Rabbi Yosef Rosenfeld z”l

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the passing of Rabbi Yosef Rosenfeld z”l, the menahel and executive director of Oholei Torah in Crown Heights. He was 89 years old.

Reb Yossel was born in 5693 to Reb Chanoch Henech and Miriam Rosenfeld, and attended Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin as a young boy before transferring to the newly established Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch in 5703.

In the spring of 5716, tragedy struck Kfar Chabad in Eretz Yisroel. A group of Fedayeen terrorists from Egypt infiltrated the village’s vocational training school and murdered five young students and their teacher as they stood in prayer in their classroom. The massacre traumatized the resident of the village, and many considered moving elsewhere. To encourage and uplift them, 12 bochurim were selected to spend a month in Kfar Chabad, and Reb Yossel was one of the group.

After his return to the United States, he continued his studies in yeshiva for another year, before a shidduch was suggested with Malka Lokshin, daughter of Rabbi Mordechai Ber and Blumah Leah Lokshin. In 5718, they got married.

After their marriage, the couple served as shluchim to San Francisco, California, before returning to Crown Heights, where they both began working in chinuch, with Reb Yossel serving as a principal in Oholei Torah. He later began serving in the administration of the school alongside the founder, Rabbi Michoel Teitelbaum.

Upon Reb Michoel’s passing in 5765, Rabbi Rosenfeld filled his position as executive director of Oholei Torah. Under his leadership, the mosad, which by then included a kindergarten, elementary, mesivta and bais medrash, grew and expanded, becoming the largest Chabad school globally, and opening a summer camp, new campuses for the mesivta and dormitories, and a slew of new projects.

He is survived by his children, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Rosenfeld (Montreal, Canada), Mrs. Rivkah Grossbaum (Stonybrook, Long Island), Rabbi Yitzchok Rosenfeld (Toronto, Canada), Mrs. Shterny Fogelman (Los Angeles, CA), Rabbi Yisroel Rosenfeld (Melbourne, Australia), Rabbi Sholom Rosenfeld (Crown Heights), Mrs. Chana Konikov (Roslyn, Long Island), and Mrs. Nechama Dina Katz (Crown Heights). He was predeceased by his wife, Malka Raizel, earlier this year.

The levayah will take place today at Shomrei Hadas Chapels, located at 3803 14^th Avenue in Boro Park, Brooklyn, at 1 p.m., passing Oholei Torah’s main campus at 2 p.m.

Yehi zichro boruch.


{Matzav.com}