Rabbi Avrohom Korf, who was sent by the Rebbe as a bochur to Eretz Yisroel, and then as head shliach to Florida, where he built a Lubavitch empire of over 400 shluchim, passed away on Monday night, Yud Beis Tammuz.

Rabbi Avrohom Korf, who was sent by the Rebbe as a bochur to Eretz Yisroel, and then as head shliach to Florida, where he built a Lubavitch empire of over 400 shluchim, passed away on Monday night, Yud Beis Tammuz.

He was 92 years old.

Born on the 25th of Tishrei, 5693, in Kharkov, USSR, to his illustrious parents, R’ Yehoshua and Mrs. Chaya Rivkah Korf, he was raised in an atmosphere of mesirus nefesh.

In 5702, with the outbreak of World War II, the family fled to Samarkand, Uzbekistan. In 5707, they escaped the Soviet Union on one of the transports organized during the great escape, together with the Rebbe’s mother, the righteous Rebbetzin Chana. After a brief stay in the Poking DP camp in Germany, R’ Avrohom traveled to France to learn in the Tomchei Temimim Yeshiva in Brunoy.

In 5713, after receiving the Rebbe’s blessing and approval, he arrived for the first time in the United States to learn near the Rebbe in 770.

In 5716, following the horrific terror attack at the vocational school in Kfar Chabad, in which 6 bochurim hy”d were murdered, the Rebbe sent a group of select bochurim to strengthen the Chassidim in Eretz Yisroel, among them R’ Avrohom. Following the mission, he returned to New York.

In Shevat of 5720, he married his wife, Rivkah a”h. R’ Avrohom was among the last of our generation to merit that the Rebbe himself was mesader kiddushin at his chasunah.

It is told that shortly beforehand, another chassan asked the Rebbe to officiate at his wedding. The Rebbe answered that he had already stopped doing so. When the chassan pressed, saying, “We heard the Rebbe is being mesader kiddushin for Korf,” the Rebbe replied, “He is going on shlichus…”

Later that same year, 5720, the Rebbe’s secretary, Rabbi Chaim Mordechai Aizik Hodakov, approached R’ Avrohom and asked if he would agree to go on shlichus to Florida. R’ Avrohom accepted immediately and began preparing for the mission.

A few months later, in Kislev of 5721 (1960), the Korfs set out on shlichus to Miami, Florida. Their work began on a small scale, organizing shiurim and lectures in the few local shuls that existed at the time. Over the years, they went on to establish a shul of their own, a yeshiva, and mikvaos.

Over time, Rabbi Korf established a full Lubavitch school system that grew to become the largest Lubavitch cheder in the world, with close to 3,000 talmidim as of today.

In addition, he became active in the field of mikvaos, traveling extensively across the United States and assisting communities with the construction and renovation of mikvaos.

R’ Avrohom merited to bring close to 400 shluchim to the state of Florida, who today serve in hundreds of Chabad Houses across the state’s many cities and towns.

He is survived by his children, Rabbi Yossi Korf (Hollywood, FL), Mrs. Rashi Raices (Postville, Iowa), Mrs. Shevi Sossonko (Miami Beach, FL), Rabbi Benjy Korf (Miami Beach, FL), Mrs. Leah Jacobson (Crown Heights), R’ Mendy Korf (Miami Beach, FL), R’ Motty Korf (Miami Beach, FL), Rabbi Zalman Korf (Walnut Creek, FL), Ms. Sari Korf (Miami Beach, FL), grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

He is also survived by his sister, Mrs. Batsheva Shemtov (Detroit, MI).

He was predeceased by his wife, Rivka, a”h.

The aron will stop at three Lubavitch mosdos established by Rabbi Korf.

The Levaya will begin in front of the Central Chabad House and Chabad Yeshiva building in Florida, at 8:00 AM, at 1140 Alton Road, Miami Beach. The aron will then proceed to Yeshiva Torah Ohr in the North Miami Beach center. The aron will continue to the plaza of the L.E.C. Campus, home to Florida’s Chabad educational institutions.

Afterward, the aron will be flown to New York, where the levaya will continue. At 3:00 PM, there will be a stop in front of 770. At 4:00 PM, the kevura will take place near the Ohel.

Boruch dayan hoemes.

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