Mottie Helfand, 58, OBM

By COLlive reporter

Mottie Helfand, a member of the Lubavitch community in Long Beach, California, passed away Tuesday, 12 Teves 5770.

He was 58.

A salesman and a regular at Congregation Lubavitch, locals remember him for his kind hospitality.

“He always inviting guests to the home and was a happy, easygoing and positive person,” a family member told COLlive.com.

Mr. Helfand had a soft spot for the Shabbos table: it was where he met his wife Aviva.

Born in Manhattan to a secular Jewish family, Helfand worked as an employment recruiter. When his first cousin Benyomin Emmer moved from Boston to Crown Heights, the two became close.

“I’ve always tried to get people in the family involved (in Judaism),” Emmer, a physicist, told COLlive.com. “I invited him over a few times and then he decided to stay in Crown Heights.”

Living in Emmer’s basement on Montgomery Street, Helfand connected to the warmth and joy of Chassidism and was invited for Shabbos meals by neighbors.

At one meal in 1990, at the home of Yosef and Chana Hershkowitz, he was introduced to Aviva, a Long Beach girl who was also a Ba’alas Teshuva.

Earlier that year, Mottie had received a dollar for charity from the Lubavitcher Rebbe with the not-so-common blessing, “it’s going to be a good year.”

The two were soon married and eventually moved to the West Coast, where they became active members of Rabbi Yitzchok Newman‘s community.

He passed away after a long illness and was buried at the Home of Peace Jewish cemetery in Los Angeles, CA.

“His passing is very hard on everyone in the family,” Emmer said. “He was a warm person and was very much attached to the family and kids.”

Mordechai Helfand is survived by Aviva, and children Esther Helfand and Yosef Helfand.

The family is sitting Shiva until Wednesday morning (Jan. 6, 2010) at 932 East Carson St. Long Beach, CA 90807.

Baruch Dayan Haemes.