The Jewish community of Chicago, and the Jewish world at large, lost a giant on Tuesday morning with the petirah of R’ Naftali (Rudolph) Tessler z”l. Sadly, he was Niftar while sitting Shiva for his brother (age 91) who survived Aushwitz together with him. His brother was niftar 3 days ago.

R’ Naftali was born in 1926 to R’ Shlomo and Esther Tessler in Viseu, Romania. R’ Shlomo z”l was a talmid of the Vishiveh Rav, the Keren L’David, and this close familial relationship with such an adam gadol greatly influenced the young Naftali.

On Wednesday, May 24, 1944 the Tessler family arrived in Auschwitz. R’ Naftali, his father and two of his brothers, were separated from the rest of his 67 members of his extended family who were immediately taken to the gas chambers.

For the following year, R’ Naftali endured the unspeakable horrors of the concentration and work camps, yet all the while maintained his Emunah and passionate desire to live which enabled him to survive.

It was in the work camps when R’ Naftali first interacted with the great Klausenberger Rebbe, risking his own life to perform labor on the Rebbe’s behalf. On a death march at the end of the war also, he helped to carry the Rebbe thereby saving the Rebbe’s life. B’chasdei Hashem, R’ Naftali survived the war along with his father and two of his brothers – R’ Baruch and R’ Mendel.

In 1947, at just 21 years old, R’ Naftali came to America. Several years later, he met his wife, Edith (Chaya Sarah), nee Hoffman a”h. Together they built a majestic family in Chicago where he lived for nearly seventy years.

R’ Naftali was tremendously instrumental in the growth of the Torah community of Chicago and was ראש וראשון לכל דבר שבקדושה. His involvement in communal matters was not limited to his generous philanthropy. It was with the strength of his persona and his bold determination that he built numerous mosdos spanning from Chicago to B’nei Brak, Netanya, Migdal Ha’emek and beyond.

R’ Naftali had the ear of politicians and men of influence from all walks of life and he utilized his connections to help individuals and the community at large. To the many who knew R’ Naftali, he was larger than life. He set high goals for himself, and elevated all who had a relationship with him. In his lifetime R’ Naftali was a legend, stories of his greatness will be told for generations to come.

R’ Naftali Tessler is survived by his children, Mrs. Fradel Mandel (Lawrence), R’ Dovid Tessler (Chicago) and R’ Mordecai Tessler (Chicago); numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren and a great-great-grandson.

A levaya is taking place in Chicago on Wednesday, with a second at the Vizhnitz Yeshiva in Bnei Brak that was built through his philanthropy.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)