Yisrael Meir Godovitch, a well-known Israeli architect and former Tel Aviv city engineer who was a great-grandson of the Chofetz Chaim, passed away on Shavuos at the age of 92.
Godovitch was considered one of the most recognizable and colorful figures in Israel’s planning and architectural world. Over the years, he served as Tel Aviv’s city engineer and as chief architect for the Housing Ministry. Yet, many members of the broader public were unaware of his remarkable family background. He proudly carried the name Yisrael Meir after his illustrious great-grandfather, the Chofetz Chaim.
His mother, Frida Godovitch, was a granddaughter of the Chofetz Chaim’s eldest son, Rav Aryeh Leib, who served as the rov of Radin and assisted his father in preparing his monumental Torah works.
In 1932, Frida immigrated to Eretz Yisroel. The following year she married Yaakov Godovitch. Just months after their wedding, on the 24th of Elul 5693, the Chofetz Chaim passed away. Four months later, a son was born to the young couple in Tel Aviv, and they named him Yisrael Meir in memory of the revered Torah giant.
Although Godovitch’s life path led him into architecture and public planning rather than the Torah world, those close to him said he constantly spoke with pride and deep respect about his family heritage and the legacy of his great-grandfather.
Friends recalled that when rare historical footage of the Chofetz Chaim from the historic Knessiah Gedolah in Vienna was uncovered years ago, Godovitch became emotional and tearful, saying, “There must be a spiritual message from Heaven in this for all of us.”
Chareidi journalist Yisrael Cohen described him warmly.
“He was a precious and unique person. In every conversation he would proudly speak about his distinguished lineage and said that in the merit of his great grandfather he accepted upon himself to be careful not to speak lashon hara. His work as an architect was well known, and several times he told me that if he could, he would have planned Bnei Brak in a more aesthetic and beautiful way. I explained to him that high-rise buildings are impossible because of Shabbos elevators, but he still insisted that he would have designed the city in a more pleasant fashion with more greenery and gardens.”
In recent years, Godovitch suffered the loss of his wife, Arela, who had been his longtime partner. He passed away on Friday during the Yom Tov of Shavuos and is survived by two sons, grandchildren, and many descendants.
His levayah will take place Sunday afternoon in Tel Aviv.
Yichus is a bunch of zeros and he was just a zero in front
Very very very very very sad.
Your comment is disgusting. You have no right to disparage this person and your statement shows who you truly are. Sad.
BDE
News flash: Despite a certain catchy tune/song, NOT every Yid “is a big tzaddik”! No one is judging this individual. The problem is with Matzav glorifying a cardiac jew, at best. The way of the world is, people die everyday. Matzav doesn’t report on every death. Now, suddenly because of some alleged yichus, they are glorifying a secular cardiac jew.
Your words are certainly necessary as a limud zchus now that he approaches the day of judgment
That’s pretty judgmental and disrespectful. Yichus is important but each of us has to acquire his own Torah. Nothing wrong with being proud of your ancestors.
@Chaim
What a disgusting comment! You should be ashamed of yourself to talk Motzei Sheim Rah about another Yid and judge them! Just because his beard and yarmulka isn’t as big as yours, doesn’t make him less holy than you!
-David from Toms River
Chaim was saying the truth. Nothing to do with his beard and yarmulka and everything to do with his yiddishkeit in general. It’s not motzi shem ra if you look like a goy and act like a goy.
I met another descendant of the Chafetz Chaim (secular-traditional) and another descendent of the Vilna Gaon (totally secular who become religious much later in a shallow hippie way and never married).
These people tend to have a kind of chein, like an echo or light-shadow of their illustrious ancestor – but not more than that.
They’re very proud of the illustrious ancestor, but they themselves are more like a dim spark slowly fading away. It’s very sad.
If he doesn’t have Torah and gedulah, then he should not be mentioned in any articles. If this is a magazine about building than sure if the made something useful – but to tie to the Chofetz Chaim that he failed in his heritage? It’s a shame and embarrassment.
Better to say nothing.
Fantastic comment. You’re so right.
100% agree with Eluzer Simany and Yankel.
Did he keep Shabbos?
Do you keep shabbos ?
Yes, BH.
What a horrible comment.
His mother, Frida Godovitch, was a granddaughter of the Chofetz Chaim’s eldest son, Rav Aryeh Leib…
Umm…that makes him a great-great grandson.
We don’t know his background, chinuch, etc., so don’t rush to judgement. It could be that his grandmother, family members were caught up in communist USSR, other difficulties back then. Those were very difficult times.
It’s good-hearted of you, but many Russian Jews have done teshuvah over the decades. (And he has been living in Eretz Yisrael for decades.) Teshuvah is open to everyone.
One only need grab it.
Der eiker yichus iz in der ered arain
Children! Relax! It’s not called being judgmental to say that someone who wasn’t religious wasn’t religious! His own Zaidy said we should not judge him favorably as he is a Choiteh!
There is a grandson of the Chofetz Chaim buried in the Antwerp Machsikei Hadass beis oilom in Putte, Holland, who intentionally has no matzeivoh.He lived for many years after the war in Brussels living with / married to a goyter..Atleast he was zoiche to kever yisroel…..How sad !