Naftali Feldman, a beloved father and grandfather of a Chabad family from Flatbush, Brooklyn, passed away on Friday, 2 Shvat, 5781.
He was 70.
Naftali was born in a Displaced Persons camp in Germany following the war. His father passed away just before he was born, and his mother emigrated to the United States, where they made their home in Brooklyn. When he was 8 years old she began looking for a Yeshiva for him to attend.
“All she could afford was ten dollars a month, when the going price was more like twenty-five dollars a month,” Naftali told JEM’s Here’s My Story. “She went from yeshiva to yeshiva and could find nothing until she came to the Lubavitcher Yeshiva on Bedford and Dean. There, after hearing her story, they offered to take me in for free. But she wouldn’t accept that, so finally a deal was struck that she would pay five dollars a month. That’s how I became a Lubavitcher.”
Naftali told about his first Yechidus private audience with the Rebbe in 1964, when he was fourteen. He had been suffering from a chronic disease called ulcerative colitis, which causes painful inflammation of the intestinal lining, and the rosh yeshiva, Rabbi Mendel Tenenbaum, told him to go see the Rebbe about it.
“I was very intimidated walking into the Rebbe’s office – it was just a very awesome feeling to be in the same room with him. But his smile broke all barriers. The kindness was plain to see on his smiling face,” he told.
About that Yechidus, he related, “I was a fourteen-year-old boy with no father, and suddenly I had a friend in the Rebbe. It was truly amazing.”
The Rebbe then provided him with a solution to his illness, which he related happened years later once again as a 40 year old father of young children. After having difficulty breathing, it was discovered that he had a serious heart condition which needed emergency surgery.
Following the surgery his life was in danger due to serious clotting, and his wife asked the Rebbe for a blessing. “The Rebbe blessed me to recover, but he also told my wife to have my tefillin checked immediately,” he told.
The scribe reported back that there had been a problem with the letter lamed in the word “levavecha,” meaning “your heart.” But he had fixed it, and now the tefillin were one hundred percent kosher. After that, he immediately began to recover.
A successful entrepreneur, Naftali owned various businesses and restaurants, including Gefen’s in New York City, Roadside in Upstate New York, and Dairy Planet in New York City, as well as AT&T Cellular stores.
He was known as a big Baal Tzedaka with the biggest heart and huge smile, and a kind word for everyone he met.
He is survived by his wife, Molly Feldman and children, Shloime Feldman – Crown Heights, Rivkah Leah Verschleiser – Flatbush, NY, Duvie Feldman – Crown Heights, Miriam Askew – Mill Basin, NY and Sruli Feldman – Flatbush, NY, and grandchildren.
The Levaya will take place today, Friday, at the Beth David cemetery in Elmont, NY at 1:15 PM.
Shiva will take place at 1802 Ave O, corner of east 18th and Ave O, entrance on east 18th street.
shachris
7:30 am
2nd minyan 9:30 am (Shloime Feldman)
Mincha 4:40
Mariv 6pm
Hours to be menachem avel
Until 1pm
And 2:30 till 10:30 pm
Family gets up Thursday
Baruch Dayan Ha’emes.
BDE. So sorry for your loss.
I worked for Naftali and his wife. I am very sad to hear this. He was an amazing person who loved to help someone if he could.
If anyone has shiva information (when available), I would appreciate it posted
He was a wonderful man, low key, soft spoken, always with a smile and a kind word. Wishing all the Feldman family arichas yamim, and bsuros tovos. Moshe
He was a Hero.
This family embodies the highest values of Chessed and goodness that we have experienced firsthand. What a terrible loss
Same Yarhzeit as Reb Zusha
May Hashem comfort the family in all the ways they need and they know the Rebbe is them, even more than before
Baruch Dayan HaEmes
Dear Allison and Shloime,
So sorry for your tremendous loss. Your father was a wonderful man and the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. He definitely “paid back” the tuition discount his mother got from Lubavitcher Yeshiva – just by the many years of contributions in a multitude of ways to the ULY Crown St. Chinese Auction.
May your family know of no more sorrow.
Yehudis Leiter
My family considers the Feldmans as close to family as we will ever have. My siblings and I lost our father at a young age ,who Reb Naftali z”l knew and reminded me how he was at my bris that he almost missed ! There wasn’t one simcha where the Feldmans were not in attendance big or small. As my sister pointed out my sisters and I were many times and the Feldmans home . We saw what a husband / father should be like. My memories are to many to point out. But what I will remember the most… Read more »
About 10 years ago, Naftuli- who I did not know well at the time, went out of his way to help me with a serious legal and business matter. He wasn’t judgmental and didn’t ask for anything. I will always remember him for his kindness.
Naftali was always with a smile. He always has a few minutes to help someone out.
He also owned a restaurant near pier 17 called Stan’s….