We regret to inform you of the Petira of Horav Yehoshua Gutman ZATZAL – Menahel and Rebbi for over 30 years in Yeshiva Toras Chaim of Denver. The Levaya will take place on Sunday morning 11:00AM in Khal Lev Avrohom (124 Gudz Road – Lakewood, NJ) where Horav Gutman ZATZAL has been the Rov for the last 7 years. The Kevura will take place in Washington Cemetery in Deans, NJ.
Shiva will be until 3:00pm on Erev Yom Tov in the Gutman home 124 Gudz Road.
Boruch Dayan Emmes….
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22 Responses
Rav Gutman ztl
was a adom gadol a talmid chochom an inspireing person a ANUV so unassuming he will be missed
Baruch Dayan Ha-Emes. I will b”n try to make it to the levaya or the kevura.
Baruch Dayan Haemes. We have lost a true mechanech and Klal Yisrael is the poorer with this loss. Rebbi was a true believer in each bachur that he came in contact with. May he be a Maylitz Yosher for his mishpacha, his talmidim and all of Klal Yisrael. Is there a phone number to call to be menachaim avel?
I did not know the niftar, however he must have been a very special person to produce such a son like he had…Reb Avrohom Gutman. He is a tremendous baal chesed, baal acrayis – extremely responsible for klal Yisroel, a real ohev Yisroel, baal midos, a real noseh b’ol chavero, ohev torah and mitzvos, loved by all, always the first to do a mitzva or chesed and above all..very very bright..a real pikayach…..and more… The apple does not fall far from the tree and I am sure his father, zatzal, who is now in the olom haemes, is reaping the real nachas and reward for fathering such a son. Hamakom yinachem eschem mitoch aveilay tzion v’yerushalayim. I am truly so sorry for your tzar, Reb Avrahom.May mashiach , with techiyas Hamaysim come quickly.
Boruch Dayan Haemes
We lost a VERY special man
He was a master at dealing with bochrim. He made hundreds of bnei torah.A big shochk. BOROUCH DAYAN EMES. Does anyone know if ther will be a telphone hook up to the levya?
Boruch Dayan Hoemes. Rebbi’s petirah is a tremendous loss for the hundreds of bochurim and yungerleit who were zoche to have a kesher with him. This is a great loss asa well to his kehila who were zoche to be with him during his years in Lakewood . Yehi zichro boruch.
Also a talmid of Hrg’ R’ Aron Kotler zl, He was a treasure and a legend. He did everything Lshem Shomayim. Was a tremendous mechanech of boys and also a girls highschool here in Lakewood. Every single student admired him as he was a genuine Oved Hashem who had pure Ahavas Yisroel. It’s a huge loss for all Klal Yisroel.
Nitzchu Erelim Es Hametzhkim Venishba Aron Elokim
Oi Mi Yiten Lonu Et Temurato
although i only knew him for a relatively short time, about 12 years, no words will adaquately express my appreciation and admiration for the selfless, caring and loving person that he was.
every Talmid was unique to be worried about, cared for and looked out for.
always available to speak to you, advise and guide you how to go ahead in your Avodas Hashem, how to improve yourself, how to surmount the impossible trials of life, he was an incredible individual.
with his ready smile, his everlasting good humor, his positive encouragement, he would always show you the way forward.
on this public forum, i cannot go into my own personal details about my connection with him, suffive to say that with all dealings with me he showed incredible midos tovos, kindness and love where other people may have turned their backs to me.
i saw how he would work with his talmidim, in the way Chazak taught us, Chanoch Lenaar Al Pi Darco and he was therefor so loved by all those who came into contact with him.
a Talmid Cohochom of high calibre, he could speak to young and old alike, each finding his own personal message in his wise words.
giving up comfort and privacy, he turned part of his house into a Shul leading and guiding, putting the needs of others ahead of his own.
ohuv lemata vohuv lemaala, he lived with old fashioned values. brought up in a Yekishe home in Washington Heights, he lived a life of Emes in its basic and full sense. there was never any Krumkeit when dealing with people and even at a loss to himself he stuck to the path of Emes.
truly an individual who will be very badly missed by his family, close and distant, his talmidim and all who knew him.
only a week ago, i merited last to speak to him. although suffering himself, there was not a word about his own hard condition, with an optimistic note he brushed off his own needs and was fully involved in my well being. who will be there now to care for me and look out for me!! this is such a great loss for me as well as everyone who knew him.
i extend my heartfelt condolences to his family. this is a loss to Gudz drive, to Lakewood, and to Klal Yisroel. this is a void that will be very hard to fill.
Shehamokom Yenachem Eschem Besoch Aveiley Tzion Viyerusholayim, Velo Sosifu Ledaava Od.
He should be a Meilitz Yosher for his entire family, his wife who was always there with him through the good and hard times, and may his family find a necham in the legacy he has left behind.
may he go up before the Kisei Hakov and tell the Ribbono Shel Olam “Dai”, enough of this pain and turmoil in this world, let Moshiach come very soon when we will merit, Ubila Moves LoOnetzach, Uvo Letzion GOel.
Boruch Dayan Haemes: What a loss for klal yisrael.
Rav Gutman was a Talmid Chuchum nifleh; mechanech par excellance; and a real Oveid H-shem, and with his unbelievable memory of massai Rabbonim was a bridge to the previous generation of gedoilim.
May the RBSO give his esteemed Rebitzen and children the koach to continue his avodas hakodesh.
As a teenager, he was my cousellor in camp and my Pirchei leader in Washington Heights. Even at a young age he showed trmendous ahavas yisroel and midos tovos. Whenever I met him as an adult he greeted me like a best friend.
Baruch Dayin Haemes
May the RBSO give his family and children (as well as many talmidin) the Koach to make it through this hard time.
Words can’t describe the hakoras hatov I have for Rebbi. I constantly try my best to emulate his actions and to be able to treat others in with the special attention and affection he gave to his talmidim. This is truly a loss for all of Klal Yisroel.
Twenty-six years ago when I was in beis medrash in Denver and Rav Gutman was the 9th-grade rebbe, I remember the effort he put in and the degree of caring he had when making sure that his bochurim were treated properly and had the best chance to advance in their learning. It is sad that both he and Rav Moshe Kahn (the 11th grade Toras Chaim rebbe)are now gone. Boruch dayan emes.
Rav Gutman davened Neila–Yom Kippur for the Amud the year that I was in the Yeshiva. And I recall that Avinu Malkainu every single year. I sat near to the Amud and hope never to forget those moments.
ברוך דין האמת
from someone who remembers him from his younger days while growing up in Washington Heights. KAJ had a big influence on him.
Anyone has the fax number to the Gutmans home in Lakewood?
What a tzadik he was. I will miss him alot…..
Hamakom yinachem eschem…
if not for this tzadik, i would most probably not be frum at all today.
i was thrown out of yeshiva, and he allowed me to stay after my parants begged him…..
the rest is history….. 5 kids….i’m in kollel for 12 years…
what a loss
Baruch Dayan Emes.
This is a great loss. It seems like ages ago….when all his kids were small.
I remember Rav Gutman as my 9th grade rebbe in YTC in 1971-1972. To his great credit—he tried very hard with me during a difficult time. However, I must say that he was a far better rebbe than I was a talmid. I was probably too young to appreciate all he had to offer. Oneg Shabbos at his home were great memories never to be forgotten. For some reason– a particular Dvar Torah stays with me where he explained a Kli Yakar on Parshas Vayigash when Yosef confronts his brothers (45,3) and says Ani Yosef Haod Avi Chai…as a paradigm for Yom Hadin and Yom Hatochachoh.
I briefly visited with him in Denver as I traveled cross country 10 years later (1982)from Chicago to L.A. after med school. A true bal chesed as always.
His efforts on my behalf were not a complete waste—5 children (bli ayin horah)—all with a love for learning Torah and strong Torah values with derech eretz.
To Rav Yehoshua’s family—HaMakom Yenachem Eschem Besoch Aveilei Tziyon V’Yerushalayim.
After reading these moving comments, I feel compelled to add my personal touch to everything that’s been said so far about Rav Gutman Zatza”l.
I was only nine years old when we left Denver, yet I will never forget one scene which had a lasting impression upon me. On rare occasions my father would wake me for Selichos in the middle of the night and b/c of the excitement I do have a hazy recollection of those times. The one thing that is emblazoned crystal clear in my mind however is looking at the Rosh Yeshiva Shlit”a and the Rebbeims’ fervor and great Hislahavus. Of these Rav Gutman’s made the greatest impression on my young mind with his tremendous Dveikus and I can Mammash still see the torrents of sweat pouring down as he poured out his heart in Tefila.
Many years later I revisited Denver on a fundrasing mission and I hardly expected him to remember the puny little kid who was now in his twenties. Yet when we happened to bump into each other, the million dollar welcome he gave me with his unimitable warmth definitely convinced me that we indeed did have a kesher.
To his dear family (our former neighbors): May you find a nechama. He will be sorely missed.
Former Denver Boy
All of the comments posted here are amazing and heartwarming. To all of those who knew Reb Yehoshua Zt’l, each comment is so clearly true about him and there are hundreds in not thousands more. He was a true general and leader amongst a world of soldiers. He is no longer with us and that is a whole in our hearts and minds that just may never go away.
If there are more stories to share please do. So many of his Talmidim and family members would love to read them. Post them here, or mail them to YBL”C his Choshuva Rebbetzin 124 Gudz Road Lakewood NJ, 08701 or email them to his son Avrohom at [email protected]
May Rebbi always be a Maylitz Yosher for all of us. TNZB”H.
My Hakaras Hatov for Reb Yehoshua ZT”L is beyond measure of words. I think many of us can say that, but I would be the only one that can say that starting from age 13, through high school and Bais Medresh years, through Kollel, 12 years a Rebbe while Reb Yoshua Zt’L was my Menahel, 10 years further into my adult life, Reb Yehoshua Zt’L cared about me as if my issues were his own. In any place, Yeshiva, Bais Yaacov, community of any kind, I never observed anyone give of himself to his Talmidim and anyone that crossed his path like Reb Yehoshua Z”TL. He was always Besimcha even to the very end. Reb Yehoshua ZT”L often said over the Chazal about the Yidden who were nurtured by the Scheina, point to the Scheina when they said Ze Kali Vaanvehu, and glorified Hashem. Reb Yeshoshua ZT”L, glorified Hashem in everything that he did. His beautiful handwriting was a Kiddish Hashem. My secular parents were so impressed by it, when they received my first report card in my 9th grade, it forever changed their attitude about a Yeshiva. His Krias Hatorah, especially on Yomim Noraim, his Korias Megillah on Purim, listening to his Tephilos in general especially Yamin Noraim and Selichos, was so touching that you could feel presence of Ze Kali Vaanvehu in the Bais Medresh. Reb Yehoshua ZT”L, brought the lives of Reb Moshe, Reb Yaacov, Reb Aharon, Reb Shneur, Reb Nosson, Reb Shalom into his Talmidim lives, so that you felt that you actually knew them. It was so real, that you wanted to be connected to such Tzadikim forever. Every shiur he gave, Gemorah, Chumash, Navi, Mussar was presented so clear and organized. Reb Yehoshua ZT”L went to see Reb Moshe in the early 70’s and Reb Moshe told him that your tachlis is to bring Torah to the west. All of his talmidim felt that Reb Yehoshua ZT”L was our Malach Hashem Tzvakos, sent to us by Hashem to the west to be our Rebbe for life. It did not matter if we were day school boys from Dallas, Phoenix, San Antonio or if we were sons and gransons of Gedoli Olam. He treated everyone as if they were special. Thank you Reb Yehoshua ZT”L, for all that you did. Tehai Zichro Baruch.
Meir Nosson Prengler