By COLlive reporter
Harav Benzion Lipsker, a leading Chabad rabbi who was a defender of authentic Judaism, passed away in Israel Wednesday, Tishrei 5, 5770.
He was 65 and suffered from severe illness in the last few months.
As Chief Rabbi of the southern Israeli city of Arad, he was known for his outreach to secular Jews and protecting religious Judaism.
Before being appointed to the government-funded post in 5744, he was involved in education, building an institution for immigrant children.
Georgian-born Lipsker and his wife Sara were sent to Israel on Shlichus by the Lubavitcher Rebbe in 5734.
In Arad he built and operated the local Chabad House and established a Smicha – rabbinical ordination institute.
Many residents remembered him for his annual Bar Mitzvah ceremony, where he took 13 year-old boys and their parents to the picturesque Masada mountaintop overlooking the Dead Sea.
Lipsker was also a member of the Chabad Rabbinical Court (Bais Din) in the Holy Land.
He is survived by his wife Sara, and children: Chana Mendelsohn of Arad, Esther Druk of Omrim, Ruth Hillman of Petach Tikva and Nechama Dina Kozlovsky of Kfar Chabad.
He has two brothers living in the U.S.: Rabbi Zalman Lispker, Director of the Va’adah L’dovrei Ivrit Chabad – Israeli center in Philadelphia, PA, and musician Eli Lispker of Crown Heights.
The funeral will be leaving Thursday, 10 AM from his home in Arad to the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.
At the levaya, Rav Yosef Albo, the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Arad pointed out that Hashem Yisborach takes the tzaddikim when there is a need to be m’kaper for the community. He said that each person must examine his deeds in the face of this tragedy and ask himself, ‘What did I do to bring us to this state of affairs?” In this time of kapparos, please G-d let it be enough… such a terrible g’zeira was made… Rabbi Lipsker was so badly needed and will be missed so much…
this is so sad.. moshiach now.. may der aibishter comfort the family
i rememberd wa when i was in high school we as agroup came for the summer time to do mivzahim in the country harad ,harav benzie obm well come us with such warm and abig smaile on his face cared for us for agood food and more and more every body loved him was atzadik and hohev israel belevav shalem ,harav agahon hatzadik rez benzie obm go to the kiseh hakavod and scream and tell the rebbi melech hamoshiach that higihah zman ghulatchem ,that moshiach should be mitgaleh olready ,inough for the golut we want to see the gehula hashleima… Read more »
Such a great man was taken from us today!!
Those who never had the privilege to meet Him..He was the epitome of a Man who took every mitzvah so seriously and to heart….
He was someone who everyone respected so dearly!!
WE all will miss him sooo much!
What will we do without you were our guide our mashpiah our friend we loved you dearly your smile your good and honest
advice will surely be missed you had true ahavas yisrael
He always had a smile on his face even his eyes had a smile he will be sorely missed
Benzie was such an amazing man!
Everything about him was just so goood!
He will be truly missed by all!
Boruch Dayan Haemes. He was a wonderful man, a true tzadik. May he rest in peace.
this is so sad and such a tragedy i cant beive it!
only the good die young. the others keep on derdayin der bitteren golus
He also has 3 sisters living in CH; Tzivia Grossman, Bas-sheva Feigenson & Zahava Perlow
will be missed by many many people who love him.
real shame!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So sad i cant belive it
was our teacher in kfar chabad in the late 60’s, the only one in those days in kfar chabad that was able to control the kids and actually teach us something
So tragic, and painful