PHOTO & VIDEO LINK BELOW: The news spread quickly on motzei shabbos regarding the petira of the Bostoner Rebbe Grand Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Horowitz ZT”L, who was niftar in Shaare Zedek Medical Center on Shabbos at the age of 88.
The Rebbe’s condition deteriorated significantly during recent weeks, taking a sharp turn for the worse towards the end of last week.
The Rebbe became the first ‘American Rebbe’, assuming the mantle of leadership from his father, the first Bostoner, Rav Dovid Horowitz ZT”L, who was niftar in 1941. The Rebbe was the first American-born chassidic rebbe. At a young age, R’ Levi Yitzchak was thrown into the leadership position, responsible for the spread of yiddishkeit in Boston and the USA, not exactly a bastion of shmiras shabbos at the time.
The Rebbe quickly earned a his reputation despite being young in years, building the Bostoner Chassidus in the New England Chassidic Center, spreading yiddishkeit throughout Brookline and other areas, as well as impacting North American Jewry as the head of Agudas Yisrael in the United States. Later on, he also served as a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Agudas Yisrael in Eretz Yisrael. The Rebbe also established communities in Jerusalem’s Har Nof neighborhood and in Betar Illit. His impeccable Bostonian English gave him an advantage with students in Boston however, bringing back many students of Tufts, Harvard and MIT back into the fold of shmiras Torah and mitzvos.
One of the Rebbe’s many labors of love was his Rofeh International organization, dedicated to provide medical referral and support services to the needy. The organization assists the sick and their families with referrals, hospitality & kosher meals during their stay in Boston. The Rebbe worked tirelessly to connect the ill and informed with medical specialists and experts around the world, using his wisdom and abilities to direct patients to the most suitable location, often making a shidduch between doctors and patients towards ensuring cholim received the best and most appropriate care possible.
The levaya of the Rebbe ZT”L will begin on motzei shabbos from the Givas Pinchas Beis Medrash in Har Nof at 9:30PM, making its way to Har HaZeisim.
YWN VIDEO & PHOTO LINK: Click HERE for video of the Levaya, and click HERE for photos of the Levaya by Refael Ovadia / Kuvien. Click HERE for photos of the Bostoner Rebbe by Yehuda Boltshauser / Kuvien.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel / Written on motzei shabbos in Eretz Yisrael)
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14 Responses
boruch dayan ha’emes!!!
Mi She’amar L’olamo dai Yomar L’Tzaroseinu dai!
My Rebbe, My surrogate Zeidy, I miss you even more now. Living in the UK and never seeing you yet having you in my thoughts constantly. You were always there for me and my extended family, feeling intuitively when I was ill and needed tefillos. How I wanted to see you more often, how I davenned for you and yet you have had to leave. I can’t even make it to your Levaya or Shiva and the tears are just pouring down my face. Rebbe, what will I do now? To whom do I turn when I need support? to whom do I go in times of simcha? Rebbe, I know I can’t have you back but that won’t stop me wanting you back. Boruch Hashem you were able to rejoice with us when my daughter Soro Sosha got engaged and before that when my youngest child Raichelle was born but what now? Oh Rebbe, I miss you.
Baruch Dayan Haemess!!!
The Rebbe Z’TL was a great zadik and may he be a maylitz yashor for his family and all of Klall Yisrael!
Oy, the Rebbe Zatzal will be sorely missed. It should be noted that he had an older brother, R. Moshe zt”l, who was the “New York-Bostoner Rebbe,” who had Shuls & Chassidim in Brooklyn [Williamsburg and then Boro Park]. R. Moshe’s sons R. Avraham & R. Pinchas David are now both Rebbes in Brooklyn.
when the Bosotner Rebba dynasty came ot america my grandparents/great grandparnets from my father side split their partment in hlf and gave it to the bostoner family to use.
My mother side was yerushalmy and was very close with the bostner family.
My mother father would come to america to collect and on simchas torah my father as a young child used to be hoisted on my grandfathers shoulder to dance with. many many years later the shidduch was read.
the warm niggunim of all Boston Chasidus and the chesed in Boston , NY , Har Nof continues on today with the current Rebbas.
Hamkom yenachem Eschem.
Baruch Dayan Emes.
I had the zechus to daven in the Shtibel in Brookline several times when I was in Boston for business, and met the Rebbe, Zatzal.
May he be a maylitz yosher for all of Klal Yisroel.
are there any pictures from the levaya? how many were there?
Baruch Dayan HaEmes,
No words can express my sadness
Klal Yisroel has lost a great man and I have lost my Rebbe…
I want to say more about what an awe inspiring teacher and ba’al chesed he was, about Rebbetzin Raichel Horowitz, who I also still miss, but I am so dazed it took me an hour to come up with just those last few lines.
May his family, and all of us who felt bound to him as extended family, be consoled with the mourners of Zion and Yerushalayim.
Boruch Dayan Ha’emes! We all hoped that the Rebbe will lead us toward Moshiach!
I know that the Rebbe Zatzal wasn’t only a father to his biological children, he was a father and grandfather to many many families. May they all have a Nechumuh, B’soch Sh’or availei tzion V’Yerusholayim!!!!!!!
It is important to note that the article is misinforming the readers by saying that “The Rebbe became the first ‘American Rebbe’, assuming the mantle of leadership from his father, the first Bostoner, Rav Dovid Horowitz ZT”L, who was niftar in 1941”.
First of all, his father’s name was Pinchos Duvid.
Lastly but not leastly, the Rebbe had an older brother who was a well-known Rebbe in America and in the Agudas Yisroel organization, Rebbe Moshe Horowitz Zatzal. He was about 12 years older than Reb Levi Yitzchok Zatzal. He was in his 30s and He was the one who “assumed the mantle of leadership from his father, the first Bostoner, Rav Pinchos Dovid Horowitz ZT”L, who was niftar in 1941.” Reb Moshe Zatzal was nifter about 25 years ago leaving his Rebistiva to his oldest son Reb Chaim Avrohom Shlit”a, and his younger son Reb Pinchos Dovid Shlit”a, is the bostoner Rebbe in flatbush.
Reb Levi Yitzchok Zatzal was 20 when his father was nifter. He then moved back to boston (where his father hadn’t been for years) reopened the shul and built up a gigantic Hachnosoas Orchim and medical referral organization among the many other great deeds that he accomplished, where he became known world-wide as the Bostoner Rebbe.
He wiill be missed by a a true gadol
The Bostoner was one of the most smiley Rebbes there ever was. Always cheerful and jovial and down to earth. No frightening or depressing airs about him. Always ready to greet anybody and have a regular conversation, as with a close friend. Loved to tell jokes and stories. Probably the most accessible Rebbe ever.
He also was not above attending a daf yomi given by a kollel man 50 years younger than him.
He was a source of yiddishe warmth for the many college students over the years who found themselves in the Boston area.
Any time there was a youth Shabbaton from organizations like NCSY they would always go to see the Rebbe, and very often it was for havdala.
When there was a Bar Mitzvah in shul, the boy would always be seated right next to the Rebbe at the kiddush.
One of the nicest times was the annual Birchas HaIlanos in which the whole shul would go to the Harvard Arboretum and makes the bracha in the presence of so many beautiful and interesting trees, while the kids played in the grassy areas.
On Sukkos, the Rebbe’s sukkah was open to all right on top of the shul. It had the most gorgeous decoration.
May Reb Naftali and his family have a nechama and continue the good work of the Rebbe for generations to come.
Baruch Dayan HaEmes.
To add to No. 12 – I remember Havdolo, in the succa, which was also used during the year as a kiddush room just off the kitchen, we all crowded round the table, men, women and children, like one big family, some of us were able to hold his havdolo lecht. The Rebbe used to open the succa roof himself – some sort of chain apparatus made it easy. Chanuka licht in his study with all of us, again round him, the Rebbe exuded warmth, peace and love at that time as I well remember. I used to be awed but drawn by the love I felt he had for me (and I was under the age of 8!) Sholosh seudos, the women upstairs, the men in the basement. The women, and girls then joined the Rebbe downstairs for divrei torah, zemiros and bentching. Again, a very special weekly experience. Birchas Haillonos and shepping water for matzos, matzo baking, where we all had a job. I could go on for ever. The Rebbe made us all feel a part of his family, wlecome and loved, to the extent that our family album has photos of us as children playing with the Rebbe’s einiklech at Nantasket! These memories should serve as a nechomo to Reb Pinchas Dovid, Reb Mayer Alter, Reb. Naftoli, Rebbitzen Shaindy and Rebbitzen Toby.