Students Mark the Fourth Yahrtzeit of Reb Yisroel Friedman

Today, 7 Nissan, is the fourth yahrtzeit of Oholei Torah’s legendary Rosh Yeshiva, Reb Yisroel Friedman. Students are encouraged to learn Mishnayos l’ilui nishmaso and to remember his impact.

By Anash.org reporter

Today, 7 Nissan, is the second yahrtzeit of Oholei Torah’s legendary Rosh Yeshiva, Reb Yisroel Friedman a”h. His students will mark this day by learning Mishnayos and remembering his impact.

Reb Yisroel was born in Kiev, Ukraine, in 5696 (1936) to a distinguished family of Boyaner Chassidim. He was a direct descendant of the Mezritcher Maggid and Reb Avrohom HaMalach. His father, Reb Yankel, was drafted into the Soviet army and never returned.

When the war came to Ukraine, the Friedmans escaped and traveled to Samarkand. In 5707, Rav Yisroel left Russia together with his mother and two brothers, in what became known as the ‘Great Escape’ and settled in France, where he studied for two years at the Yeshiva in Brunoy.

In 5710, the Friedman family immigrated to Eretz Yisrael, settling in Kfar Chabad, and Rabbi Friedman studied at Tomchei Temimim in Tel Aviv and Lod. His mother, Gittele, had a grocery store in Kfar Chabad and remained an agunah for the rest of her life, a period of some 45 years.

In 5717, he traveled to New York to learn by the Rebbe, where he emerged as one of the outstanding students, and in 5719 the Rebbe sent him to Newark, New Jersey to serve as Rosh Yeshiva there.

After his marriage, he was appointed as a maggid shiur in Oholei Torah, and later as its Rosh Yeshiva.

Rav Yisroel was a one-of-a-kind gaon in both Nigleh and Chassidus. His farbrengens were legendary, often lasting all night. He could also chazzer an hour-long maamar by heart without missing a heat.

He passed away on 7 Nissan, 5780.

After his petira, many stories were shared of his great Ahavas Yisroel as well, a kind of unknown character trait that was often forgotten due to his legendary knowledge of all subjects in Torah.

He was mourned by his many generations of talmidim whom he taught with warmth and devotion for decades.

Reb Yisroel’s final farbengen: