R’ Avrohom Shmuel Spalter, 93, OBM

By COLlive reporter

Reb Avrohom Shmuel Spalter, who survived the horrors of World War II to become the patriarch of a large Chabad family, passed away on Tuesday, 24 Nissan 5785.

He was 93.

He was born in Lancut, a town in south-eastern Poland, to R’ Moshe and Lieba Spalter. At just 8 years old, with the Second World War breaking out, he fled with his father and younger brother Pinchas to Russia. In 1940, they were arrested by the Communists and sent to the Soviet Gulag. They were freed in 1941 and spent the rest of the war years in Tomsk, Siberia.

Toward the end of the war, his father passed away. His mother, tragically, never made it to safety and was murdered by the Nazis in the gas chambers.

Left an orphan, young Avrohom Shmuel was sent to an orphanage, part of a Zionist group that helped rescue him. He was later discovered in a Displaced Persons (DP) camp by his uncle and cousins. He was then enrolled in Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch Yeshiva in Brunoy, France, where he studied for two years before emigrating to the United States.

In 1950, he enrolled in the central Yeshiva Tomchei Temimim Lubavitch at 770 Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights. In 1956, he married Mirel Lifshitz, and their chuppah was a unique zechus, with the Rebbe himself serving as Mesader Kiddushin.

Reb Avrohom Shmuel and Mirel built a home steeped in Torah, Chassidus, and mesirus nefesh. They lived in Crown Heights for 50 years, where he worked in the diamond industry, and raised a large family committed to Yiddishkeit and the Rebbe’s instructions. All of their children are Shluchim and askonim around the world.

Twenty-five years ago, the Spalters moved to Florida to be closer to their children and grandchildren. His family said he merited to have 300 descendants.

He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Rivkah Mirel Spalter, their children Rabbi Moshe Spalter – Toronto, Canada; Mrs. Libby Wolf – Chicago, Illinois; Mrs. Mindy Chazan – Manchester, England; Mrs. Dassie New – Atlanta, Georgia; Rabbi Hershel Spalter – Costa Rica; Rabbi Yitzchok Spalter – North Miami Beach, Florida; Rabbi Yisroel Spalter – Weston, Florida; Mrs. Chanie Nemes – Metairie, Louisiana; and Rabbi Mendel Spalter – Los Angeles, California; grandchildren and great-grandchildren, recently celebrating the wedding of his first great-grandchild.

The levaya will take place tomorrow, Wednesday, passing by 770 at 2:30 pm, burial at Montefiore Cemetery at 3:30 pm.

The family will be sitting Shiva in Crown Heights on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning only.
At 699 Crown Street
Wednesday from 6:30 PM, Mincha and Maariv B’zmano.
Shacharis at 8:00 am and 8:45 am, four minyanim needed.

Baruch Dayan Ha’emes.