Rabbi Sholom Ber Gorodetsky, who was appointed by the Rebbe to serve as the director general of the European and North African Bureau of Chabad-Lubavitch, passed away.
By Anash.org reporter
Rabbi Sholom Ber Gorodetsky, who was appointed by the Rebbe to serve as the director general of the European and North African Bureau of Chabad-Lubavitch, passed away.
He was 83 years old.
R’ Sholom Ber’s father was the famed activist Rabbi Binyomin Eliyahu Gorodetsky, appointed as the ‘ba koach‘ – proxy – of the Frierdiker Rebbe and Rebbe to France, Eretz Yisroel and North Africa for close to 70 years.
Due to his many missions on behalf of the Rebbe, Reb Binyomin was away from home more frequently than not, and he even missed his son R’ Sholom Ber’s bar mitzvah in Tammuz 5711. Instead, the Rebbe, who had generally stopped attending bar mitzvahs after accepting the nesius, personally attended the bar mitzvah. The Rebbe even delivered a special sicha, later edited and printed in Likkutei Sichos chelek tes vov.
Following his marriage, he began working in business, alongside his help to his father. He was later appointed as a member of the board of United Lubavitcher Yeshivoth in New York, and served as a founding member of Agudas Anshei Kyiv, established to memorialize the Jewish community of Kyiv.
Following the passing of his father in 5755, he began taking a more active role in the “Lishka” – the European and North African Bureau of Chabad-Lubavitch, and founded Keren RaBAG, which helped fund the Lishka’s activities.
He is survived by his wife Mrs. Leah Gittel Gorodetsky, their children Hensche Leah – Miami, Florida; R’ Yosef Yitzchok Gorodetsky – Paris, France; Raizel Baila Felig – Miami, Florida; R’ Mendy Gorodetsky – Crown Heights; R’ Shmuel Gorodetsky – Five Towns, NY; and grandchildren.
The Levaya will take place Friday, passing by 770 at 12:15 PM.
I was honored to have him as my uncle. He was a very special person. He did such great Chessed, you have no idea. He is going to be so greatly missed.