YWN regrets to inform you of the tragic passing of Mendel Krafchik Z”L, who was involved in a serious car crash in Pennsylvania overnight. He was 23. Mendel was born in Manchester, UK, where his mother still lives. Sadly, his father was Niftar around 10 years ago. He previously learned in the “RAP” Yeshiva in Yerushalayim, after which he served in the IDF Givati Brigade for a number of years. He then moved to NY, where he was currently living until his tragic Petira. Misaskim and local Askonim worked to have his body released to be flown to London for the Levaya. Boruch Dayan Ha’Emmes… STAY UPDATED WITH BREAKING UPDATES FROM YWN VIA WHATSAPP – SIGN UP NOW Just click on this link, and you will be placed into a group. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)  

YWN regrets to inform you of the sudden Petira of Rabbi Dr. Chaim Wakslak z’l, who was the Morah D’Asra, Young Israel of Long Beach and the clinical director of HASC Center. The Levaya will be today, Erev Shabbos Kodesh, at 12:00PM, Young Israel of Long Beach, 120 Long Beach Boulevard. Boruch Dayan HaEmmes…
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YWN regrets to inform you of the Petira of R’ Yerachmiel Shraga Feivel (Rocky) Zweig Z”L who was Niftar on Tuesday morning. He was 69. “Rocky” was born in Boro Park and spent most of his life in Flatbush. He was one of the original founders of Neginah Orchestra around 50 years ago. For the past 10 years he wrote weekly columns in the Flatbush Jewish Journal, something that thousands of readers looked forward to each week, with his humor and opinions about a multitude of topics. His letters and articles elicited much response and he always enjoyed debating people in good spirits. Unfortunately, he suffered from a lung illness and was waiting for a lung transplant the past year. Despite his Yesurim, Rocky was always Besimcha – with his humorous quips and a good word to others.

Mourning engulfed the city of Afula as news was heard of the death of Rav Uziel Yitzchaki, z’tl, a Teimani Rav in the city who served as a mohel and a shochet. Rav Yitzchaki, 66, who served as one of the leading shochtim in Paraguay for the Israeli Rabbanut for many years, fell ill after being bitten by a mosquito in the South American country about two weeks ago. According to his family, the mosquito carried a disease that caused the Rav to develop a lung infection which eventually killed him. He was hospitalized in Paraguay and his family flew there to sit by his bedside, communicating with the medical staff through an interpreter. The Rav was flown to Israel in very serious condition and was hospitalized in the ICU of Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikva.

YWN regrets to inform you of the Petira of HaRav Meir Reuven Berkowitz ZATZAL, the Rov of Whispering Pines in Lakewood, after a lengthy illness. The Levaya will be at his Shul at 12:00PM, and the Kevura in Kiryas Yoel. Boruch Dayan HaEmmes… (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The post Lakewood: Levaya of HaRav Meir Reuven Berkowitz ZATZAL, Rov of Whispering Pines appeared first on The Yeshiva World.

YWN regrets to inform you of the sudden Petira of Hgaon HaRav Pesach Eliyahu Falk ZATZAL, the world-renowned Posek from Gateshead, U.K. He suffered a massive heart attack on Monday. He was 77. Rav Falk was a talmid, and a Magid Shiur at Gateshead Yeshiva as well as the Bais Chaya Rochel Seminary in Gateshead. He wrote many well-known Seforim including Oz V’hadar Levushah, in English, Modesty: An Adornment for Life, Shailos Utshuvos Machazeh Eliyahu, Zachor V’Shamor, and other Seforim. The Niftar was one of the first people to start an “Avos Ubanim” learning program, which has since spread to nearly every community and Shul around the globe. His sudden passing is a huge shock and major loss for the U.K. Jewish communities.

Rav Avraham Yosef Leizerson, chairman of Chinuch Atzmai was niftar at the age of 77 in Hadassah Har Hatzofim on Shabbos. Rav Leizerson, a Gerrer chassid, was a leading askan for the Chareidi community in Israel for over 60 years. In the past, he served as the speaker for Agudat Yisrael, as a member of the Jerusalem Religous Council, a member of the Jerusalem City Council and as deputy mayor of Jerusalem. He also served as an MK for Agudat Yisrael for a short period of time. Rav Leizerson’s father, Hagaon Rav Simcha Bunim Leizerson, zt’l, one of the Roshei Yeshiva of Yeshivas Sfas Emes, was niftar at age 30 when Rav Avraham Yosef was five. After the death of his father, Rav Avraham Yosef grew up in the home of the former Gerrer Rebbe, Harav Simcha Bunim Altar, zt’l.

We are saddened to report the petira early this morning of Rebbetzin Leah Gertzulin, a”h. Rebbetzin Gertzulin was the wife of HaRav Nosson Eliyohu Gertzulin, zt”l, who served as Mashgiach Ruchani and Rosh Yeshiva of Mesifta Torah Vodaath for over half-a-century. She was 95 years old. Rebbetzin Gertzulin was born in Brooklyn in 1924, at a time when America was a spiritual wasteland. Her father, HaRav Moshe Dovid Zwerdling was a Rov in Crown Heights, and later in Brighton Beach, and a rebbe in Yeshiva HaRav Dovid Lebovits. Her mother, Rebbetzin Tziporah, was a direct descendant of HaRav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld. Despite the great challenges of that time, they were determined to raise their daughter, and her two sisters al pi derecho haTorah.

YWN regrets to inform you of the tragic Petira of one-year-old Rivka Koncepolski A”H, the child of Chabad-Lubavitch Shluchim in São Paulo, Brazil. She was Niftar on Tuesday morning after a drowning incident. Her parents are Rabbi Menachem Mendel and Dvora Lea Koncepolski, where the rabbi is the administrator of Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch Ohel Menachem, whose Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Shamai Ende, is Dvora Lea Koncepolski’s father. Rabbi Koncepolski is also a certified EMT and founding member of Hatzala of Brazil, a volunteer life-saving organization. Boruch Dayan HaEmmes… (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Hagaon HaRav Dov Sternbuch, zt’l, of Bnei  Brak was suddenly niftar on Tuesday afternoon at the age of 96. HaRav Dov was born in London where he learned in the yeshivah of Rav Moshe Schneider, ztl and was the chavrusa of the Gaon Harav Avrohom Gurwicz, Rosh Yeshivas Gateshead. He was a Talmid Chacham who knew Shas baal peh. His brother, Hagaon Rav Moshe Sternbuch, said a number of times that “Rav Dov is a bigger Talmid Chacham than me.” Harav Dov once sent a letter to Harav Chaim Kanievsky asking a shaila if he could request from the tzibur not to stand up for him when he enters shul. Harav Kanievsky answered him that getting up is the tzibur’s mitzvah and he shouldn’t take away their mitzvah.