New York, Melbourne Events Mark First Yartzeit of Bochur

Two simultaneous commemorative events were held in honor of the first yarzheit of Yehuda Leib Greenwald, a 36-year-old bochur who passed away from an unexpected cardiac arrest on 5 Iyar last year.

The events took place in both Melbourne, Australia, where Yehuda Leib had been born and raised, and in Crown Heights, where he had lived for the last ten years of his short life.

The event in Crown Heights was held at Beis Avraham Aaron (Rubashkins) on President St. on Thursday night, 1 May and was well-attended by a warm crowd. Yehuda Leib’s friend since early childhood, Bezalel Broh, officiated.

Yehuda Leib’s mother, Mrs. Bela Greenwald of Melbourne, Australia was present, as were four of Yehuda Leib’s siblings – Rochel Leah Burstyn of Southfield, Michigan, Chaim Greenwald of Sydney, Chana Urist of East Flatbush and Brocha Blumenberg of Monsey.

Brocha read a speech Mrs. Greenwald had prepared, sharing that Yehuda Leib had been born after a bracha from the Rebbe in 1987, and thanked Yehuda Leib’s friends who had helped the family in New York during Yehuda Leib’s illness – most notably, Bezalel Broh, Yossel Groner and Peretz Gutnick.

Further speakers included Yehuda Leib’s brother-in-law, Aryeh Urist, who made a siyum and said Kaddish, siblings Chaim and Rochel Leah, niece Sarah Greenwald, and Yehuda Leib’s friends, Yossel Groner and Chaim Pil. Chaim is the director of The Chabad House of Crown Heights, which he has since renamed Bais Yehuda Leib in memory of his longtime friend.

Yehuda Leib’s close friend since childhood, Rabbi Binyomin Gordon, a shliach in Vancouver, shared a few words via prepared video. The event concluded with a special slideshow presentation, culminating with an old video of Yehuda Leib making a heartfelt l’chaim and wishing his classmates and friends well. His last words are “May we all continue to keep each other strong… L’chaim.”

Meanwhile, the event in Melbourne took place at Jewish Care on Sunday morning, May 4. Yehuda Leib’s childhood friend Sholem Gorelik organized and ran the event, which was likewise attended by a meaningful crowd, including Yehuda Leib’s father, Mr. Nosson Greenwald, and siblings Sholom Ber Greenwald and Miriam Greenwald, as well as community members and many of Yehuda Leib’s former classmates.

Sholem read the same speech that had been prepared by Mrs. Greenwald. He was followed by Rabbi Chaim Tzvi Groner, who talked about Yehuda Leib’s dedication to mivtzoyim and the importance of being a living memorial by emulating Yehuda Leib’s special attributes. Yehuda Leib’s friends since childhood, David Kohn and Gabi Grossman, shared warm memories; both said they are better human beings from knowing Yehuda Leib. David mentioned another classmate, Dovid Frankel a’h, who also passed away too young.

More words were shared by Gedaliah Levin and Leor Broh, father of Bezalel. The event concluded with a viewing of the same slideshow that had been shown in Crown Heights.

Many of the speakers made mention of the Hayom Yom of 5 Iyar which says that a soul can be in This World for 70, 80 years, just to do a favor for another Jew… How apt for Yehuda Leib’s yarzheit; he was known for doing chessed, greeting everyone he saw warmly and for being a friend to everyone.

A fundraiser has been set up in memory of Yehuda Leib with the dedication of a ‘friendship bench’ at Chabad Youth Melbourne, with the funds going towards Camp Gan Yisroel Melbourne scholarships. It is the hope that the friendships that are formed and grow on this bench will give Yehuda Leib’s neshama much nachas, as it was something he was so natural at. A true friend to everyone. He is dearly missed by his family and many friends.

Donations can be made through this link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/yehuda-leib-ah-greenwald

Photo credits: Yankel Cohen, Pinchas Cylich