Rabbi Mendel Balsam z”l

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the passing of Rabbi Mendel Balsam z”l, a beloved mechanech, who was niftar in his high nineties after a lifetime of unwavering devotion to Torah and avodah.

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Rabbi Balsam grew up in a home filled with warmth and yiras Shamayim, foundations that shaped every aspect of his life. He later settled in Monsey, where he lived for many decades and became an integral part of the community. In recent years, he resided in Lakewood, continuing to inspire all who encountered him with his dignity, sincerity, and refined middos.

Rabbi Balsam dedicated his life to chinuch and to harbatzas haTorah. For many years, he served as a rebbi at Yeshiva Spring Valley, where he shaped generations of talmidim and left an enduring impact that continues to resonate today. His classroom was known not only for academic rigor but for the atmosphere of care, encouragement, and genuine love he extended to every child. He possessed the rare ability to recognize the innate potential of each talmid and to draw it forth with patience, warmth, and steady belief. Even decades later, former talmidim continue to speak with deep appreciation and reverence about the rebbi who helped set the foundation for their lives, offering guidance that remained with them long after they left his classroom.

Rabbi Balsam is survived by his devoted wife, Mrs. Suri Balsam, and by his children, Mrs. Shaindy Siegfried, Reb Feivy Balsam, Mrs. Rivky Berger, Reb Shmuel Balsam, and Mrs. Dini Adest, along with many grandchildren and great-grandchildren who carry forward his legacy.

The levayah will take place at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday morning at the Congregation Sons of Israel Holocaust Memorial Chapel, located at 613 Ramsey Avenue in Lakewood, New Jersey. Following the levayah, the aron will be flown to Eretz Yisroel for kevurah there.

The family will be sitting shivah at the Balsam home at 19 Myrtle Place in Lakewood, New Jersey.

Yehi zichro boruch.

{Matzav.com}