By Anash.org reporter
Anash Chassidei Chabad lost its senior member and rov with the passing of Harav Mordechai Dov Altein today.
He was 100 years old.
Rabbi Altein was born in New York in the summer of 5679/1919 to Tzvi Hirsh and Chana Altein, G-d fearing Galitzyaner Chassidim. In his youth, he studied at Yeshiva Torah Vodaas, where he joined the group of bochurim who learned Chassidus with Reb Yisroel Jacobson. Soon he was off to Otwock to be a tomim. That experience was cut short by the outbreak of WWII, when all the American bochurim quickly returned to the US.
In the United States, he was sent by the Frierdiker Rebbe on shlichus and founded yeshivos in several places in the US.
In Kislev, 5704/1943, he married Rochel Jacobson, daughter of Rabbi Jacobson and together they embarked on a life of shlichus, including Pittsburgh, New Haven and then the Bronx, New York. There they educated thousands of children over the decades, with the institutions transferring to upstate New City, New York when the area’s Jews left en masse, many of them to Rockland County, New York.
He was a member of the hanhalah of the Central Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch, as well as of the Va’ad Rabbonei Lubavitch.
Rabbi Altein yarshened the zechus of providing daled minim to Beis Harav from his shver Rabbi Jacobson.
In 5756/1996 he settled in Beitar, Eretz Yisroel, before returning to the US to be with their children.
He is survived by his wife, may she be well, Rebbetzin Rochel of Crown Heights, daughter Chanie Gurary; Montreal, Canada, Rabbi Avrohom; Winnipeg, Canada, Rabbi Leibel, Crown Heights, Malka Cohen; Manchester, Sarah Pinson; Nice, France, and Simi Zalmanov, Tzfas, Eretz Yisroel.
He was predeceased by his son, Yosef Yitzchok, a”h.
The levaya will take place at Shomrei Hadas at 1:30pm and pass by 770 at 2:30pm tomorrow, Monday.
Shiva will be at the Alteins
1378 Union Street
Minyanim:
Schachris 8am and 9am
Mincha/Maariv 4:10pm
Shiva Hours:
10am-1:30pm
3:30pm-9:00
Baruch Dayan Ha’Emes.
Memories can be sent to [email protected]
Thank you
There are a number of well known Ba’alei tshuvah who were niskarev through Rabbi Altein AH (such as Dr. Feldman of crown heights).
Besides for all his personal great achievements, R’ Mottel left a very special family, many of his children and grandchildren are well know chassidshe yiden, accomplished shluchim and great talmidei chachomim.
Yehi zichroi Boruch