R’ Binyomin Levitin, 96, OBM

By COLlive reporter

R’ Binyomin Levitin, from the elder Chabad Chassidim in the last generation and who helped preserve the rich repertoire of Chabad niggunim, passed away Sunday, 18 Tishrei 5774.

He was 96.

He was born to the known and respected chossid R’ Shmuel Levitin OBM, who was from the first students in the Tomchei Tmimim Yeshiva in the Russian town of Lubavitch and later was sent on missions by the Frierdiker Rebbe.

R’ Binyomin lived in the Crown Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn for many years. He got married in 1945.

Musically gifted, he was chosen to be part of the historic effort to preserve some 175 chassidic melodies that have been handed down through the generations with multiple versions being passed down.

A group of elder chassidim and some younger bochurim, who remembered the melodies as they were sung in Lubavitch, were selected to assist R’ Shmuel Zalmanov OBM, head of the Nichoach organization (Niggunei Chassidei Chabad), in the tedious, yet important work.

R’ Binyomin was one of the younger members, along with Rabbi Yitzchak Dovber Ushpal and Rabbi Mendel Tennenbaum, to collect, reconstruct and rerecord the niggunim, under the close guidance of the Frierdiker Rebbe and the Rebbe.

In 5750, he was appointed to be a member of the extended committee of Agudas Chassidei Chabad International, the umbrella organization for the Lubavitch movement.

He is survived by his wife Mrs. Shaindel Zelda Levitin, their children Rabbi Sholom Ber Levitin – Seattle, WA; Mrs. Frayde Andrusier – Crown Heights; Mrs. Tema Gerlitzky – Crown Heights; Mrs. Devory Kornfeld – Seattle, WA; R’ Yosef Levitin – Crown Heights; and grandchildren.

The levaya will be held Monday, passing by 770 Eastern Parkway at 10:45am.

Baruch Dayan Haemes.