On Erev Shabbos parshas Tazria-Metzora, 2 Iyar, Rabbi
Yehuda Meir Abramowitz zt"l, chairman of the World
Executive Committee of Agudas Yisroel and one of its heads
for over 50 years, passed away in Jerusalem at the age of 93.
A loyal servant to gedolei Yisroel shlita, and Agudas
Yisroel's representative in the Knesset and on the Tel Aviv
City Council, an alumnus of Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin and head
of the World Committee for Daf Yomi Study, he was a prominent
member of the older generation of Gur chassidim. He passed
away two hours before Shabbos and was laid to rest at Har
Hamenuchos in Jerusalem near his rebbe, HaRav Meir Shapira of
Lublin.
The levaya set out from the Shamgar Beis Levayos in
Jerusalem, where the Admor of Gur ylct"a and a large
crowd including roshei yeshivos, rabbonim and public figures
was on hand.
Before the levaya set out his grandson, Rabbi
Mordechai Dovid Abramowitz, who served as his right-hand man
in public affairs in recent years, cited the kapitel, "Mi
yogur be'oholecho mi yishkon behar kodshecho" (Tehillim
15:1), saying that this chapter epitomizes his distinguished
grandfather's conduct. Because it was so close to Shabbos, no
hespeidim were said. Kaddish was recited at the
gravesite by his son-in-law, R' Lipa Rubin.
The deceased was born in Constantine, Poland, a town near
Lodz and Alexander, on Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av 5674. His
father was the son of R' Tzvi Yitzchok Abramowitz, who was
the shochet for Rav Henoch, the Admor of Alexander,
and was often in the company of the Chiddushei HaRim, the
Admor of Gur.
His father passed away when Yehuda Meir was just nine months
old. His mother passed away when he was a teenager and he
arrived at Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin during the year of
mourning. At the yeshiva he earned the title of "Tzurvo
Mirabonon." HaRav Meir Shapira zt"l was not just
the rosh yeshiva, but also like a father to the students,
especially orphans like Yehuda Meir. The Rosh Yeshiva
established a close bond with the young Yehuda Meir from his
first day there and, noting his ability, yiras
Shomayim, integrity and good middos, HaRav Shapira
brought him along during his journeys through the towns of
Poland as a speaker representing the yeshiva students.
When the Daf Yomi idea began to catch on, HaRav Meir Shapira
sent his top students to give Daf Yomi shiurim in the
surrounding area. Yehuda Meir was chosen to deliver the
shiur in the beis medrash of the Chozeh of
Lublin, zechuso yogen oleinu. The shiur began
with just two or three participants, but his clarity and
articulateness drew other Jews and soon the shiur grew
to over 50 participants. Attendance doubled on Shabbos when
he would add remarks on aggodoh.
When he came of age, HaRav Meir Shapira served as his
shadchon, matching him with the granddaughter of HaRav
Mendel Kaminer, the brother-in-law of the Sfas Emes and a
descendent of one of Poland's most illustrious lineages. The
young woman's father, who was the first chairman of Agudas
Yisroel in Poland and one of HaRav Shapira's closest friends,
approved of the idea and the match was finalized.
Mrs. Abramowitz, an alumnus of Sarah Schenirer's seminary in
Krakow, stood by her husband faithfully in his public
activities throughout the years while raising children who
went on to become talmudei chachomim yirei Hashem and
they had the merit of seeing great-great grandchildren
following in the path of the Ovos.
During this period Yehuda Meir initiated the appointment of
HaRav Meir Shapira as rov of Lodz. The young man's proposal
was accepted, but HaRav Shapira passed away before it came to
fruition. "When I was notified of the Rov's petiroh I
wept as if over the passing of a father," Rabbi Abramowitz
once recalled, "because when my father passed away I was just
a baby and didn't cry. I cried over the Rov, who was a
spiritual father to me and treated me like a compassionate
father treats his beloved son."
In 5695, after his wedding, he moved to Eretz Hakodesh,
where he settled in South Tel Aviv and became a regular
congregant at the shul at Rechov Kishon 33. During his early
years in the city he worked as a melamed and a
gemora teacher at Talmud Torah Sinai, which was
founded by Gur chassidim in South Tel Aviv. Immediately upon
his arrival in Eretz Yisroel he began promoting the Daf Yomi
idea, organizing large siyum events. During this
period he also wrote articles for Tagblatt, an Agudas
Yisroel daily in Poland, and also for the chareidi press in
Eretz Yisroel.
In 5700 (1940), when Polish Jewry was already under the heel
of the Nazi dictator yemach shemo, Rabbi Abramowitz
opened an Agudas Yisroel office in Tel Aviv and was appointed
the Agudas Yisroel secretary in the city. He received the
full backing of Rabbi Yitzchok Meir Levine zt"l, who
told him: "Open a branch and I will stand at your side and
provide you support." During this same year he was chosen to
serve as a member of the Tel Aviv Religious Council, where he
worked extensively to improve and expand religious services.
Later he was named deputy chairman of the Religious
Council.
During the Holocaust and the years before the founding of the
State he was selected to serve as Agudas Yisroel's
representative on the Religious Committee of the Hagganah's
Supreme Command, and worked hard to uphold kashrus and
Shabbos. When the State was founded Prime Minister and
Defense Minister David Ben Gurion named him a member of
Committee of Four, which was involved in releasing religious
girls from military service. In 5708 (1948) he was chosen as
the general secretary of Agudas Yisroel of Eretz Yisroel. He
worked together with Rabbi Yitzchok Meir Levine, who trusted
him fully.
Before Agudas Yisroel had a representative on the Tel Aviv
City Council, Rabbi Abramowitz enlisted the help of Rabbi
Levine and Rabbi Moshe Blau for a meeting with then-Mayor
Yisrael Rokach. Rabbi Abramowitz requested assistance in
building a Torah-based school in Tel Aviv. During his period
ten talmud Torah and Beis Yaakov buildings were built
by the Tel Aviv Municipality, which was unprecedented at the
time.
"You don't even have a representative on the city council,"
Rokach told the young Rabbi Abramowitz. In reply Rabbi
Abramowitz said, "Here in Tel Aviv there's a very nice, well-
kept zoo. Do they have a representative on the city council?"
Rokach understood and promised to lend a hand to support
Torah-based education. He understood that even without
representation their rights should be respected.
At the age of 36 he was elected to the Tel Aviv City Council,
representing Agudas Yisroel. He held the post for 24 years,
including 20 years as deputy mayor. During this period the
City Council underwent a real transformation and community
life in the city's Torah sector changed dramatically. He
served as head of the Department for Social Services and
Daily Assistance. One of his primary activities was the
construction of 17 schools in Tel Aviv, talmudei Torah
for boys and Beis Yaakov schools for girls, and assistance in
the setup of numerous Torah-based institutions. He played a
major role in the construction of the Yeshivas Chiddushei
HaRim complex in Tel Aviv and Kiryat Rabbi Yitzchok Meir
Levine in North Tel Aviv. The main street in the area that is
named after HaRav Meir Shapira, is called HaDaf HaYomi.
He was the only one of the 31 city councilmen who demanded a
separated beach. Eventually his demand was accepted and two
such beaches were set up, Tel Baruch and Sheraton Beach. The
Chazon Ish said he "envied him for his merit in this great
mitzvah." In 5737 (1977) he was chosen to head Agudas
Yisroel's Knesset list. In this capacity he passed a law
requiring every city in the State of Israel to maintain a
separate beach.
He was often the opening speaker at public events sponsored
by the chareidi community. Showing great dedication, he was
among the leading founders of Chinuch Atzmai, doing the
bidding of gedolei Yisroel like a loyal soldier and
obeying them unquestioningly. He organized the founding
convention for Chinuch Atzmai at the Ohel Sheim Hall in Tel
Aviv and was a board member for decades.
During his third term as an MK, Agudas Yisroel chose him to
serve as Knesset deputy chairman. He succeeded in passing
important laws, including the mandatory seatbelt law, which
saves dozens of lives every year, a law designed to prevent
deceit regarding the kashrus of tefillin and
mezuzas, the Antiquities Law, which prohibits meddling
with gravesites, a law against missionary activity and a
National Insurance Law which stipulates that an individual on
the way to work who stops at a beis knesses remains
eligible for work-related injury compensation.
In 5740 (1980) he did a fabulous job of organizing the Sixth
Kenesiyoh Gedoloh, at which he was elected chairman of Agudas
Yisroel's World Executive Committee.
Kehillos around the world knew and respected him from
his numerous visits, and Rabbi Abramowitz won the esteem of
gedolei Yisroel from all streams.
Over the years he published three volumes of his book,
Chazon Umaas BeAgudas Yisroel.
In the latter part of his lifetime he lived for many years in
Jerusalem's Shaarei Chessed neighborhood, where he had a
close bond with Maran HaRav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach
zt"l.
In recent years he continued his public activities. His last
notable appearance was at the Daf Yomi Siyum HaShas, where he
delivered the opening address in the name of the World
Committee for the Dissemination of Daf Yomi Study.
Last week his health began to fail following a bout of
pneumonia. On Friday afternoon he was taken to the hospital,
where he returned his soul to his Maker at 4:20 p.m. The
funeral was held immediately to allow the burial to take
place before Shabbos.
Rabbi Yehuda Meir Abramowitz zt"l is survived by his
sons, R' Avrohom Chanoch, a prominent Gur chossid, HaRav Tzvi
Yitzchok, rov of Chatzor Haglilit and the Chassidic
neighborhood there, his sons-in-law R' Lipo Rubin and R'
Yitzchok Giladi, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-
great-grandchildren.
