Yeshiva University and its affiliated Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS) are saddened by the loss of longtime senior Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Gershon Yankelewitz, who passed away on August 19.
“Rabbi Yankelewitz by his nature and learning so represented both our history and our destiny,” said YU President Richard M. Joel. “For over half a century he taught his students how to learn and how to live. We will always remember him.”
Born in Lubcza, Poland in 1909, Rabbi Yankelewitz studied in the Radin Yeshiva until the death of its founder, the Chofetz Chaim. Rabbi Yankelewitz then continued his studies at the legendary Mir Yeshiva in Russia, before being forced to flee from the Nazis at the start of World War II. The entire yeshiva relocated to Kobe, Japan before eventually settling in Shanghai, China, where they remained until 1947. Rabbi Yankelewitz has given a daily shiur at RIETS for semicha [rabbinic ordination] and college students for nearly 60 years.
“Rabbi Yankelewitz was an extraordinary person,” said Rabbi Zevulun Charlop, dean emeritus of RIETS. ”He was a man of God and a man of principle, who brought with him the Torah learning from the great European yeshivas. His students were devoted to him and he was dedicated to them.”
“As someone who was fortunate enough to be a talmud [student] in his shiur, I saw what type of tzadik [righteous person] he was up close,” said Rabbi Chaim Bronstein, senior RIETS administrator. ”It was a great privilege to have know him all these years.
The levaya [funeral] will take place Wednesday, August 20, at 2 p.m. in Yeshiva University’s Glueck Beit Midrash, 515 West 185th Street, New York York City. Burial will take place in Israel. More details to follow.
May Hashem comfort the family with all those who mourn for Zion and Jerusalem.
(Source: YU.org)
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17 Responses
another great person has left us
Baruch Dayan Haemes.
There is no website called YU.org
It’s YU.EDU
I had the honor of meeting Rav Yankelewitz a number of times and listen to him talk about learning in the Yeshivos in Europe. He was a fascinating man, a very funny person (he had an amazing sense of humor) and a tremendous Talmud Chacham. I feel privileged that was able to meet him numerous times, eat with him, observe him learn, and more. It was truly an honor.
He was such a great man, and to have seen what he saw, is incredible. One thing missing in the article, after Radin but before the Mir he learned in Barenevich for several years. Also this Elul would have been his 60th year at YU as a Rosh Yeshiva (he started in 1954). Klal Yisroel will truly miss him
yu.edu
Baruch Dayan HaEmet.
I am blessed by HaShem to have known him.
Bde. What an amazing upbringing, to learn by & with the greatest in the Torah velt.
Are there any other people still alive who learnt by the Chofetz Chaim or the Mir (pre war)?
BD”E
By the way, the Mir Yeshiva was in Poland not Russia.
Moderators Note: Belarus, but whatever.
Yes, there are ppl. left. My grandfather was in pre-war Mir and left for E”Y just before the war. He is today k”ah 101.
I was able in the last few years to occasionally see the rosh yeshiva on a Shabbos or yom tov during davening and after, the care he took with every word, every bow, the complete focus he had, despite his age was incredible. He was one of the quiet greats. Baruch Dayan haemes
There are other Remaining Alter Mirrer
1. R Shimon Gitelis (Lakewood)
2. R Feivel Hollander (Boro Park) (Mir, No Shanghai)
3. R Motty Rothenberg (Boro Park)
4. R Yakov Magid (Montreal, Toronto)
5. R Ahron Florans (Flatbush, Lakewood)
6. R Yankel Finkelstein (Flatbush, Lakewood)
7. R Avrohom Resnick (Flatbush, S Fallsburgh)
8. R Pinchos Podrabinek (Boro Park, Lakewood)
9. R Yiddel Dickstein (Baltimore, Atlanta)
10. R Moshe Zabari (Williamsburg, Israel)
11. R Moshe Pivovoz (Boro Park)
12. R Gulevsky (Boro Park) (No Mir, Shanghai only)
13. R Simcha Nadborny (Boro Park) (Via Kletzk, No Mir, Shanghai only)
14. R Avrohom Kanarek (Lakewood) (Via Kamenitz, No Mir, Shanghai only)
Also as a not, It has come out that he had his heart attack during Shacharis while wearing his tallis and tefillin. He was revived by Hatzolah and taken to the hospital where he was later niftar. While it is a sad loss, it is fitting that he was niftar with his tallis and tefillin while trying to daven
To Ani Tapuach:
Thank you. They are all so precious. Giving over the Misora of the previous dor, is so important to the continuation of Klal Yisroel. HKB”H should bentch them all with arichas yomim vishanim, metoch brias hanefesh ubrias hagoof!
Mod – your comment in response to #8 is not totally correct. Mir absolutely was in pre-war Poland, even though it is now in Belarus. After WW II, the Soviet/Polish border was shifted significantly westward, leaving about 1/3 of what had been Poland as part of the Soviet Union (specifically Lithuania, Belarus, and Ukraine). Poland was “compensated” for this by being given a slightly smaller amount of land that had been Germany.
So, #8 is right that Mir was in “pre-war Poland”.
an Israeli Yid
Anyone have info on Levaya in E”Y?
The Levaya will be at The Mir in Yerushalayim tomorrow afternoon at 2:45pm (Israel Time) Kevura will be on Har Hamenuchos.
A personal loss for myself. I had the opportunity to learn with the Rosh Yeshiva for many years. Besides being a gadol b’Torah, he was an unparalleled tzaddik. His petira left a large gap in my life. I pray to H.K.B.H., that I will give him nachas in the years to come. I love and miss you very much rebbi!