It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rav Elazar Mayer Teitz zt”l, longtime leader of the Elizabeth, New Jersey, frum community. He was 89.
Rav Teitz was a son of the late Rav Pinchas Mordechai Teitz, who served as the community’s pioneering rov from 1935 until his passing in 1995.
Born in 1935, Rav Elazar Mayer Teitz was a prodigious young ben Torah, destined for a career of rabbonus and harbotzas haTorah. He received semicha from the Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rav Isaac Halevi Herzog, and earned advanced degrees in mathematics and education. In 1958, he began assisting his father in communal leadership, eventually succeeding him as the rov of Elizabeth.
He was humble, he was passionate, and he was brilliant, and he truly cared about every Yid. This combination made him a rov, a rebbi, and a leader of unique stature.
An outstanding talmid chochom, and a talented rebbi and maggid shiur, he completed Shas many times, having delivered a daily Daf Yomi shiur since 1980. His father famously used the radio for the spreading of Torah, and Rav Elazar Mayer likewise did so for many years, following in his father’s footsteps.
Under Rav Teitz’s guidance, the Jewish Educational Center (JEC) in Elizabeth flourished, encompassing the JEC Lower and Middle School, Rav Teitz Mesivta Academy (high school for boys), and Bruriah High School for Girls. These mosdos have educated generations of students, emphasizing the harmonious integration of Torah study with secular knowledge. His leadership extended beyond chinuch. He was instrumental in fostering unity among the community’s kehillos and shuls and was a prominent voice in local Jewish affairs.
Rav Teitz is survived by his devoted rebbetzin; his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren; and thousands of mispallelim, students and admirers who will miss him.
Yehi zichro boruch.
{Matzav.com}
A special man as the article describes!
As they often say, a “discontinued model.”
Tremendous loss.
א טייערע איד
!
I met him years ago through the Aishdas organization. Though we met few times (perhaps twice?) in person, I would sometimes write to him, via e-mail, over a period of years, and he typically was very timely, reliable, courteous, and forthright in his responses, esp. for such a public figure, for someone he didn’t know well, was not in his area, nor a congregant or student of his institutions. Very recently, however, after not having been in contact with him for some time, I saw something written about his father zt”l online, and wrote him again, inquiring about its veracity. Uncharacteristically, there was no response. I figured that he might be in Eretz Yisroel, perhaps changed e-mail addresses (which an Elizabethan friend confirmed for me), so I later resent to a newer address, but still no response came. Now I understand why, he was already in his last days among us.
A beacon of דרך ארץ, menschlichkeit, integrity, ישראל אשר בך אתפאר.
מי יתן לנו תמורתו.
He learned in Telshe (USA) and Ponevezh (Eretz Yisroel).
“destined for a career of rabbonim”. All of us have been “destined for a career of rabbonim”, for starters just think of every drasha you’ve heard lifetime.
Not only was he a huge talmid chacham and a master teacher, he was a friend and a spiritual advisor
to hundreds of us who were his congregants and his students. He was a Rebbe par excellence. I had the great honor and privilege of completing Shas with him 5 times. He will truly be missed. May his memory be for a “Brecha”.
Rav Teitz was a huge Talmid Chacham and a master educator. He was also a friend and a spiritual advisor to the hundreds of us who were privileged to have been his congregants and his “talmidim”. We will truly miss him. My sincerest condolences to his wonderful Rebbetzin and his entire family.
I was a talmid of the the Yeshivah in Elizabeth graduating in 1968..Rav Teitz as his father z’l was a tremendous influence on all of us..Living in Israel for almost 47 years I would bump into him on his many visits to Jerusalem …יהי זכרו ברוך…,Moshe Fischer
When & where is the levaya
Was already in Eretz Yisroel.
Was webcast online, recording at https://youtu.be/Maerr1VGC3s.