Following a levaya attended by thousands, the Admor of
Desh, HaRav Tzvi Meir Panet zt'l, author of Shearis
Yosef, was laid to rest in the US late last week at the
age of 80.
The Admor was born on 26 Sivan 5683 (1923) in Cracow, Poland
to the previous Admor. The sandak at his bris
was Rav Yeshayeleh of Tchekov, who was very fond of the boy
in his youth, recognizing that he was destined for greatness.
Young Tzvi Meir attended the yeshiva set up by his
illustrious father in the city of Elanda, located near Desh
in the Zibenbergen District. He continued his studies at the
yeshiva in the city of Paye, Hungary and was among its
outstanding talmidim. Later he transferred to the
yeshiva headed by the Satmar Rebbe, HaRav Yoel Teitelbaum
zt'l, where he was among the leading
talmidim.
He survived the War in the work camps at Monka-Taba and in
5706 (1946) married the daughter of his uncle, HaRav Yitzchok
Yechiel Panet of Desh. At the age of just 23 he was then
appointed the young rov of Desh, the city in which his
forefathers had previously served.
After the war, he arrived in Chicago where he set up a
kehilloh and helped build up Yiddishkeit to its
rightful status. Following his father's histalkus he
was named his successor in the US and led the beis
medrash and the kehilloh in the Williamsburg
neighborhood until his last day.
In 5723 (1963) he moved to Israel and reestablished the Desh
kehilloh in Eretz Hakodesh. Over the course of 13
years he headed the community of Desh Chassidim who survived
the Holocaust, running the institutions center and beis
medrash in Bnei Brak. He was on friendly terms with all
of the rabbonim and Admorim of the previous generation of
gedolei Yisroel.
At the behest of his Chassidim, he returned to his father's
kehilloh in the US in 5736 (1976) and continued to run
the kehilloh for decades. Many people sought his
advice and blessings. He also served as the nosi of
Kollel Ahavas Tzion Zibenbergen of R' Meir Baal HaNess.
The levaya, which set out from his beis medrash
in Williamsburg, was attended by the Admorim of Satmar,
Bobov, Rachmastrivka and Papa as well as other rabbonim and
dayanim. There he was eulogized by his brothers the
Admorim and his sons, the Admor of Shatz and HaRav Yisroel
Chaim Menasheh Friedman, Satmar dayan and moreh
tzedek.
After the stimas hagollel, his son HaRav Yitzchok
Yechiel Panet was crowned as his successor to the positions
of Admor and Nosi Kollel Ahavas Tzion Zibenbergen and his
other son HaRav Moshe Zeev Panet was crowned as his successor
as the head of his beis medrash in the US.
