(By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Five Towns Jewish Times)

The Five Towns/Far Rockaway community mourns the loss of one of the founders of the community, Rabbi Yisroel Dovid HaKohain Glick or Sidney Glick.

Reb Sidney was an extraordinary Talmid Chochom and remained in Torah learning for all of his life. He would enjoy speaking in learning with everyone. Reb Sidney received Smicha from Yeshiva Torah V’Daas. He was very close to Reb Shraga Feivel Mendelovich in Torah VaDaas and was dedicated to Chinuch and Kiruv.

Reb Sidney was the Baal Shacharis in the Agudah of Long Island for many years. He also attended shiurim in the Agudah of Long Island and whenever someone was absent he readily took over any shiur – without preparation. He presented the material as if he had been preparing for weeks.

TWO DIAMOND BUSINESSES

Reb Sidney was in two diamond businesses – one on 47th Street in Manhattan and the other in the diamond business of Chinuch.

Reb Sidney was intimately involved with both the founding of the Yeshiva of SouthShore as well as Torah Academy for Girls. The others were Yidel Klein, Yonasan Steimetz, Bernie Livshitz, Moshe Weinberg, Arno Rhein (Dr. Rhein’s uncle), Sidney Glick, and yibadel l’chaim tovim, Reb Moshe Katz.

He was one of the people that went to Belmont Avenue in Brooklyn to invite Reb Binyomin Kaminetsky zt”l to establish a Yeshiva here in the Five Towns. Why did they choose him? Because he had a great reputation as a mechanech who loved his Talmidim. Reb Sidney even arranged for his brother to guarantee the salary. They were not disappointed with their choice. The Yeshiva grew tremendously under the loving guidance of Reb Binyomin zt”l and educated an enormous number of people.

Reb Sidney also helped make the Torah Academy for Girls what it is today. He took personally the issues of Chinuch and was one of the people firmly dedicated to maintaining Torah principles.

IVDU ES HASHEM B’SIMCHA

Reb Sidney had difficulties in life. He had lost his father at a young age and also had lost a son. However, he had an extraordinary simchas HaChaim. Some people say that the cup is always half empty. Others say that one should look at things as if the cup is half full. To Reb Sidney, the cup was always completely full. He had a Simchas HaChaim that was rare.

A DOER

Reb Sidney always took action in whatever he deemed necessary for the Tzibbur. Aside from the Tzedakah he gave and the support for Torah Mosdos, he also supplied the coffee in the shul. The cost per year went into several thousand dollars. Some people, who were looking out for him, said that even people that were not in the shul took coffee. He said, “If a Jew wishes to drink coffee, let him drink coffee.”

He learned with Reb Amos Bunim z”l as a Chevrusah for many years.

He was a remarkable person who will be sorely missed by those who knew him. The Far Rockaway/Five Towns community is a different place because of this extraordinary individual. His impact upon the community will be felt for many decades in the future.

The author can be reached at [email protected]