By COLlive and Matzav.com
Rabbi Shmuel Kunda, a noted educator who inspired generations of youngsters and adults with his entertainment productions, passed away Wednesday night, 30 Tishrei 5773.
He was 66 and suffered from a lengthy illness. His wife Naomi passed away 2 years ago.
Born in Shanghai, China, during World War II, Kunda learned in the Mirrer Yeshiva in Flatbush and later became the leader of the Boro Park Pirchei (14th Avenue branch) and taught in Yeshiva Tiferes Torah of Boro Park.
His students can attest to his energy and spirit which, combined with his artistic talents and storytelling abilities, lifted them out of their adolescent daydreaming and imbued in them the love for Yiddishkeit.
A trailblazer in his field, he produced dozens of children’s tapes and later CDs, and has written story books that have made him a household name in the frum world.
His work includes When Zaidy Was Young, Boruch Learns His Brochos, The Magic Yarmulke, A Ton of Mon, Boruch Learns About Shabbos, There’s Zaidy!, Zaidy’s Great Idea, The Talking Coins, The Royal Rescue, and The Miraculous Menorah.
Rabbi Kunda was also a remarkable artist, composer, lyricist and actor, and he utilized the talents to imbue children and adults with an appreciation of Torah and mitzvos.
In addition, Rabbi Kunda also inspired and educated many youngsters during his years as director of Camp Ne’arim in the Pocono Mountains.
He is survived by his children and grandchildren who follow in his ways.
The levaya will be held Wednesday morning at the 7th Street Holocaust Memorial Chapel of Congregation Sons of Israel in Lakewood, NJ.
Baruch Dayan Haemes.
i also remember listening to them as a child noe when i listen to them i understand all the jokes 🙂
I love his stories just the way he makes the voices and he should such a lichtig Gan Eden not only cause of who he was, but because he made so many chikldren lAugh and also Adults such as the childrens parents
There is no mention of his sister, Rose, aka Shoshana Peretz. Does anyone know what happened to her?
Rabbi Kunda will be missed. He contributed so much to our children education.
BDE!! He was my first rebbi at Yeshivah of Kings Bay before coming to Lubavitch and he was absolutely amazing. I loved him. Thank you Rabbi Kunda, May his family be comforted and blessed to fill this huge loss.
we Grew up loving them, and they still keep us going for the laughs even when were all adults!
Boruch Dayan Emes. Real contribution for kinderlach all over.
Rabbi Kunda thank you and you will be sorely missed.
So sad! May his mishpochah be comforted amongst the mourners of tzion!
i loved his tapes ud mosai
So Sad
May his children and grandchildren – biological, and the rest of us who grew up learning from him and loving him – be comforted among the mourners of Tzion and Yerushalayim.
He made a positive mark on Klal Yisroel. Decent and Torahdic entertainment. He was in a class of his own. I miss him already 🙁
Some people just can’t die!!! This is terrible!!
he was born in shanghai china to alter mirrers and learned in the Mir Yeshiva in Brooklyn he was a big Talmid Chochum who learned many hours a day
I loved your stories, they were my favorite.
you will truly be missed.
We need moshiach now!
now my kids listen to them
he really did a lot for yiddishe kinder
and yes, who will take over?
so whose going to take over?????? U WILL BE MISSED!!!!!!!
I loved his tapes as a child !!! So sad , moshiach now!!!!!
a grown man who loves his tapes
He was also the narrator and all the adult voices on 613 torah ave Beraishis and Shemos.
R. Kunda was an amazing insperation, I grew up waiting for each new tape to come out and noe my kids are enjoying them just as much.
Boruch Dayon HoEmes
no! So sad..
So So sad!!!!! I love his tapes and i know all of them by heart!!!!! They are so funny…This is so sad!
Night activity director in Camp Gan Israel, Swan lake in early 1960’s.
How sad! He was SO talented!! We have almost all his tapes. My children know the story dialogues verbatim!!! He will be sorely missed…. May his family be comforted at this difficult time. – Sara
we loved his tapes
May he compose a song for all of us to Hashem to end this golus NOW!
May Hashem comfort his family. He has inspired and gladdened thousands of Yidden around the world because he used his Koichos that Hashem gave him for the right reasons and in the right way. We should all do the same with our talents. Baruch Dayan Hoemes.
Thank you, Rabbi Kunda, for providing wholesome, yiddishe, and memorable entertainment for our children. My older children, some married, grew up enjoying your tapes. They know them all by heart with every detail! My younger children love them now, too.
You left a legacy.
Wishing only good news in the Kunda family from here on.
Awaiting the most amazing tape yet, the one with which we will greet Moshiach Tzidkeinu!
he was night activity director in gan yisroel NY 1961.
he made the night activities a VERY chinuch oriented experience, so that i remember the till this day.
sounds like an incredible guy
He was art&crafts counselor in GI Swan Lake Summer ’61.
BDE What a gifted person! the yidishe world is very sad today he definately made a huge impact with his amazing talents!! he will be missed dearly! now he can tell the aibishter the story of this terrible golus!!!
May his memory be for a blessing
I remember a great colored drawing that he made that was hanging around 770 years ago. It was of a beaming squirrel and Rabbi Avremel Shem Tov and had the caption ” Rabbi Shemtov, I love your camp. It is so full of nuts.”
He was an integral part of Gan Yisroel when it truly was “Best Camp in the Mountains”
BDE T N TZ B H
tragedy so young such a loss to klall yisroel. but if he was 66 he must of been born in 1946, after the world war 2.
thank you rabbi kunda for the wonderful childhood memories and chinuch you gave me. you will live on in the next generation and through the children who love your tapes as much as we did. BDE
Heartbreaking news. May his family and friends be zoche to many simchas and let us all hope for the coming of moshiach bimheira veyamainu Mamesh
I use to love listening to his tape when zaidy was young all the time when I was younger
no wayyy he is me and my family’s childhood
the memories i have from his tapes are some of my favorite. my siblings even in our late twenties and early thirties still recite the magic yarmulke verbatim around the shabbos table every once in a while. we lost a holy man who truly was an inspiration.
Sad :(. He left such a beautiful legacy, bringing children to love and enjoy yidishkeit. He will be missed, BDE
Mention should be made of his days in Camp Gan Yisroel of Swan Lake, New York back in the early sixties.
SD
he will be greatly missed
What a truly wonderful person! His story tapes were and continue to be a huge asset to the Orthodox Jewish world! Tribute to a great and talented man!
BDE
Thank you Rabbi Shmuel Kinda for the wonderful memories, lessons and stories, they live on with the many children around the world whom you touched.
moshiach should come right now!!!!! amen!!!
i remember listening to his tapes as a child
he will be missed:(
Worlds greatest storyteller. I only understood the jokes when i got older.
very sad news, i used to love his tapes as a child.
the math doesn’t add up, if he was born during WW2 he can’t be 66 now?
Sholom to you Yehuda How do ya do ya do ya?
I love his stuff!!!!
he went to gan yisroel new york