HaGaon HaRav Mordechai Elefant ZATZAL was transported to Shaare Zedek Medical Center about two months ago after he complained of not feeling well. He remained in the Jerusalem hospital until his petira yesterday, as shabbos came to an end. The rav, a former American, was 79.
The rav established Itri almost single handedly and stood at the helm for a number of decades. The levaya is expected to take place on Sunday, beginning at the yeshiva at 1:00pm, making its way to Har Menuchos.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
8 Responses
WHAT A LOSS RAV ELEFANT WAS ON OF THE GREATEST GAONIM OF THIS GENERATION HE UNFORTANATLY DID HAVE ANY CHILDREN MAY HIS WIFE HAVE A NECHOMAH A TRUE TZADEIKES
Wonderful people. Where is the Rebbetzin sitting Shiva?
I was a talmid of Itri, and it changed my life for the positive. I owe Rabbi Elefant Hakoras Hatov, as well as my Rebbeim. תנצב”ה.
Does anyone have a contact # for the yeshiva?
yeshiva sharr hatorah in kew gardens although established by harav hagoan r’epstein z’t’l got its start with a bld’g that basically was owned by the niftar who rented out to them for a $1 a year.
the niftar occasionally would come to kew gardens and say a shuir to the whole yeshiva out of respect to him.
hamokem yenacem eschem bsoch avalei t’zion v’yerushalayim.
I am very sad to learn of the petira of HaRav Mordechai Elefant ZATZAL. The Rav was a friend of my Father, A’H. When I was a bachur in Yerushalayim over twenty years ago, I was invited to ITRI for Shabbos. The Rav was a Tzaddik and his Rebbetzin an unbelievable Baalas Chesed. I personally saw how they literally saved the lives of so many Yidden, helping them start new lives in their home. I am certain they helped many people over the years. I know the Rav has unbelievable zechus as those he helped and the families they were zocheh to start are all his children. I just feel so badly that I didn’t keep a kesher with the Rav over the years. In the zchus of the Rav’s Torah and Mitzvos, I am mispallel that HKBH keep him close with all the Tzadikim of Am Yisrael. Baruch Dayan Emes.
I knew Rav Elefant as a classmate in my 2cd grade class in Yeshivah Torah Vodaas in WIlliamsburg in 1940. I lost track of him entirely, and decades later, on a visit to Yerushalayim, I went to Itri to see if he was indeed the same person! As I walked into his office, he exclaimed, “Yitzchak!”
WHAT A MEMORY!!!
please let me know Rav Elefants full name for tehillim.. also where the kevrah will be. I was a former talmid. You cant imagine how much he did for the yeshiva, Yehi zicroh beruch