Rabbi Yosef Lasdun, a renowned sofer and talmid chochom in Washington Heights, passed away on Wednesday, May 30, at age 62. He was a lifelong member of K’hal Adath Jeshurun.
The Jewish Press reports: Rabbi Lasdun was born in Washington Heights in 1956. His father, Rav Toviyo Lasdun, z”l, was a talmid chacham from Telshe, Lithuania, and a sefarim expert at Yeshiva University’s Mendel Gottesman Library. R. Yosef attended Yeshiva Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch in Washington Heights through 12th grade. He then learned in Telshe Yeshiva in Cleveland for five years.
R’ Yosef returned to Washington Heights to study in KAJ’s beis medrash and then kollel. During this time he joined the Vaad Mishmeres Stam safrus training program in Monsey and received a ksav safrus from Rav Ben Tzion Wosner, the program’s director.
R’ Yosef helped fill the safrus needs of his neighborhood mosdos and for decades was also the sofer for shuls on Manhattan’s Upper East Side and in Teaneck, Bergenfield, Fair Lawn, Mt. Vernon, New Rochelle, and other locations.
The levaya was held at KAJ, where hespeidim were delivered by Rav Yisroel Mantel, Rav Avrohom Ausband, and his son R’ Moshe Lasdun. Kevurah took place at King Solomon Cemetery in Clifton.
Rabbi Lasdun is survived by his wife , Mrs. Brendle Lasdun; his mother, Mrs. Margot Lasdun; his siblings, Mrs. Rochel Tannenbaum, Mrs. Miriam Hoffman, Dr. Avi Lasdun, and Rabbi Ezra Lasdun; his children, Mr. Menachem Lasdun, Mr. Yaakov Mordechai Lasdun, Mrs. Yocheved Haller, Mr. Maier Lasdun, Mr. Moshe Lasdun, and Mr. Chaim Boruch Lasdun; and grandchildren.
Yehi zichro boruch.
With thanks to The Jewish Press
BDE