is in shock on Tuesday morning upon hearing of the Petira of Dr Elliott Samet Z”L. He was in his 60’s.
Dr Samet has been one of the leading pediatricians for the Jewish community in Passaic for decades. Dr. Elliott Samet was a prominent board-certified pediatrician in the community, who was in practice for around 38 years.
In addition to being an incredibly dedicated doctor, Dr Samet was a brilliant Talmid Chochom, and a tremendous Baal Tzedakah. His patients were always treated like his own children. So much so, that there was always a long line of kids and their parents at his house to show him and his wife their Purim costumes. He proudly hung all of the photos in his office.
He was a founding Board Member of Passaic Hatzolah.
Hundreds of families & thousands of patients are mourning this tremendous loss.
The Flatbush Community is reeling from the news of the petirah of Hagaon HaRav Nachum Cooper ZT”L from coronavirus yesterday, at age 58.
As Rav Elya Brudny explained, Rav Nachum was “a towering gadol and a true gaon in the guise of a working person. His tzidkus, his yiras shamayim and his bekius were awe-inspiring.”
Rav Yisroel Reisman, in whose Shul Rav Nachum delivered a popular Daf Yomi Shiur every night for many years, said that Rav Nachum “was one of the few true tzaddikim I was fortunate to know in my life. He was a genuine oved Hashem in everything that he did.”
Rav Brudny and Rav Reisman said that when they were with Rav Nachum they felt “Shal N’alchah M’eal Raglechah, Ki Hamokom Asher Atah Omed Alav Admas Kodesh.”
Rav Nachum leaves behind a tzadeikis of a wife, and a large family, with six children still at home. She now has a heavy burden to bear. It is an impossible burden, emotionally, physically and financially.
A fund administered by Rav Elya Brudny and Rav Yisroel Reisman has been established for the Cooper Family.
Reb Yisroel Horowitz Z”L, 72.
The Niftar was brought up in Jersey City in a very beautiful family who were not yet religious. He had wanted to go to a Yeshiva but it did not work out. HIs mother was niftar when he was 12 and his father then gave permission to go to Yeshiva and he went straight to Ner Yisroel Baltimore. He joined fellow metzuyanim – and became lifelong friends- with HarRav Zevulun Schwartzman and HaRav Mordechai Yoffen. Although he started to learn at 12, by 16 he became a chavrusa of Rav Ruderman zt”l learning Maseches Zevachim together!
From Ner Yisroel he went to Yerushalayim to Yeshiva Bais HaTalmud where he became a Talmid muvhak of HaRav Dov Schwartzman zt”l. He is one of very few people in the world to receive semicha from Rav Schwartzman. He was known as an iluy who could learn for hours on end with total immersion and focus, and a minute later be concerned about another person, what they were doing, how they felt or what they needed, or talk with them in the sugya they were learning.
He mentored younger bochrim and had a profound influence on their lives.
He was described by Rav Schwartzman as having “ah glatte kop”- an unusual ability to analyze a sugya in a clear straightforward manner. Structure, stay true to the words, trying to figure out what the Gemara , Rishon, Acharon is actually saying and not what you think they are saying. He sought out consistency and uniformity within each shitah throughout Shas. He would spend hours pondering Rambam to build a beautiful complex tapestry in thinking. Rav Moshe Shapiro, who was a Maggid Shiur in Bais HaTalmud, described him as a clear thinker who could not tolerate “krumkeit”. He is the quintessential “klohr kop”!
He returned to the United States after nearly a decade in Eretz Yisroel and learned, mentored bochrim and said chaburos for years in Miami in Yeshiva Gedola Bais Moshe Chaim under Rav Yochnon Zweig.
He then came north to learn in Yeshiva Bais Yosef Novardok led by Rav Yaakov Yaffen and his old friend Rav Mordechai Yaffen. When Bais Yosef moved to Flatbush, Rav Yisroel joined the Mir Yeshiva and for the last 15 years has been learning there and saying chaburos a few nights a week for younger bochrim.
People would “talk with him” in learning all day- he was the barometer for solid analysis and thinking and he freely praised logical consistent learning.
He was very well versed in Chumash with major meforshim, Medrash and sifrei Machshava as well. A few years ago he published his sefer Yad Yisroel, a compendium filled with short, clear, incisive “lomdishe” pieces on Shas and a section on Chumash and Machshava. He was recently preparing the second volume for publication.
Rav Yisroel’s sensitivity to people and his understanding of their individual situations made all people around him re-think their own ability to analyze and plan course of action. He taught by example. Although reticent to accept from others, he deeply appreciated any effort made on his behalf and freely expressed his humble gratitude for even the smallest favor or expression of concern. He repeatedly expressed his enormous appreciation to Hanholas Mir Yeshiva for keeping him as part of the Kollel for the past 15 years and allowing him to be marbitz Torah within its walls.
He took ill last week and despite the heroic efforts of the head of Community hospital and a group of concerned friends he was niftar during the night of 12 Nissan.
He leaves behind grieving Talmidim, colleagues and friends.
(Yeshiva World News)
