Following the passing last month of Harav Yitzchok Meir Hertz, longtime rov and rosh yeshiva in London, two of his grandsons have been appointed to fill the positions he held for decades serving the London Anash community. The appointments were made by the respective communities, continuing the legacy that he built over many years.

Born in Tel Aviv in 5698 to his father, Harav Gedalia, rosh yeshiva of the Gerrer Yeshiva Chidushei HaRim in Tel Aviv, Harav Yitzchok Meir was drawn to Chabad Chassidus, and he first came to the Rebbe in Tammuz 5716. In 5721, he married Rivka Wilhelm of Yerushalayim. For several years afterward, he taught in the Gerrer Yeshiva in Crown Heights, and decades later was still fondly remembered by his talmidim there.

In 5726, he was sent on shlichus to London. In the 1970s, he founded the Kingsley Way Shul, a shul in NW London where both Anash and non-Lubavitchers, as well as people who were not yet frum, felt at home. Over 40 years ago, he founded Yeshiva Gedola Lubavitch of London, where thousands of talmidim were educated in the ways of Torah and Chassidus through his guidance over the years. He also served as a dayan on the Kedassia Beis Din and paskened shaylos for the Golders Green community.

With his passing, his positions are now being filled by his own grandchildren. His grandson Rabbi Gedalia Lieberman, rov of the Heichal Menachem shul for Anash in Golders Green, will now also serve as rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Gedola Lubavitch of London and the rov of the Anash community in Golders Green.

Another grandson, Rabbi Gedalia Hertz, will take the position of rov at the Kingsley Way Shul, filling his grandfather’s position and continuing the leadership of the community he built.