Rabbi Leibel Turk, a respected shochet from Crown Heights and the father of a large Lubavitch family, passed away shortly before Shabbos.
Rabbi Leibel Turk, a respected shochet from Crown Heights and the father of a large Lubavitch family, passed away shortly before Shabbos.
He was 86 years old.
Rabbi Leib Chaim Turk was born in the Bronx 25th Nissan 5698 to Tzvi Zev and Elke, he was orphaned from his mother as a young child, and raised by his maternal Zeide, Reb Pinchas Goldstein.
Thanks to the intervention of Rabbi Mordechai Altein, to whom he was forever indebted, he enrolled first in the Lubavitch Yeshiva in the Bronx, and later in Bedford and Dean.
He was zoche to see the Frierdiker Rebbe at the Yud Tes Kislev farbrengen 5710 (1950). This memory accompanied him throughout his life.
He was part of a kvutza sent by the Rebbe to Pittsburgh to start the Mesivta there, after three years the Rebbe instructed them to continue on to Montreal. In Montreal, he was involved in establishing Gan Yisroel Day Camp and Overnight Camp and was known for chazering long avodadiker maamorim. In 5722 the Rebbe instructed him to learn Shechita.
In 1962, he married Esther Wolf and a few weeks later they moved to Manchester, England where he served as a Shochet for 15 years. While there he worked for Lubavitch Manchester impacting the lives of many hundreds of people, founding Lubavitch Manchester Day Camp which today is the biggest in the world. He was also active in Mesibbos Shabbos and selling Kehos seforim, gaining him the title of Osek Betzorchei Tzibur as well as Shu”b in the Rebbes letters to him.
In 1977, he moved back to NY where he continued working as a Shochet under Reb Zalman Shimon Dworkin.
He gained a name as an expert G-d-fearing Shochet whose advice and expertise were sought by communities all over the world. He taught Shechita to many students who now serve as Shochtim around the world. A special sight was seeing him bring a cow’s lung or a four-legged chicken to 770, or the Kollel, to share with bochurim and yungeleit fascinating halachic insights.
He was mekushar to the Rebbe belev venefesh and was zoche to raise a large Chassidisher family KE”H
With children, grandchildren and great grandchildren who are Shluchim and members of Anash all over the world.
He is survived by his wife Esther Turk (Crown Heights) and children: Elke Nathan (Flatbush), Chana Serebryanski (Melbourne, Australia), Rabbi Yossi Turk (Cordoba, Argentina), Rivky Eidelman (Crown Heights), Shterny Tiefenbrun (London, England), Devorah Leah Golomb (Crown Heights), Dinie Pink (Solihull, England), Shaina Lipsh (Crown Heights), Rabbi Pinchus Turk (Chicago, IL), Rabbi Benzion Turk (Crown Heights), Rabbi Shmuli Turk (Crown Heights), and Rabbi Yisroel Turk (Manalapan, NJ), grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The levaya will pass by 770 Eastern Parkway at 12:00 pm on Sunday and will continue on to the Montefiore Beis Hachaim at 1:00 pm.
Shiva will be at 580 Crown Street (entrance B) #104.
Shachris: 7.00am, 8.00 am & 9.00 am
Mincha 1.45 pm & 7.30 pm
Maariv bizmano (5 minyonum needed)
No visitors please after 10.00 pm
Boruch Dayan Hoemes
He was a very special person