YWN regrets to inform you of the petira of Rav Yehuda Oelbaum zt”l, a lifelong mechanech who dedicated his life to molding bnei torah and transmitting the Mesorah to future generations. Rabbi Oelbaum, who served as the menahel of Machon Bais Yaakov in Boro Park and spent 30 years as the head of learning in Camp Munk, has left behind a profound legacy.
Rabbi Oelbaum was a beloved father to a family of talmidei chachomim and mechanchim, including his sons Dovid, Avrohom, Eliyahu, Yitzchok, and Shlomo Oelbaum. He was also the father of Miriam Kamenetzky a”h, Tzivi Goldstein, Esty Rosenberg, Chani Rajchenbach, and Sori Saks, each of whom continues his legacy of dedication to Torah and chesed.
The levaya will take place at Shomrei Hadas at 11:00 AM, with kevura to follow in Eretz Yisroel.
Baruch Dayan Ha’Emes.
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3 Responses
There are people you meet during your lifetime that leave an impression on you even 50 years later. I still remember Rabbi Oelbaum leading the Siyum Mishnayous program in the early 1970’s. He would call up boys who won prizes “COME UP HERE, I WANT TO SHAKE THE HAND OF THIS YOUNG MAN”. He was the learning director at Censor’s Bungalows in Monroe when they first opened and I owe my growth in davening to him. He was a truly amazing person. יהי זכרו ברוך
Rabbi Oelbaum was a legend and a big Talmid Chacham! My wife and my sister both attended Machon bais Yaakov for high school over 25 years ago and have always talked about his Gadlus. Yehi Zichoh Baruch!
When I was 11 years old, my parents moved to Queens and enrolled me in the newly created Yeshiva Torah Vadaas of Queens (later called Ohr Yisroel) founded and directed by Rabbi Yehoshua Geldzehler z”l (son-in-law of Rav Dessler zt”l).
Although he was not yet married, Rabbi Yehudah Oelbaum (“Julie”) taught the highest shiur. I was zocheh to learn by him for two years. The first year, we learned Pesachim. Although he was still a bachur, he was a tremendous talmid chacham, who possessed the art of explaining excellently. He was a friend of every student, loved every one of us, and even played punch ball with us. Everyone loved him in return.
The next year, he taught us the entire Masechta Beitzah and I still remember what he taught us. I was twelve years old and it was the first time I had completed a masechta. At the siyum, The Ponevisher Rav ztvk”l came and kissed each and every one of us on the forehead. I fell in love with Masechta Beitzah and learned it again and again, countless times, even completing it every Rosh Chodesh – even until today at the age of 77. I also taught it in its entirety to many groups of my own students.
For my bar mitzvah, he taught me how to read the entire Parashas Pinchas (for free), he wrote my bar mitzvah derashah (which I still have), and even bought me a good pair of tefillin.
Thanks to his guidance and inspiration, I continued learning and teaching, eventually establishing yeshivos of my own.
His memory will surely be a blessing to all and I am certain that he cares for us now as he did in his lifetime, and is a meilitz yosher for all of his students and for all of Klal Yisroel.