Over 2,000 people attended the levaya of Gedalya Greenzayd on Monday, who was tragically killed in a car accident in Crown Heights.
The procession passed by Lubavitch Headquarters 770 Eastern Parkway at 9:30 pm on the way to the airport for burial in Ukraine, where his family lives.
Hundreds from the Crown Heights community were in attendance, as well as the students from the Morristown Yeshiva where Greenzayd was currently studying, who traveled to Crown Heights to attend.
Greenzayd was an outstanding bochur who became close to Yiddishkeit on his own, and assisted beginner students in their studies at Yeshiva Tiferes Bachurim in Morristown, NJ, while pursuing rabbinical smicha studies.
“Brooklyn mourns the passing of Gedalia Gruntzweig, who was fatally hit in an accident with a sanitation truck in Crown Heights. I am confident that the NYPD will conduct a full investigation to best determine the cause of this tragedy,” Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams said.
An only child, Greenzayd was born in the twilight years of the Communist Soviet Union to Avraham and Malka Greenzayd in Vinnitza, a small city in western Ukraine, Chabad.org reported.
At the time of his birth the Greenzayds were proud and involved Jews, although not fully observant. His father has served as the longstanding president of the century-old Nikrasova Synagogue for three decades, and the family was said to be positively influenced by their son.
“He was a very special child, with a sincere, gentle soul,” recalls Rabbi Shaul Horowitz, Chabad shliach in Vinnitza.
“As a student in the local Yad Vaezer and then Ohr Avner Ohr Menachem schools, he absorbed Torah like a sponge, always eager to learn more. Even as a young boy, he insisted on eating only kosher and influenced his parents to keep a kosher home.”
Photos: Baruch Ezagui
I know that its a long time after Gedalia passed away, in fact it’s almost his first Yartzeit. I just wanted to say- Davening for someone’s Neshama to have an Aliyah is a beautiful thing. I don’t think you should discourage anyone to do so. Gedalia was a close friend of an older man and he happened to know our close friend. Through a long story, both Gedalia and his friend ended up at our house for Succos. As I am the only child at home, I had no one to play games with, and seeing this, Gedalia stopped talking… Read more »
your solution is great. so many want to reach out to the parents and you came up with a solution. Kal Hakavod.
I am bl’n going to write GGobm.blogspot.com.
the pain is so great for us – how are the parents going to endure? It’s unfathomable!! we so badly need moshiach!!
NO WORDS!!!! Moshiach Now!!!!!
yes the driver should be sent to jail. all of ppl that drive like this,, i’ve had many close calls.. whoever can make influence on the mayor or city or anyone that can write,,, google the mayor to address that many drivers turn without care of pedestrian’s rights… they try to beat the crooser,,, its horrible… everyone be extra caution. daven and increase in serving hashem in fear and love, and he will protect us. don’t talk in shul and tznius is a must, we are all responsible as a collective whole is klal yisroel physically and spirit. moshiach now.
saddddd
What a zechus to have your baby named after this aidileh well loved refined accomplished brochur who brought so much light into this world and his surroundings. He affected this world so tremendously in such a short amount of time!!
Gedalia yaakov Ben Avraham
It was negligence at best on the part of the truck driver who killed someone who was walking in the crosswalk with the green light on his side. Just last night at about 10.30 pm I heard the sudden roar of a truck accelerating as a garbage truck literally sped round the corner of Kingston and Carroll going faster than I’ve ever seen a garbage truck go. It wsa like some kind of game. The driver knew what happened and where- the whole sanitation department knows. But these are who we are dealing with.. Please report things as they happened-… Read more »
An investigation may show that no one except the malach hamuhves was at fault. This is a tragedy that is beyond the scope of understanding and is so excruciatingly painful… Aibershter, please take care of his parents.
His parents wanted the body to be brought home.
BS there will be no real investigation. the only thing that will & is being accomplished is more harassment more checkpoints on E.p only in front of 770 & harassment of motorists on Kingston that was very clear yesterday harass innocent motorists & pedestrians fail to properly protect them prevent real crime & give the city the much needed revenue they lost from the suspension of Alternate side nothing more nothing less
To #15. If someone will daven for the neshama that’s wonderful. Please don’t make someone feel less than positive for offering a good thing. Besides, #5 may well have meant “learn” in addition to daven – which is not dissimilar. As for my dear fellow Crown Heightsers, THANK YOU. A I no longer live in Brooklyn I could not be at the levaya. But I’m so happy to see the turnout. The least that the community can do for someone who CHOSE to be one of us and whose neshama was snuffed out in our schnuna. #13 – BRILLIANT IDEA… Read more »
Write To His Parents! I would like to suggest over the next few days as we collect our thoughts, people should post comments addressed to his parents. No doubt that it would be a source of great ניחומין to them. The most helpful element in bearing the pain of a personal tragedy is knowing that others care. For his parents to read of how everyone thought so highly of their beloved בן יחיד, -how special he was considered in our community, would be of enormous comfort to people who must feel so alone now. Not to be accused of just… Read more »
Gedalia gave Shiurim in Geula and Moshiach. The Rebbe MH”M quoted the Rambam in Hilchos Teshuva That every one should view the world when deeds put on scale as half merits and half opposite and when doing one mitzvah you tip the scale towards merit and you cause Teshua vehatzolo. If every one at the Levaya and does who could not make it make a Hachlota in Gedalyas zechus whether taking A full mesecta Mishnayos a Perek give tzedoka say tehilim with more Kavono we will merit Moshiach Now. and YES Publisize what you are doing this way the chances… Read more »
Did they come in for the Levaya? Has anyone spoken to them? What an unbelievable tradgedy!
After a neshamah passes on it’s not about Davining, it’s more so about learning משניות or learning in general לעילוי נשמתו or giving Tzdaka any other good deed.
כל הכבוד לתושבי קראון הייטס
שתזכו ללוות דברים טובים
כולי בוכה!!!
His life is now making people aware of the Rebbe’s hoira to learn these topics. Go online and study with him, bring Moshiach Now through him!!
It would be helpful if someone put out the halachos of what to do after the levaya (hand washing, how far to walk, etc.) a lot of people were confused…
What a zechus and comfort that would be!!!!
I didn’t hear about the levaya until I was walking down Kingston and saw the humongus turnout. Baruch HaShem, I had the zchus to be there. From the young girls to the alterer bubbys, hundreds of women (aside from the men and boys) turned up to pay respects to the niftar. I hope it will be a comfort to his parents.
May Hashem shower us all with his revelation of Moshiach Now.
AD MOSAI??????????????????????
AD MOSAI????????????????????????
AD MOSAI???????????????????????????????
Make an effort to go
please make every effort to be there at 9:30
@#5, I would say it’s Gadalya Ben Avraham. May his Neshamah have a aliya, and beg Hashem for Moshiach
As a human/creation
What happen?
At the heart of the neighborhood.
Why?
A Special Life taken in from of our eyes
H’ we are your children, we are hurting
Stop the pain and suffering
are we so bad?
Please stay focus on our good behavior and all the intense effort to perform all your mitzvos.
this is to much to bear.
silence is not an answer.
WE DEMAND MOSHIAH NOW
Thank you for letting the community know…we should have only good news to share!!!
What’s his full name? I don’t think I will make it to the Levaya but I would love to daven for his Neshama.
the only one who will menACHEM HIS FAMILY IS HASHEM. HE WILL IN HIS SOFT WAYS GO THE KISEH HAKOVOD AND BEG FOR MOSHIACH NOW AND SAY AD MOSAI 10 TIMES.HIS PARENTS ARE SPECIAL PARENTS TO HAVE RAISED SUCH A GREAT UNDERDERSTANDING NESHOMO.
My heart goes out to Gedalya’s mishpocho. I am a parent of one of his close friends at Tiferes. This young Tzadik’s name and his accomplishments were part of our discussions at home. I’ll quote my son D, Gedaliya was the pillar of der Zal.
He was outgoing, brilliant, fun, a Talmid Chacham, loyal friend, A Yid, vi GoT Hot Gebotn. Baruch Dayan Emmet.
Zichrono Li”vracha. Zein Nushume Zol Zich Meen in Gan Eden. Gedalya, Neshama Yekara-you will be remembered Le’olem Ve’ad.
Lets all go and escort his neshama to Hashem and all beg Hashem to send us Moshiach already!!!
I urge everyone to please make the effort to go. If I was in CH I would be there. Such a tragic loss, it’s the least we can do for such a bochur.