8 Responses

1. I cannot resist typing on Chol hamoed to say a few words about this wonderful rebbe of mine. He had an incredible bekius in all the seforim of acharonim, and his daily shiur was bursting with chiddushim from sources no one else knew of. His father was a Dayan in Eretz Yisrael and if I am not mistaken a talmid of the Sochachover and the Ovstrovzer Rov. Reb Zev knew all kinds of Seforim and shared his knowledge generously. He was a gentle and charming person, and many bochurim who barely felt they had a place in yeshiva felt welcomed by him. He remembered talmidim from many years ago, and always welcomed them and was mekarev them even if they were far from the Oilam Hayeshivos. He was a dramatic and polished public speaker, and few people can be as universally beloved. If you learned in gateshead between 1953 and the 1990s I am sure you still find your eyes filling with tears as you remember his sweet heartfelt nusach for Maariv and Mincha of Yamim Noraim. Zechuso Yagein Al Talmidav ve’al Kol Yisrael.

2. Watcher, Well spoken.
   The Maspidim at the levaya were HaRav Boruch Mordechai Ezrachi and the Biala Rebbe of Lugano, formerly of Gateshead, and the Kvura was on Har haMenuchos.
   I was lucky to have a personal shaychus with R’ Zeev Zatza”l. My Mother was, and still is, a childhood friend of one of his daughters, and I remember when I first came to Yeshiva and went to visit R’ Zeev, he welcomed me and said in his inimitable style, “Your Mother played in this room!”. He was the Coihen for my Pidyon haBen (on Shiva Osor B’Tamuz – so a few old time GHDers know my birthday) so I will always have a unique connection to him.
   Yehei Zichro Boruch.

3. I also remember a friend of mine who lived in Germany telling me that when Rav Zev used to visit to collect money, he would walk from one end of Berlin to the other so as to save the yeshiva’s money on buses and subways! Where can one find such ehrlichkeit! And I hear his high clear voice chanting “Neki chapayim uvar leivav…” Mi Yitten lanu Temuraso.

4. it is with great sadness i write this blog two days after the histalkus of the kohen godol maechov the menahel hagaon hatzadik moiranu horav zev cohen zatsal he was a masmid a gaon btorah and the kindest and softest person i have met he was mekarev every bochur in the yeshiva his father rab yechiel fishel was a poilisha chosid and rab zev zatsal was close to the large contigent of chsidisha bochrim in the yeshiva ,his smile was kind ,he lived without any gashmios for many years he lived in a small ground floor apartment with his large family next to the yeshivah .his soft voice his feeling as a baal tefile on rosh hashana mariv and eli tzion on tisha bav will never be forgoten.On a personal note, when my mother oh was nifter middle aged he was like a brother to my father zal, a camp survivor, inviting him every shabbos ,singing zemiros and spending time with him giving him chizuk.After my father was nifter i gave birth to my bechor in london and rab zev zatsal came to london to be the cohen at the pidyon.He gave our family such chizuk to come to the simcha.may moiranu harav zev ben horav yechiel fishel hakohen be a malitz yoisher to his rebbitzen his family his talmidim and all klall yisroel.

5. On Hoshana Rabba I feel obligated to add to the above comments by saying that there were times when bochurim in the yeshiva were not noheg the correct kovod to Reb Zev z”l. More than once he was the subject of unnecessary and incomprehensible bizyonos on the part of bochurim who were misguided and perhaps worse. I am sure that all these bochurim are now older and wiser and it might be an idea for them to reflect on their behaviour towards this very special man, who gave his life and neshomo to the yeshiva over more than half a century. Perhaps it is too late to ask mechila from him face to face, but it might be an idea to visit his kever in har hamenuchos at some point over the next few months and make amends for your behaviour towards him during his lifetime that I know for a fact caused him and his family tremendous agmas nefesh. One thing I know for sure – he was such a big hearted man he would certainly have been mochel anyone who asked for it without a second thought. May he be a melitz yosher for us all.

6. Here’s the Shiva info:

   הגאון ר’ זאב כהן זצ”ל בבית המנוח רח’ סורצקין 53 ירושלים
   יושבים שבעה בין השעות 10:00 – 13:00
   16:00 – 22:00
   זמני התפילות
   שחרית 7:45
   מנחה 4:50
   מעריב בזמן

7. I just found out… Boruch Dayan Hoemes!
   Reb Ze’ev You’ll be missed

8. bruch dayan hoemes