An especially difficult tragedy: HaRav HaGaon R’ Avraham Meir Kranz was niftar suddenly at the age of only 56* He left behind 11 orphans, six of whom are yet unmarried* He left behind a life of luxury to come to Israel with his family and learn Torah, even if it would mean living a very frugal lifestyle
An especially difficult tragedy in the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood in Yerushalayim with the sudden passing of an avreich, the tzaddik Rabbi Avraham Meir Kranz zt”l, who moved to Eretz Yisrael from the U.S. to learn the Torah of Eretz Yisrael, leaving behind a life of comfort and luxuries in America.
HaRav Kranz was considered a big ba’al tzedakah many years ago when he lived in Borough Park and had a sizeable income. He welcomed every opportunity to participate in any mitzvah endeavor, and many tzedakah collectors knew his address.
Eventually he decided to leave everything behind and move to Israel with his family. He learned regularly in the beis medrash of the Mir Yeshiva, where he would learn Torah all hours of the day and night with great hasmada.
The family’s financial situation worsened significantly as the years passed. The huge expenses involved in marrying off the five older children, the rental payments whose amounts increased too quickly, and on top of it when the rental apartment in which they lived on Rechov Druk was completely burnt three years ago- all these turned them into a family which was utterly destitute.
The family tried to start anew in a different apartment, but their financial situation continued to decline more and more. They lived in conditions of actual deprivation, without even air conditioning, and didn’t manage to recover from the burning of their possessions.
A few weeks ago Rabbi Kranz traveled to the U.S. to participate in a family simcha that he could not miss, but on Friday morning he did not wake up. When the family members realized that he wasn’t responding to attempts to wake him, they summoned Hatzolah and medical emergency personnel, who were compelled to confirm his death.
Sunday evening his aron landed in Israel, and the heartbreaking levayah was held on Monday, with his widow and 11 orphans walking behind his mittah, six of whom he did not merit to lead to their chuppahs.
A neighborhood resident who knew him well shares: “The family’s financial situation is exceptionally difficult. Even before the tragedy they lived a life of deprivation, and now their situation is much, much worse as they no longer have their father, who was their financial mainstay.”
According to him, “Residents of the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood in Yerushalayim, who were apprised of the seriousness of the situation, are trying to help- each person according to his ability. However, this situation is too severe to be handled by one neighborhood, even by a big one. Neighborhood tzedakah activists have joined forces to help, but assistance is needed from a much wider public in Israel and even abroad to help this family recover from its current drastic situation and rehabilitate itself- the orphans at the very least need food to eat and clothes to wear.”
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