The olam haTorah v’haChassidus mourns the petirah of R’ Avrohom Shmuel Spalter z”l, a beloved Chossid, yerei Shomayim, and anav, who was niftar on Tuesday, 24 Nissan, at the age of 93. R’ Shmuel was born in Lancut, Poland, into a family of Bluzhover Chassidim. His early life was marked by unimaginable yesurim during the churban Europe. His mother was murdered al kiddush Hashem by the Nazis, ym”sh, and he fled with his father to Soviet Russia. There, his father passed away, and he was placed in a Communist orphanage, far from any semblance of Torah or Yiddishkeit. After the war, he was reunited with his great-uncle, R’ Mordechai Gershon Spalter, the dayan of Sonik, who adopted him and raised him with warmth and dedication. He was sent to learn in the Lubavitch Yeshiva in Brunoy, France—the only Chassidishe yeshiva in Western Europe at the time. In 5710, he arrived in New York for Shavuos and immediately joined the yeshiva in 770. He was present at the historic farbrengen of Yud Shvat 5711, when the Lubavitcher Rebbe formally accepted the nesius. In 5716, he married Mirel Lipszyc, and the Rebbe was mesader kiddushin at their chasunah. Following the wedding, the couple settled in Crown Heights, where R’ Shmuel worked as a diamond cutter and was a dedicated participant in the early-morning Gemara shiur delivered by R’ Zalman Gurary z”l. When R’ Zalman was away, R’ Shmuel would step in to give the shiur. In his later years, R’ Shmuel moved to North Miami Beach, Florida, where he spent his mornings immersed in limud haTorah and his afternoons working in his son’s grocery store. Even in his older age, he continued learning b’hasmadah and lived with profound simplicity, sincerity, and yiras Shomayim. His humility and constant desire to help others left a lasting impression on all who crossed his path. R’ Shmuel leaves behind his eishes chayil, Mirel, along with a large family of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who continue in his path of Torah, avodah, and gemilus chassadim. Among his children are Rabbi Moshe Spalter of Toronto, Mrs. Libby Wolf of Chicago, Mrs. Mindy Chazan of Manchester, Mrs. Dassi New of Atlanta, Rabbi Hershel Spalter of Costa Rica, R’ Yitzi Spalter of North Miami Beach, Rabbi Yisroel Spalter of Weston, Mrs. Chani Nemes of New Orleans, and Rabbi Mendy Spalter of Los Angeles. The levayah will take place on Wednesday, passing by 770 at 2:30 PM. The family will be sitting shivah in Crown Heights at 699 Crown Street on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning only. On Wednesday, nichum aveilim will begin at 6:30 PM, with Mincha and Maariv b’zmanam. On Thursday morning, there will be Shacharis minyanim at 8:00 AM and 8:45 AM. Baruch Dayan Ha’Emes. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)