We regret to inform you of the passing of Rav Binyomin Tzvi Wolmark Z”L. Rav Binyomin Tzvi was born in pre-war Lithuania where is father, Rav Yitzchok, served as Rav of the city of Yod. Rav Binyomin was a young boy when the situation in Europe began to deteriorate. As things intensified, Rav Yitzchok was advised by the Gedolim to rejoin the Mirrer Yeshiva, which had fled to Vilna. When the Yeshiva received transit visas to Japan, the Wolmarks were among those who made the perilous journey to the Far East and ultimately Shanghai, where they spent five and half years.

Young Binyomin’s bar mitzah took place on one of the family’s first few shabbosos in China. Although just a teen, Binyomin spent his days with the Mirrer talmidim in the bais medrash. His father hired Rav Shalom Menashe Gottlieb, who later became the Rosh Yeshiva of Bais Hatalmud, in Brooklyn, as his tutor. Rav Nochum Partzovitz was a regular shabbos guest at the Wolmarks in Shanghai, given the longstanding friendship between Rav Yitzchok Wolmark and Rav Nochum’s father.

When Binyomin arrived in the United States he continued his learning in Yeshivas Chaim Berlin, where he became a close Talmid of Rav Yitzchok Hutner zt”l and received Smicha from him. At some point Rav Hutner sent a group of talmidim to Bais Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, NJ, to learn under Rav Aaron Kotler, Binyomin among them. After two years in Lakewood, Binyomin went to Eretz Yisrael to continue learning in the re-established Mirrer Yeshiva, becoming close with Rav Chaim Shmulevitz and Rav Leizer Yudel Finkel. There he married Avigail Barg, daughter of Rav Mordechai Gimpel Barg, Rosh Yeshivas Shaar Hashomayim of Yerushalayim. R’ Binyomin continued learning in Eretz Yisrael but was forced to move back to the United States due to the Suez Crisis.

Back in the United States, Rav Binyomin became a Rebbe in the Mesivta of Eastern Parkway. After two years in New York, his rebbe, Rav Hutner, encouraged him to move to the fledgling southern community of Memphis, TN. R’ Binyomin, his wife and small baby moved to Memphis in the late 50’s. There they spent more than fifty years spreading Yiddishkeit and being marbitz Torah. Rav Binyomin was a rebbe in the local day school and yeshiva, while his wife taught in the day school and they were very active in the community.

When the Memphis Hebrew Academy honored Rebbetzin Avigail Wolmark several years ago, Rav Binyomin said that Torah was given in midbar so no one can claim the torah as theirs; all have equal claim to torah and that was what had spurred him to go to Memphis. Growing up amongst giants leaves an indelible impression. Rav Binyomin was a tremendous talmid chacham, rising each morning at 5 A.M. to learn for a number of hours before the day began. His evenings were spent in the bais medrash of the Yeshiva Gedola where he had chavrusos or learned alone. For recreation he would sit and read the Shaarei Yosher and Shaagas Aryeh.

In 2011 as the Wolmarks got older they relocated to Monsey, where the Rebbetzin passed away in 2014. Rav Binyomin’s passing on pesach is especially poignant as the Wolmark’s pesach seder was always open to soldiers from the nearby Millington Naval Base. Some years there were so many soldiers sleeping on the floors, there was no room to walk. Just as the Wolmarks devoted their lives to being mekarev others with sincerity and warmth, so too may Rav Binyomin be welcomed on high.

Rav Wolmark leaves a large and beautiful mishpacha. His oldest son, R’ Zev Wolmark, is from the עמודי התווך of Los Angeles, Rabbi Mordechai Wolmark, Rosh Yeshivas Shaarei Torah Monsey, Mrs. Rachel Deutsch of Brooklyn, NY, and Asher Dov Wolmark of Skokie, IL

יהי זכרו ברוך

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)