YWN regrets to inform you of the Petirah of Reb Shmuel Kunda Z”L, who was Niftar this evening following a lengthy illness.
The unusually talented Reb Shmuel Z”L, educated tens of thousands of children worldwide through his popular children’s books and music CDs. He was approximately 65 years old.
Reb Shmuel Z”L, who resided with family in Lakewood the last few years after becoming ill, was Niftar in Cleveland. His wife, Naomi A”H was Niftar in 2010.
The Levaya will be taking place tomorrow in Lakewood, and the Kevura will be taking place in Eretz Yisroel.
Exact times will be published when available.
Baruch Dayan Ha’emes.
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15 Responses
Special person dedicated to chinuch of our precious kinderlach.
BDE he was such a nice person i knew him personally from camp na’arim A’H also my cousin married his daughter we will miss u!! His tapes were awesome
Rabbi Kunda was taken care of by his son in Cleveland Heights. What a huge bracha it was to have Rabbi Kunda in our midst – though he was struggling with medical issues – he greeted everyone with a smile and a wave. His son and daughter in law here took care of him bleiv ubnefesh! The performance of kibud Av was done in such an amazing, awe inspiring fashion – I never saw anything less than a huge smile on anyone’s face at that house. May the zechus of kibud av performed in such an exemplary manner bring tons of bracha, simcha and gezunt to the Kundas of Cleveland, and to all Yidden everywhere!
A fantastic rebbe. A fantastic human being. He sincerely cared and loved each and every talmid, a most talented and gifted individual . Rebbe will will miss you – your legacy will live on by your thousands of talmidim and campers .
BD”E
I will miss him dearly!
He was a giant ahead of his times.
He will be remembered forever through his tapes and his music. He could think of gramman on the spot,draw literally anything, tell stories like no other, all with his trademark smile.
He was the voice of Camp Na’arim, and thousands of adults have fond memories of his Shabbos afternoon stories next to the dining room. While the story was officially for campers, tens of staff members would stand in the background listening, while “on their way” to mincha.
Fiorella lagardenhose and Mr. Ginoogshoyn. Just a few of the great characters that some of us grew up with.
Here comes the trolley….
Rabbi Kunda, you will forever be a legend!
A wonderful Mechanech. I had him as a subsitute Counselor In Camp Agudah when I was a camper and Yossi Lieber lost his father. He was an unbeleivable artist and alot of Banners in camp were done by him,they were out of this world.We have his picture of the Kosel Hamaravi in the Scranton Yearbook of 1969. It was his gift,which I received from him. He was a Rebbi par Excellant,It was before Photoshop days, he drew for his classes of students, and I am sure they were mesmerized by his drawings and his comedy acts. Shmuel also was a storyteller in his camp days, and just had to become famous with his tapes, and all his voices.My boys Avi and Eli enjoyed him in Camp Raninu. May his memory be blessed.
We will never forget him, and his tapes will be his legacy,since it is all of him Musical, funny and artistic.
A friend called me with the news and suggested that l’zecher nishmaso the traffic lights in all yiddishe areas should flash alternately “walk” & “don’t walk.”
Sorry thats Camp Naarim,not Raninu
NOOOO!
BDE. He will be sorely missed and remembered.
what a mechanech!! what a lev tov!! what an ayin tova!!
yehi zichroi baruch!
He made tens of thousands of Jewish children laugh and smile. I envy his zchusim.
Not only was Rabbi Kunda a multi-talented Rebbe, but he was a tzadik. Yehi zichro boruch.
Ah…The unforgettable Rabbi Kunda BDE. I have very fond memories of his tapes especially the “When Zaide was young” tapes. Besides being a master story teller, he was such a נעימות’דיקע person. I will always remember him fondly.
Reb Shmuel Ztz’l was one of the greatest heroes from my childhood. He was an extremely talented educator, story teller, singer and artist. He was also the owner of our Sleepover camp and the highlight of each week was on Shabbos afternoon when hundreds of kids would gather around him on the steps outside the camp Naarim dining room for the most fascinating story. It was always hysterical and kept us laughing for hours. The most important thing though was that he was able to instill values and Emunah within us in a way that we kept begging for more. His on the spot grammen at the end of color war were world renowned and helped even the losing team to cherish the moment.
A few years ago our shul brought him to speak for the kids and it brought back all the old memories of a time long gone. After the story I asked him to draw something for my children and within just a couple of minutes he had drawn the most amazing caricature from one of his story tapes. We still have that drawing, signed by him and with a loving message to my sons.
Although he will be sorely missed, his stories and songs, which helped mold the childhoods of thousands of you children, will forever be remembered. There goes the trolly…..
Tehei Zichro Boruch.
There are few homes in the national frum community that have not been enhanced by the warm, witty, entertaining style of Rabbi Kunda and his books, tapes, and videos. Additionally, so many of us spent their formative childhood and adolescent summers in the friendly and thrilling confines of Camp Na’arim where our personalities were molded and talents developed.
His neshama should have a lichtigen Gan Eden and his children should find true nechama.
TNZBZ”H