Reb Meir Roness, longtime Crown Heights resident, passed away Tuesday night, 23 Teves, 5775.
He had just turned 74 a day ago.
Reb Meir was well known to all, for his happy and young-spirited personality, while he would go around collecting money for Chasidus Shiurim in non-Chabad Yeshivos all over New York.
He began being involved in organizing these shiurim as a bochur many decades ago, and has continued doing so under the Lubavitch Youth Organization until his last days.
Many Lubavitch bochurim would contribute to Reb Meir’s quiet and unknown organization of Tanya shirum in non-Chabad Yeshivos.
He is survived by his wife and children: Chanie Abramowitz (New Haven, CT), Dini Gotlieb (Toronto, ON) Dvorie Botnick (Crown Heights), Mushky Roness (Crown Heights) Yossi Roness, Shumi Roness (NY, NY), Zevi Roness (Crown Heights) and Mendy Roness (Crown Heights).
The Levaya will take place today, Wednesday, passing by 770 at 2:00 pm.
The Roness family will sit Shiva at 529 Crown St (bet Albany & Kingston Aves).
Four minyanim are needed.
Shachris at 8:45, at 9:30am, and at 10AM.
Mincha 4:30 and 4:40.
Maariv Bizmano.
Family request private/quiet time between 1pm and 3pm.
Baruch Dayan Haemes.
Is all anyone ever heard his words of encouragement to all of us bochrim aka the gvirim and abirim sheh b,abirim
Like the tana reb Meir says a person should only go when it’s light…..hashgacha pratis reb Meir left us on Tuesday when the lights were created and toiv meoid a double goodness , saai bNigleh saai bChassidus , he tirelessly fused both together secretly with shining Tanya light into dark litvish yeshivish velt
With the tremendous avas Yisroel love for a fellow Jew that rabbi roness had and showed towards every Jew , so too let us all follow in his footsteps and learn a lesson on the most basic principle tenet of our faith and the foundation of our beliefs as originally taught to us by our great rabbis Akiva and Hillel , and by emulating the late rabbi Mayer
Away life’s problems with a old as time chassidisheh idiom “tracht gut vet zaain gut” and poof just like that , things already looked brighter as he said it with such definitive certainty as dvorim hayoitzim mhalev, nichnosim el halev
Was one of his memorable qoutes as he was a giant advocate of pure happiness as the rebbe always stressed positive thoughts
Was a character trait by which he lived and breathed thru and thru as I can never recall a period in time where sadness was ever displayed. Always a good word, a quick witty one liner, a humorous story or a funny picker upper if a person looked gloomy or downcast. And always with a smile. Truly a mussar haskil an applicable lesson for all of us to emulate in his footsteps as this personified his every interaction , and truly resonated his very essense and being. May his memory be a blessing to all mankind
it’s so befitting and surely not coincidental that R Meir was oileh erev chof daled teiveis. & oileh versus niftar because all the pidyoinim surely were oileh in the zchus of the baal haYoima dPagra
it’s so befitting and surely not coincidental that R Meir was oileh erev chof daled teiveis. & oileh versus niftar because all the pidyoinim surely were oileh in the zchus of the baal haYoima dPagra
In his earlier years in 770, being that he was a left handed person, when he went by the Rebbe M”hM to receive kos shel bracha etc., he would use his left hand, and everytime he went by the Rebbe would point out to him “mit dee rechte hant” and each time he would explain to the Rebbe that he is left handed and then the Rebbe would give him. So finally he decided that he would just use his right hand and see what happens. And so it was that the next time he went by, he used his… Read more »
Its so hard to say A”H on Reb Meir.’ When visiting Beis Chayeinu from Colorado, Reb Meir A”H would inquire and ask about whats news and would inquire tot he Shlichus. He would lately send the envelopes with the publications, and of course he would perosnally post and address it. The good times from 770 will be etched forever. Reb Meir was literally a Yid who made hundreds of Chassidim , taught yiden what it means to give, and to give with a Gefihl, Just on the Chassidsuher Yomim Toivim that he taught literally thousands of Yiden the importance of… Read more »
ברוך דיין האמת.
המקום ינחם אתכם בתוך שאר אבלי ציון וירושלים ולא תוסיפו לדבאה עוד .
תנוחמו מן השמים.
ולא תדעו עוד צער
Was reb meirs famous quote to all the non chassidim out of ch whenever encountering a non belieber. So too reb meirs ruach and avoidas haKoidesh continues on thru the life of his mishpocho (& countless nfoshois “asherr osu b…Lakewood”)
Reading all these beautiful comments is warming my heart in this extremely tough time! Yes u guys are all right my father was a heilige Neshama. So devoted to his family and everyone he came in contact with. A real mekusher to the rebbe! Very optimistic, caring,fun spirited,lebedig,strong,holy jew! I dont think he ever missed a day going to the mikvah..even if that meant walking an hour upstate ..toronto ..wherever. he always shared with us his stories from when he came to lubavitch at age 14 and learned at bedford and dean.lubavitch yeshiva..and stories of his years in camp gan… Read more »
wow this is very sad and very shocking he cared about a lot of people to learn Torah and one of the best things you always say we have to be prepared for Moshaich wow this is very sad
Like his namesake der bal haGoileh, reb Meir was our version lightening up our golus , making the load a bit lighter…..our Baal haGoileh bizman goluseinu
THE Hashgocha protis of his Yahrtzeit is so clear?I am positive that on chof Dalet TEVES he was learning Tanya from the Alter REBBE himself as a schar for the hundreds of hours of Tanya learned due to his singlehanded efforts .How fitting that his name is Mayer,for he helped bring in the light of rabbi Shneur Sinai oir Zalman into this world
it may have just gotten a bit darker down here but it’s sure just became a whole lot lighter up there…..
truly a chossid
living
walking
breathing
we lost the best
the crème of the crop
Reb mair spreading Tanya red ashkenazi spreading the alter rebbes shulchon aruch both were invited for the farbrengen lemalo in honor of the alter Rebbe
reb roness and rav ashknazi
vchut hamishulosh loi bimheiro ynatek
He merits a lengthier hesped. Totally unforgettable.
Reb Meir had special koichois that no one ordinary man possessed as he asked the rebbe if he should focus fundraising only to gvirim or only by phone to which the rebbe gave him a specific directive & brocho to continue doing exactly what he was doing
I remember one year on 23 Shevat (which Lichorah will be Reb Meir’s shloshim), R’ Meir was going around 770 collecting money for ‘Erev Yartzeit. ‘ Everyone was wondering wasn’t it Motzie Yartzeit (22 Shvat)? And he explained to us ignorant people: Erev Yartzeit of Rebbertzin Menucha Rochel on 24 Shevat.
May the family only have simchas.
Who is going to send bochurim to so many yeshivos? Who? Who is going to send out hundreds of Weekly Geulah magazines to countless communities, chabad yeshivas and shluchim? Who? Who is going to be everyones mechutan? Who? who is going to be so friendly to anyone and everyone? Who is going to give out rebbes pictures to our kinderlach? Who? Who is going to be charlies friend (and have him over every sahbbos night for a lechaim)? Who? Who is going to believe so strongly in the imminent coming of moshiach (even after going trough so many tragedies in… Read more »
No one mentioned the Rebbe cards he would give to kids? Yeho zichro boruch
Same here, he would send us the pamphlets too.
May we soon see him after t’chiyas hamaisim
What a chosid!
Completely shocked and downfallen. He was a tremendous, tremendous person. Always super friendly, always remembered you no matter how little he knew you or how many years had passed. Spoke with him a few times as a teen. He would always give a warm greeting in older years. When 770 changed over the years, he was sometimes the only familiar face. A few months ago he gave my two younger kids cards with the Rebbe’s picture and kapitel. He was a real Chosid and one of a kind. He was indescribable and the loss is also indescribable. May the family… Read more »
before Shabbos.
Thousand of Shiurim Bli Guzma! He did in such an eidel and quiet way that most people didn’t know what he was collecting for. He somehow got non-lubavitch bochurim to organize quietly the shiur near the yeshiva clandestinely and then would send top bochurim to give Shiurim. From Chaim Berlin, Lakewood, South Fallsburg etc. etc. to as far as Philadelphia. He never agreed to be interviewed about it, saying that it might compromise the shiurim and “vos darf ich dos”.. Many bochurim became Lubavitch from these shiurim, from Rabbi Lustig, Rabbi Telsner, Rabbi Majeskl and much more up to more… Read more »
The How are you? and Moshiach Now! and the smile and niceness which came with it
We lost a real old time Chassid and mekusher to the Rebbe. Always happy, always a positive word, always a chassidishe story to share. Pashut a geshmake yid!!! I know all his daughters. They are all real Eidel people. His legacy will continue!! Let’s bring moshiach now!!
Reb’ Meir would send me a envelope every month (at his own expense) with the Geulah Brochures, I knew I was one of many that he sent these to.
Will be dearly missed!
A Tayerer Yid, Very Pleasant to talk to, Allways Had a Gut Vort to say, Whenever coming to 770 from out of town I would look for him to give some Tzedokoh
while waiting for the aron to come could’ve sworn I heard Mayer’s voice Tzedakah Raboisai LKovod Chof Gimmel Teves Rabosai Lilui Nishmas R” Meir( Ben Avraham) you will be sorely missed & we are worse off without your presence!
May his Neshama have an Aliya.
I’m sure he has a front row box seat between the heiligeh zaideh the atikoh kadisha , and the yungerman, zeir anpin from all the nitzoitzois which he was poiseh
A Chassidishe Yid through and through, everyone gave him money, because when he would ask who could say no? most didnt know what he was collecting for.. he single handedly supported ( and started) numerous shiurim in various communities.
when we were bochurim he would always ask for money, saying: “the bochurim are the real gevirim in lubavitch”.
Special family. H-shem should comfort them.
he was a special Neshama
You were a true light in this world. Your home was always open for all from near and far. You came to every simcha in the family, near and far. What a truly good person , the sincerest. Love your Levy nieces and nephews. will be sorely missed.
R’ Meir. Boruch Dayin Emes!
A good word for everyone.
Will miss.
What inspiration.
Stories of the past. But looking on to the future.
Should learn from him…
Take advantage of those we have left.
Moshiach Now!
Who else but R Meir would think of giving all the kids he saw a picture of the Rebbe they would then clutch like the biggest prize?
He would make his visits to Toronto to visit his married daughter. A great man.
In age, he was 74.
In spirit, he was like a 20-year old
He was such a Varemeh & energetic Yid, full of Chayus and joy. Unlike anyone I’ve ever seen.
I am SHOCKED beyond SHOCKED that he his gone.
May Hashem have Rachmonos and….
VEHOKEETZU VERANINU SHOCHNEI OFOR !!!!
Usually in e Flatbush if union wasnt available but he never missed , ott gait a chossid, a true chayol, from yesteryears , irreplaceable , ovad chossid min ho’oretz
BDE
One of the finest and kindness Chossid and human being. His whole life dedicated to the Rebbe. May he br guttenabetter for his entire family. ad Mosai
When the Litvishe Roshei Yeshivos will see him l’maaleh, they will all say “He’s the guy responsible for all those clandestine Tanya & Chassidus shiurim that our talmidim & yungerleit secretly attended despite our fierce opposition!”
Who will fill his shoes…
He was definitely a TZADIK NISTAR. He was born in Montreal
and also he was like Getzel Shlomo I dont think anybody really knew exactly what tzidkus he really did. I would say Zecher Tzadik Vekodoish Livrocho!
Reb Meir, Was a great source of first hand stories of Chasidiem, from over the past 5 decades. He was YBCLC chavrusa of R’ Shlomeh Cunin. (I believe he may have been a KAN in chaisdus). I will share one story (of many) that I heard from him. There was a famous chaisid from Eretz Yisroel who would come to 770 for Tishrie, and one thing he would not tolerate was, the late daving of Shacris. He would often complain to Hanholeh of 770…. One Year, Simchas Torah was Sunday and the previous night (leil Simchas Torah) they change the… Read more »
We were expecting to see him collecting at our forthcoming simcha. May he be a gutte betteh for us all.
He was a special man, and will miss seeing him around 🙁
Another shock Ad mosai
To the best of my knowledge, his surviving siblings are Ronnie Roness (Israel) and Mrs. Ruchie Levy (South Africa). He was predeceased by a brother as well as his sister Mrs. Itty Spitezky a”h. Reb Meir was definitely mkayem Hevey m’kabel es kol ha’adam b’sever panim yafos. תנצב״ה
A fine mentsch. Quiet in talking with people. A Giant in tzedokoh. May his family only know simchas from now on.
He has a sister in South Africa and a brother in Israel
I do not know if he he was born here but his family lived here for many years and his father was a Chosheve Klei Kodesh in Shomrim Laboker, across the street from our Yeshiva on Westbury , Reb Meir Z’L was definitely a landmark in Lubavitch (does someone know of his surviving siblings)
He was one of the only people I would never say no to. What Mosed was he collecting for so we can give a final donation in his honor.
Chevra Tzedakah L’ilui Nishmas Meir Roness I can hear them saying that in between tear drops in Heavan! I Just saw him Shabbos afternoon this is shocking & very sad
Dear Reb Meir
You will truly be missed, by all your neighbors and friends, bet the Eibeshter for Moshiach now.
Condolences to all the children and family. May Hashem console your pain.
Yossi Marozov
Lived with Moshiach
Always was inspired and inspired others
Did not only collect, but also gave (a nice, personable word; a picture of the Rebbe to a child, etc.)
Condolences to Yossi and the entire family
Y. Sandman
moshiach now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
you we’re such a kind person, so caring and sensitive to the people around you! you always smiled and were so positive, “zvet zein gut” is what we always heard from you even in hard times!!!
you were a real tzaddik, so mekushar to the rebbe and the rebbes inyonim!
your house was open to all of us and to the many guests that came to crown heights!!!
why hashem???why??? please have rachmonus on your yesomim and send us moshiach right now!!!!
A very special man. I was always inspired by this man eveytime I saw him and I always tried to give him some tzedakah. It was an honor…..
When I see him I always think of Getzel Shlomo. No one really knew what kind of tzaddik this man really was.
Was he ill? He was seen recently in 770.
He was a special man. May his family be comforted.
To #10 – thanks for the memories!
Who can forget at the end of a weekday fabrengen it’s dark outside and the Rebbe had given dollars to the tankisten and there was Reb Meir outside770 in a loud voice saying chevra pidyon dollarin.
When returning to 770 post gimmel Tammuz Reb still had his wad of money still collecting saying tzedoko rabosai Lkovod whatever yoma dpagrah it was. It used to bring back such beautiful memories. Reb Meir you will be missed
If he wasn’t a cousin, he was a Mechutan.
Tzedaka for Eliyahu Hanavi, Rabboisai!
יהי זכרו ברוך
The finest person
He was definitely a Tzadik nistar
What a special man so dedicated to everything the Rebbe stood for. He organised thousands of Tanya and chasidus shiurim in yeshivas and places nobody else had the ability to reach. Ad Mosay?
Vos iz do geshen, g-t in himel !!! Men Zol Heren Bsurois Toivois.
A Baal Shem’ske Yid. He will be sorely missed by all those that he reminded of the special days in our calendar.
Will truly be missed!
The sweetest Jew!
So so sad he should go straight to heaven! And have a lichtige gan eden