It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rav Aharon Moshe Schechter zt”l, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin. He was 95.
Rav Schechter was born in 1928 in Brooklyn, NY, a son of R’ Yossel (Joe) and Rose Schechter. R’ Yossel was one of the stalwart baalei batim in the East New York section of the city.
In his youth, Rav Schechter studied at Yeshiva Toras Chaim, led by Rav Isaac Schmidman, whom he credited for providing him with a Torah-true chinuch that was a rarity at the time. Even years later, Rav Schechter would speak of Rav Schmidman and his efforts to provide a Yiddishe education to the youngsters then, paying tribute to him as a pioneer whose influence changed the trajectory of the lives of those youths, including Rav Aharon.
After elementary school, Rav Schechter joined Mesivta Yeshiva Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin. Rav Schechter’s reputation as a brilliant ben Torah grew, earning him the admiration and respect of his fellow talmidim and the rabbeim.
Rav Schechter ultimately became a close talmid of the rosh yeshiva, Rav Yitzchok Hutner. Rav Hutner nurtured the young, budding talmid chochom.
Rav Schechter’s wife was Rebbetzin Shoshana Roisa. They married in the mid-1950s. Born in Crown Heights, Rebbetzin Schechter was a daughter of Rabbi and Mrs. Boruch and Sarah Gittel Leichtung. She was a student at Rebbetzin Vichna Kaplan’s Bais Yaakov in Williamsburg. For more than two decades, Rebbetzin Schechter was the principal of General Studies at Yeshivah of Brooklyn.
Rav Schechter continued his learning at Mesivta Yeshiva Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin, and eventually Rav Hutner appointed him as co-rosh yeshiva of the yeshiva along with Rav Hutner’s son-in-law, Rav Yonason David, present rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Pachad Yitzchok in Yerushalayim.
In the 1980s, Rav Schechter joined the nesius and then the Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah of Agudas Yisroel of America. He was also a member of the Vaad Roshei Hayeshivos of Torah Umesorah.
Rav Schechter was not only an outstanding talmid chochom respected for his yedios haTorah, his ahavas haTorah, and perpetuating the Torah of his rebbi, Rav Hutner, but he was a powerful manhig, taking strong stances when necessary for the betterment of Klal Yisroel and for the benefit of the tzibbur. His maamarim were unforgettable, and his ability to be meromeim his talmidim and mispallelim of the yeshiva throughout the year was supreme.
The rosh yeshiva is survived by his family of noted marbitzei Torah and talmidei chachomim, bnei and bnos Torah following in his ways. His children are Rav Mordechai Schechter, Rav Nosson Schechter, Mrs. Esti Yormark, Rebbetzin Nechama Halioua, and Mrs. Yehudis Sendrovits.
The levayah will be held at 12:45 p.m. today at Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin, located at 1605 Coney Island Avenue, between Locus Avenue and Avenue L, in Flatbush. The aron will leave the yeshiva at approximately 2 p.m. en route to the kevurah at Beth David Cemetery, located at 300 Elmont Road in Elmont, NY.
The shivah will be held at 1248 East 12th Street, between Avenues L and M, in Flatbush, Brooklyn.
Yehi zichro boruch.
{Matzav.com}
Matzav, I understand that you don’t want anyone using the pictures without permission, but the logo marks that you placed all over ruined the pictures.
so true
Will there be a telephone hookup?
Will there be a telephone hook up?
Thanks
Yes.
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Lots of photos – any with his Rebbe??
Boruch Daiyan HaEmes!!
When I entered the Torah world in 1970, the talk was of the, relatively, recent passing of the very great leader, Rav Aharon Kotler, ZT’L, just about eight years before in the winter of 1962. Of course though, we were not without leaders, as there were the many colleagues of Rav Aharon, including: Rav Moshe Feinstein, ZT’L, Rav Yaakov Kaminetsky, ZT’L, Rav Yaakov Ruderman, ZT’L, and Rav Yaakov Yisroel Kanievsky, ZT’L (the father of Rav Chaim Kanievsky, ZT’L). In the following years though, his colleagues too were Nifter; in just the two year period of 1985 – 1987, these four were Nifter. There was though, the “next generation” of Gedolay Torah, of their sons & sons-in-law and their Talmidim. Recently and now though, more and more of this next generation have been Nifter. It is thus a “DOUBLE Aveilus” that is extremely, extremely painful.
I well remember the Petira of Rav Yitzchak Hutner, ZT’L. It occurred during the annual convention of Agudas Yisroel in the US. At the Thursday evening session, the then President of the US Agudah, Rav Moshe Sherer, ZT’L, announced that the news of it had just come to them from Eretz Yisroel, where Rav Hutner had been staying. In the session for the next morning, Rav Mordechai Gifter, ZT’L, delivered a Hesped on him.
Now, we have the Petira of who was clearly the Talmid Muvhak of Rav Hutner, Rav Aharon Moshe Schechter, ZT’L.