By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com

Rabbi Dov Ber Ganz a”h, has passed away after a debilitating illness.  Rabbi Ganz was the dean of the Hebrew Academy of Suffolk County, an Orthodox Jewish elementary school in Long Island, New York, where he educated hundreds and hundreds of students who went on to other Yeshivos and schools and have become exemplary observant Jews.

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FUNERAL DETAILS

The funeral took place today, Monday April 18th at 2 pm at Cargo Building 75 in JFK Airport, 75 North Hangar Road,  Queens, NY 11420.

Kevurah will be in Eretz Yisroel, at approximately 1 pm on Tuesday on Har Hazeisim.  Ask for directions to the Nadvorna / Leifer Ohel.

Because of Rabbi Ganz a”h’s remarkable outreach activities, there are “facts on the ground” – thousands of frum people across the nation and in Eretz Yisroel.

Rav Berish Ganz a”h was born in Scranton, PA and was named after his grandfather, Rav Beirish Horowitz from Unter Vishva.  His grandfather was a close chossid of Rav Mendel of Vishva, and was the shochet there.  He was a famous baal menagain and was known for composing the famous niggun for “tzavei tzavei, tzavei tzavei, tzavei yeshuas Yaakov.”

Rav Berish Ganz a”h studied under Rav Henoch Leibowitz zatzal at the Rabbinical Seminary of America (known as the Chofetz Chaim Yeshiva) for many years, and became a close Talmid.

Reb Beirish travelled with the Yeshiva in 1966 and was appointed to be the one in charge of bringing the Yeshiva’s weekly shailos to Rav Elyashiv zatzal.

He once quoted his Rebbe zatzal in the name of Rav Yisroel Salanter’s that people doing kiruv should also place particular attention on the leaders of the communities, for thereby, more people will be impacted by this.  He applied this concept to his outreach efforts in Suffolk County and later in Cambridge.

Rabbi Ganz served as the dean of the Hebrew Academy from 1981 to 2001.  He also authored several books on Talmudic ethical principles and human insights.

CAMBRIDGE

After his work in Suffolk County, Rabbi Ganz and his wife Rebecca moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts where they founded the Jewish Heritage Initiative of Cambridge (JHI) and where he engaged in Kiruv with gifted university students at both Harvard and MIT.

The impact they had in Cambridge was profound.  One student, who has since completed advanced degrees in Mathematics from Harvard University wrote, “I heard that a Shiur was organized at Harvard and decided to attend. I was immediately impressed by the warm smile of Rav Ganz. The shiur began, and I have to say that, despite my intellectual background, it was the first time I experienced such an intellectual challenge…. Rav Ganz, was always smiling. He would debate our ideas (on the meaning of a text) without assuming he was more right than us; it was an intellectual fight for the Truth.” That young man has since moved to Israel, and he continued to learn weekly with Rabbi Ganz over the Internet via Skype.

Another talmid of Rabbi Ganz a”h, who later earned a PHD from MIT wrote, “His entrepreneurial initiative to spread Jewish ethical values, morality and Torah learning has had an immediate and dramatic positive impact upon me and on the lives and learning of Jewish students at MIT from all walks of life… he radiates a sense of respect for the self-worth of each of the individuals that he comes in contact with… I can honestly say that I am now a happier and more fulfilled person than I was three years ago.”

Jewish students at MIT from all walks of life… he radiates a sense of respect for the self-worth of each of the individuals that he comes in contact with… I can honestly say that I am now a happier and more fulfilled person than I was three years ago.”

One of his books, entitled “Uncommon Sense” applies Talmudic principles to contemporary issues, including:

• How to strengthen the U.S. military while at the same time reigning in its spending.
• How much of society the government should control and at what rate people should be taxed.
• To what extent should the U.S. regulate employer/employee agreements and otherwise interfere with private sector business activity.
• What the U.S. should do about its entitlement spending.
• What the U.S. should do about illegal immigrants.

The book covers so much more as well.

He married the daughter of Rabbi Twersky of Denver, Colorado.  Rav Berish was such a special neshama that in his tzavaah, Rav Twersky left his shtreimel and bekeshe to Rav Berish.

Rabbi Ganz and this author studied Choshen Mishpat together during their years in Suffolk County.  He had a kind, down to earth, and warm personality.  Even in his illness his mood was upbeat and cheerful.

A few years ago he and his wife moved to Bayswater, NY, where he continued to write his seforim and publications.  May he be a meilitz yosher for us all.

The author can be reached at [email protected]