R’ Yona Slapochnik, a mashpia and one of the elder Chabad chassidim in Yerushalayim, who served on shlichus in South America and merited to have the Rebbe serve as Mesader Kiddushin, passed away on the first day of Chanuka, 25 Kislev.

He was 89.

Born in 1936 (5696) to R’ Shimon Slapochnik, from a family of Lithuanian descent, he survived the upheavals of WWII. As a 14–year–old refugee in Havana, Cuba, he was first exposed to the world of Lubavitch by the legendary chossid R’ Tzemach Gurevitch, with whom he learned b’chavruasa for over six months.

He arrived in the United States in Elul 5710 and entered Tomchei Temimim at Bedford and Dean. He merited to participate in the historic farbrengen of Yud Shvat 5711, marking the Rebbe’s acceptance of the nesius.

In his first yechidus, he confided in the Rebbe that he struggled to keep up with the minyan due to the language barrier. “The Rebbe advised me to daven word for word from the siddur,” he later recalled, noting that “I have done so until this very day.”

At his wedding in 1959 to his wife, Chaya Rachel (née Sapir), held in the courtyard of 770, he merited the rare honor of having the Rebbe serve as Mesader Kiddushin. When asked by the Rebbe why he requested this, his kalla replied that it would be a great honor for them, and the Rebbe acceded to their wish.

Following their marriage, the couple went on shlichus to Brazil and later settled in Montevideo, Uruguay, where R’ Yona led a Mizrachi shul and taught in the local Satmar Talmud Torah. Among his talmidim was Rabbi Tzvi Grunblatt, now Head shliach to Argentina. During this time, he maintained a connection with Mr. Shoshani, a well-known yet mysterious talmid chacham, who reportedly knew the Rebbe from Paris, and about whom the Rebbe inquired during R’ Yona’s yechidus.

In 1972, he moved to Eretz Yisroel, settling in Sanhedria HaMurchevet, Yerushalayim, where he served as the mashpia in the local anash shul and dedicated years to chinuch.

He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Chaya Rachel Slapochnik, and their children: R’ Menachem Mendel Slapochnik – Crown Heights, R’ Pinchas Schneur Slapochnik – Kfar Chabad, R’ Yehuda Slapochnik – Arad, and Mrs. Tova Dubinsky – Morristown.

He was predeceased by his son, Hatomim Yosef Yitzchak Slapochnik.

Baruch Dayan Ha’emes