Rabbi Sholom Ber Lipskar, 78, AH

Rabbi Sholom Ber Lipskar, shliach and rabbi of The Shul in Bal Harbor, Florida, and founder of the national Aleph Institute serving Jewish prisoners, military personnel, and their families, passed away on Shabbos, 5 Iyar.

Rabbi Sholom Ber Lipskar, shliach and rabbi of The Shul in Bal Harbor, Florida, and founder of the national Aleph Institute serving Jewish prisoners, military personnel, and their families, passed away on Shabbos, 5 Iyar.

He was 78 years old.

Born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, to R’ Eli and Rochel Lipskar, he left Russia during the escape of the chassidim in 5706. After a brief stop in a DP camp in Germany, the family settled in Ontario, Canada.

After marrying Chani (née Minkowitz), the couple was sent by the Rebbe on shlichus to the Chabad elementary school in Miami Beach. In yechidus before their departure, the Rebbe said with an expansive gesture and his hand outstretched, “I am going along with you, but it should be with joy!”

At Rabbi Lipskar’s initiative, and with the Rebbe’s support, a Yeshiva Gedolah was established in Miami shortly thereafter, further strengthening Torah education in the region.

In the 1970s, Rabbi Lipskar underwent heart surgery and did not wake up, creating panic in the hospital. His wife immediately called the Rebbe’s secretary, who, after speaking to the Rebbe, said he needed to speak to Rabbi Lipskar, saying that “the Rebbe has a job for him!”

Mrs. Lipskar hurried into the room teeming with doctors and put the phone near his ear. Rabbi Lipskar woke up to Rabbi Chadakov’s voice – and the Rebbe’s voice in the background – telling him to organize a reception for Professor Herman Branover in Winnipeg and then Miami. “With that,” Rabbi Lipskar later related, “I woke up. I mumbled a few questions, and that was it.”

In 1981, Rabbi Lipskar founded the Aleph Institute, an organization dedicated to supporting Jewish inmates, military personnel, and their families across the United States. Under his leadership, Aleph became a world-renowned model of ahavas Yisrael and practical support, offering Torah, dignity, and hope.

In 1982, he founded the Jewish community in the upscale Surfside/Bal Harbour area of Miami and became its rabbi. With tremendous dedication and vision, he led the development of a magnificent Jewish center on the main road, valued at over $10 million, transforming the area into a thriving hub of Yiddishkeit.

Over the course of more than four decades, Rabbi Lipskar became a central figure in Jewish life in Florida and beyond. His ability to speak to the soul of every Jew—whether a business leader, prisoner, or college student—was a hallmark of his lifelong work.

He is survived by his wife, Rebbetzin Chani Lipskar, and their children Zalman Lipskar and Devorah Leah Andrusier.

He is also survived by his siblings: Rabbi Mendel Lipskar of Johannesburg, South Africa; R’ Yossi Lipskar of Miami Beach, Florida; and Mrs. Sheva Schochet of South Beach, Florida.

The levaya will begin at the Shul of Bal Harbor on Sunday morning at 9:00 am. The levaya will pass 770 at 2:30 pm, followed by kevura near the Ohel at 3:30 pm.

Boruch dayan hoemes.