By COLlive reporter
Dr. Yitzchok Block, a professor of philosophy and one of the Rebbe’s first Shluchim to the University of Western Ontario, passed away on Wednesday, Tishrei 14, 5778.
He was 86.
Dr. Block earned his PhD in Philosophy at Harvard University in 1958. His professional areas of interest were Aristotle and Wittgenstein.
In an interview with JEM, he said it was the Rebbe who made him a “great philosopher.”
Dr. Block and his wife Leah obm were dedicated Shluchim spreading Judaism in London, Ontario, hosting dozens of people every Friday night and Shabbos day, and bringing many people closer to Yiddishkeit.
Together, they established and ran the London Hebrew Day School and Chabad on Campus at the University of Western Ontario where Dr. Block was a Professor of Philosophy.
Dr. Block was one of the founders of the only Orthodox congregation in London, Ontario, Congregation Beth Tefilla.
For decades, Dr. Block was a popular speaker at the “pegisha” events, where people interested in Judaism would come to Crown Heights to experience a Shabbos with the Rebbe.
He was especially known for his “all nighter” farbrengens with students, which produced many baalei teshuva.
Many future shluchim would also come and listen to his talks, to learn from his method and style.
For decades, he traveled the world giving lectures on Judaism from his unique perspective of someone with a doctorate in philosophy, who was intellectually and emotionally convinced of the truth of Judaism.
During the eighties he and his wife were sent by the Rebbe as undercover shluchim to Russia, where he spread Judaism and encouraged the Chabad underground network.
He was predeceased by his wife Leah in 2013.
He is survived by his children; Rabbi Chaim Block (S. Antonio TX), Rabbi Levi Block (Westfield, NJ), Rabbi Mendy Block (Plano, TX), Mrs. Chani Zalmanov (Queens, NY), Rabbi Shmuli Block (Crown Heights), Mrs. Rivkie Baron (Crown Heights), Mr. Avraham Block, and Mrs. Basie Gurkow (London, ONT. Canada).
The funeral will be held G-d willing later this afternoon in Old Montefiore Cemetery in Queens, NY.
As is customary, due to the approaching holiday of Sukkot this evening, a full Shiva will not be observed.
Baruch Dayan Ha’emes – R’ Yitzchok Leib ben Chaim Ahron.
I was a Western student between 1976 and 1982 and a talmid of Dr. Block zt”l. Together with other students we learned Chumash weekly in his office. I was not religious at the time but I occasionally ate at his home and saw him in shul. He was instrumental in the completion of my Masters thesis on the Rambam’s views on the concept of the body and health. I remember him vividly riding his bike to campus and the incredible respect he had from his colleagues in the philosophy department. I continued my graduate studies at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville… Read more »
B.H. Dear Shmuely and entire Block family, Your father, Dr Block, had a profound impact on me. Your father’s essays and lectures on the topic of ‘G-d and rationality’ were very important for me in dealing with this concept. When I was on shlichus as a bachur at the Yeshiva in New Haven, your father was gracious enough to speak more than once, per our request, at Yale University. Not only did I gain from his insights on this and related topics, but I also was impacted by his dedication in agreeing to take the time and effort to make… Read more »
A humble and emesdicke Chossid, role model, father figure and true friend to all who were privledged to know him. Dr. Block will be greatly missed. May we be zoche to take his example and spread Yiddishkeit and Ahavas Yisroel. Baruch Dayan Emes.
Devorah Ohayon (Debby Lipson)
Such an influencer and a leader, and a loss for this world.
Fahbrengens, overnight meetings, staying at his home for 9 days over Sukos, and this, and so much more, caused a complete change in my perspective on life. He and his family inspired me to understand Judaism and Khassidus as the ultimate Truth.
He’s from Nashville. He went to undergrad at Vanderbilt. He attended Sherith Israel Synagogue as a young lad under the direction of Rabbi Zalman Posner.
My zaidy always had a smile on his face, and was cracking jokes. He was also the most caring and loving zaidy, always making his grandchildren eggs and giving them lollypops. A true chossid.
A truly special man. A legend who I’m proud to call my Zaidy. We miss him so much already
i once spoke for the Blocks. they treated me like royalty. it was mamesh a zchus to be around them.
What a loss this is for us all. I remember hearing Dr Block years ago at the pgishas in New York and later he came to our community in San Diego to speak. Such a humble but brilliant man with such love for everyone.
Should probably be: “this is NOT to be taken as an advocacy by the Rebbe”.
Probably a typo.
In an interview with JEM, he said it was the Rebbe who made him a “great philosopher”. The Rebbe had encouraged him to complete his doctorate, and held him up as an example for his commonly stated position that it is not a contradiction for someone with a higher education, even a “great philosopher”, to be a frumme Yid, and even a lubavitcher; For science does not inheritably contradict Torah. (This is be taken as an advocacy by the Rebbe for someone already a lubavitcher to get a higher education. Rather that someone who already has higher education should not… Read more »
I remember he visited the YG in London and said 99.99 is good for Ivory soap but not for the Rebbes Chossid. 100% is what we give
איש צנוע וירא שמים באמת ובלי בליטות, אהוב ונאהב, ורבים השיב מעוון, מסור למשלחו כ”ק אדמו”ר, יקר שביקרים