Leibel Denburg, 98, OBM

By COLlive reporter

R’ Yehuda Leib Denburg, who born into a Chassidic family and built a Chabad family, passed away on Thursday, 19 Nissan 5781.

He was 98.

Leibel, as he was called, was born in Shchedrin, a chassidic agricultural colony established by the Tzemach Tzedek, the third Chabad Rebbe, in southeast Bobruisk Oblast, Belarus (White Russia).

His father was Rabbi Yeshayahu Denburg, a student of Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim in the town of Lubavitch who served as the community shochet of Shchedrin (a position previously held by the mashpia R’ Zalman Moishe HaYitzchaki).

His mother was Henya, daughter of the R’ Yitzchok Nemenov and sister of R’ Nissan Nemenov, the revered Mashpia of Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch in Brunoy, France.

When the Second World War broke out, the Denburg family escaped from the frontlines and settled in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where R’ Yeshayahu passed away from an illness.

Mrs. Denburg and her children Leibel Denburg and Rashi (who married R’ Tzvi Hirsh Gansburg of Crown Heights) ended up in Pocking, a town in Lower Bavaria, Germany, which was home to the second-largest DP camp (“displaced persons”).

The Denburgs shared a small room with others and in the evening, Leibel would wander outside to give the women their privacy.
Walking near the train station, he once noticed an honorable-looking Jewish woman arrived and seemed disoriented. Leibel went over to her and offered to show her around and said his family had an extra bed for her. She happily accepted the offer, the Leibel spent the night outside.

In the morning, they learned that the woman was Rebbetzin Chana Schneerson, wife of Harav Levi Yitzchok Schneerson who has given smicha to their late father R’ Yeshayahu Denburg. Leibel remained close with the Rebbe‘s mother ever since.

Upon immigrating to Montreal, Leibel worked in the garment industry (“shmata business”) as other Lubavitcher immigrants did and was successful in his endeavors.

Worried that he won’t find a shidduch, he lied about his age to Canadian authorities and lowered it by 2 years. He soon was married to Esther Sonnechein and together they raised a Lubavitcher family in the Snowdon neighborhood, home of the Chabad community.

He regularly davened at the “Yeshiva” shul, located in the Rabbinical College of Canada – Yeshivas Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch of Montreal, built by the 9 Shluchim sent by the Frierdiker Rebbe. Leibel was particularly close to Rabbi Leibel Kramer and supported the institutions he directed – the Yeshiva, Beth Rivka and others.

He is survived by Esther (Sonnechein), their children Rabbi Shloime Denburg – Miami Beach, Florida; R’ Shaya Denburg – Montreal, Canada; Rabbi Yossi Denburg – Coral Springs, Florida; Rabbi Moshe Denburg – Boca Raton, Florida; grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The levaya will be held on Friday arriving directly to the Old Montefiore Cemetery in Queens, NY.

Baruch Dayan Haemes: Yehuda Leib ben Yeshayahu.