By COLlive reporter
Over 300 people attended the funeral Sunday in North Miami Beach for 60-year-old R’ Yosef Raksin, who was shot while walking to Shul Shabbos morning.
In attendance were Head Shliach of Florida Rabbi Avrohom Korf, Miami Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Leibel Schapiro, Rabbi Yosef Marlow of Bais Menachem Shul, and many members of Anash and Shluchim.
“The grief at the funeral was unbelievable,” a woman who attended told COLlive. “Many people were crying hysterically. One reporter was asked if he would like to put on Tefillin in memory of the victim, and he did it for the first time in his life. He said after covering this story and interviewing people from the community he felt so much more connected,” she said.
Raksin, who is a resident of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, was in town visiting his daughter and grandchildren. He was shot by two men in broad daylight, as he walked to Bais Menachem Shul in North Miami Beach.
The murder triggered outrage and calls for justice from the local Jewish community and concerned neighbors alike.
According to investigators, the rabbi was walking along Northeast 175th Street and Eighth Court around 9 a.m. on Saturday when two men approached him. Police said an altercation ensued, and one of the men pulled out a gun and shot the rabbi.
Police said the subjects fled the scene, one on foot and the other one on a bicycle.
Raksin’s daughter Shuly Labkowski said she believes her father was targeted because of his religious affiliation. “I believe it was a hate crime,” said Labkowski. “[He was killed] simply because he’s a Jew.”
After passing by Bais Menachem Shul in North Miami Beach, the body will be flown to New York for burial in Cambria Heights, Queens.
The levaya will take place Monday, leaving Shomrei Hadas Chapels at 9:45 am and passing by 770 at 10:45 am.
Shiva will take place at 738 Empire Blvd.
Shacharis will be at 7:30 am
Mincha and maariv will be 7:45 pm
Times to be Menachem avel: 10am-1pm and 4pm-10pm
WSVN-TV – 7NEWS Miami Ft. Lauderdale News, Weather, Deco
I am desperately heartbroken over this untimely and outrageous loss. Please everyone stop arguing and live like Reb Yosef did!
to # 18: #4 and 14 was not chas veshalom blaming shmira and apologizes if it came out that way. to # 24: thank you for the clarification.
we do have a shmira car provided to us by the city, but we do not have an organized shmira patrol. in any event, this could not have been prevented. the only hope would be that we catch them and give over a clear message not to mess with us in the future.
We don’t need shmira patrols 9am shabbos morning where he was killed. what are some of you commenters thinking????
Is the reason why I am soo proud to be a Lubavitcher Chossid. Mir darfen zayn di Rebbes mentchen!!!
Stop blaming yes Shmira. no Shmira…We all need to move forward, starting now. Yes we can have better security, personal and communal, but as a community and individuals we need to focus on what we can do to make ourselves better in whatever area we are not so strong. I’m speaking for myself and I hope other people will do the same. This is a horrible, despicable tragedy but it isn’t the first. We have to do what we can to make sure it is the last before Moshiach.
the levaya needs to be publicised all over N.y.! Ther should be 10,000 Jews of all denominations attending!!!!
How can this be
what exactly did u expect them to do to prevent it? two guys (well dressed. not “trashy” baggy pants type) walked over, shot him and walked away. how DARE you blame that on a “shmira fail”.
When we heard in yeshiva how your father past away we were all in big shock and we couldn’t believe i must tell you that the banquet of all 3 shiurim of mesivta was very different with this sad news . We all took mishnayos liluy haneshomo . We are all with at this diffcult moment . Homokom yenachem eschem btoch shar aveilei tzion vyrusholoym . In the name of all the bochurim of all 3 shiurim of mesivta Lubavitcher Toronto
it will cost alot of money but if they can have something like this then the value of it will be priceless.what we need to have is machines all over the place.these machines can detect a gun that is not registered & anytime that it detects a gun that is not registered the alarm goes off.i know that the price for something like this will be very high but this is the only thing that can be done to get the guns off thes treets.untill we get machines like that there will be guns & shootings all the time until… Read more »
Last year a jewish couple was murdered in Fla. They didnt even find the killers!!! When they find these murderers they should be hung & advertised on the www to show the world what happens to anyone who kills a yid R”L!!!!
i don’t thinks it’s a jewish shmirah orginization, isn’t it one of those regular security companies?
We need to all make sure that the levaya of R’ Yosef Raksin HY’D, will be the biggest one in the history of Crown Heights. Regardless of who murdered him or what exactly went down. One fact is very clear a yid wearing Jewish garb was murdered on his way to shul in a very Jewish neighborhood. This murder happening especially with the strong world wide surge in anti semitism, needs a strong response from us all. Having a huge crowd paying their final respects would be step #1 and it will be a great display of our unity in… Read more »
I am Shabes goi for almost 30 years and know Jewish community and family life from within perhaps better than you know yourselves. But this isn’t my point. My question is, why no one stands up and calls for Teshuva?! You call for extra protection and you ask others to condemn the murder – hakol tov veyaffe, but aren’t you perfect enough to think about teshuva? So many things you can improve in community life, family relationship and even on personal level. More learning, more charity, more efforts toward children education, tzni’us, just being a good Jew and much more!… Read more »
This is being treated by many here as the first ch”v and steps need to be taken to prevent…
It is not Sderot, near the Gaza border, and hate crimes are usually dealt with as hate crimes. Please put all this outpouring of energy into positive things. A mivtza push for hadlokas neiros in the whole (big) county, a sefer Torah for the NMB BM, a large Sunday morning breakfast/tefillin event at the end of the Shiva, etc.
There is a shmira organization in NMB. Look at the 5th picture and you will see the car. This was an epic failure by the NMB shmira. Where were they?
Please read comment #1
Can everyone stop telling the south Florida Jewish community what they should do. While this is a first for the Florida community. Us in Crown Heights have suffered several such murders and other violent crime. I would venture to say that the Jews (including Chabad) of south Florida are years ahead of us in being proficient in personal and community safety.
i heard from attendees that miami hatzalah was on the scene within seconds and had numerous emt’s & Medics working on the niftar working feverishly until the chopper lifted off
a shmira organization in NMB is a practicle future preventive measure to improve safety. It should be done in Rabbi Raksin’s honor.
Reb Yosef Was not killed
He was murderd H “YD
It’s a big difference . Someone can be killed
In a car crash .
But murderd Is a whole different picture
He was murderd because he was a Jew
And the big askoniem should get the word out to
The press . Because Jewish blood is not cheep
Look in torah Look at the levaya all the bags that go in to the kever . Open yr mouth and be heard
the Jewish community if nmb should put together a shmira orginization
This is how the childrens museum was built. police said Ari Halberstam was road rage and his mother proved it was a hate crime and terrorism.
The Police has to find the criminals immediately
We need to make sure that the entire NYC Jewish community attends the NY leveyeh… We need to make this a huge message about us yidden being united…