It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Rav Mordechai Amram Yaakovson zt”l, mashgiach of Yeshiva Tiferes Tzion L’tzeirim in Bnei Brak, this evening. He was 85.
Rav Yaakovson was born in Germany on 20 Nissan tof reish tzadi. His father, Rav Binyomin Zev Yaakovson zt”l, was a member of the Vaad Hatzalah and Keren HaTorah, who served as rov of Copenhagen, Denmark, before the Holocaust. In 5705, before the Nazi invasion of Denmark, Rav Yaakovson and his community crossed the sea into Sweden, hoping to wait out the storm there.
Some interesting historical detail about that period: Rav Shlomo Wolbe, at the time, was a young bochur who had come at the request of an Orthodox Jew living in Sweden who wished for his children to have a proper Torah education. Rav Wolbe, who was then dealing with a complicated issue pertaining to his citizenship, traveled to Sweden for a short visit. It later became clear that both of these men were emissaries of Divine Hashgachah sent to save hundreds of Jewish girls. The two of them together founded Lidinga.
Rav Binyomin Zev would travel back and forth between the various refugee camps in Sweden, locating girls from religious homes and bringing them to Lidinga. He also located girls who had been taken into private homes, and he brought them back with him as well. He did not have to invest much effort. As soon as these girls saw a Jewish man with a beard and a yarmulka, they began to believe that it was worthwhile, after all, to live that way and to remain Jewish. Both he and Rav Wolbe showered the girls with compassion and love. Of course, they also taught them much of the basic Jewish knowledge they were lacking. They were assisted in this endeavor by Rav Binyomin Zev’s wife, Rebbetzin Baila Yaakovson; Mrs. Nina Igel, whose husband was the official director of the camp (since he was a Swedish resident and held academic degrees); and another counselor named Rivka Grodzensky, herself a Holocaust survivor as well. Lidinga was home to 85 orphaned girls whose worlds had gone dark.
Rav Binyomin Zev later served as rov in the Pagi neighborhood of Yerushalayim.
In his youth, Rav Mordechai Amram learned at the Slabodka Yeshiva in under the mashgiach, Rav Moshe Tukatchinsky, whose wisdom and hashkafah he imbibed.
After his marriage to his wife, a daughter of Rav Tuvia Spiegel, Rav Mordechai Amram studied at the Ponovezher Kollel in Bnei Brak, where he was ultimately appointed as menahel ruchni of Yeshivas Neztach Yisroel Ruzhin in Bnei Brak. He then joined Yeshiva Tiferes Tzion on Rechov Yerushalayim in Bnei Brak, serving there for many years as mashgiach.
Rav Mordechai Amram delivered numerous shmuessen, as well as halachah shiurim. Those who attended the halachah shiurim mastered Mishnah Berurah in the course of three years. Every talmid viewed him with immense respect, both for his yedios haTorah and clarity of knowledge and for his piousness and yiras Shomayim.
Rav Mordechai Amram spent his days completely immersed in Torah, learning or delivering vaadim and shiurim without disturbance. His tefillos and avodas Hashem were reminiscent of the ovdei Hashem of old.
Rav Mordechai Amram, a gadol baTorah himself, was a mechutan of various gedolei Yisroel, including the Steipler Gaon, Rav Yisroel Eliyahu Weintraub, and Rav Moshe Mordechai Schulsinger.
He is survived by his dedicated Rebbetzin and their children, Rav Tuvia Yaakovson, rosh yeshiva in Modi’in Illit; Rav Shlomo Yaakovson, R”M at Yeshivas Tiferet Tzion; Rav Eliyahu Eliezer Yaakovson, rov of Tifrach; Rav Shmuel Menachem Yaakovson; Rav Avrohom Yisroel Yaakovson; Mrs. Boyer, wife of Rav Moshe Boyer; Mrs. Hoenigsberg, wife of Rav Avrohom Hoenigsberg; Mrs. Weintraub, wife of Rav Shlomo Weintraub; Mrs. Greinemann, wife of Rav Moshe Greinemann; and Mrs. Friedman, wife of Rav Yitzchok Friedman; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The levayah will be held tomorrow in Bnei Brak, followed by kevurah in Yerushalayim.
Yehi zichro boruch.
{Matzav.com Israel News Bureau}
A very interesting side note. Mr Igel (the director of the camp (mentioned in the above article.) did not originally take the position. However, the Swedish government insisted that the head of the institution be a man of Swedish citizenship and have a degree in business (finance). (The government was afraid the school would be used for money laundering) Mr. Igel was a wealthy man and had no desire to accept the position, at any salary. Rav Binyomon Zev said he would give Mr. Igel whatever he wanted if he accepted to head the camp. Mr. Igel was married for many years and had no children and told Rav Binyamin Zev that if he would guarantee them children, he would accept the position. The Rav spoke to the Chazon Ish and was told that it was permissible to assure them of this. Mr Igel accepted the position. His wife eventually had seven children. However, all but one died at a young age. The daughter that lived was zocheh to have a healthy family of children. (As told by a grandson of Rav Binyomin Zev Yaakovson zt”l, )