Thousands of New York and New Jersey residents participated
in the levaya for HaRav Eliezer Geldzahler
zt"l, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Ohr Yisroel in New
York, who passed away at the age of 46 as a result of
injuries sustained in a car accident ten months ago in
Netanya.
HaRav Eliezer Geldzahler was born to HaRav Eliyohu Yehoshua
Geldzahler ylct"a the founder of Ohr Yisroel
institutions in the US. Known as a prominent talmid
chochom, HaRav Eliyohu authored several noteworthy
seforim and is one of the leading talmidim of
HaRav Shraga Feivel Mendelovitch zt"l and HaRav
Gedaliah Shor zt"l. HaRav Eliezer's mother is the
daughter of HaRav Eliyohu Eliezer Dessler zt"l, his
namesake.
His wife tlct"a is the daughter of HaRav Michel
Twersky, the Admor of Milwaukee. After marriage he continued
learning intensely, immersed in the sea of the Talmud. A few
years ago he was named to the Kesser Torah award by the Keren
Avrohom HaKohen Fund and continued laboring in Torah until he
was asked to serve as rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Ohr
Yisroel.
During a visit to Eretz Hakodesh ten months ago he and his
talmidim set out for a Shabbos gathering in the North
together with the talmidim learning in Eretz Yisroel.
The bus transporting them was involved in a severe accident
in which he sustained a head injury. He was treated in Eretz
Yisroel and then flown to the US, where he underwent a number
of operations, but his condition only deteriorated.
Numerous tefillos for his recovery were organized in
Torah halls in Eretz Yisroel and the US and the name
Elimelech was added to his name. But the gates of prayer were
locked and he returned his soul, refined through suffering,
to his Creator.
Thousands were on hand at the levaya in Lakewood,
where eulogies were delivered by HaRav Dovid Shustal, one of
the roshei yeshiva, and by his father-in-law, the Admor of
Milwaukee. The funeral procession continued to his yeshiva in
New York and then on to Kahal Chaim Yehoshua Beis Medrash in
Boro Park, and from there to the cemetery in Monsey.
HaRav Eliezer Geldzahler zt"l is survived by his wife,
their 13 children—two of them married and the youngest
just a few months old—and grandchildren.
