R’ Berel Zisman, 92, OBM

R’ Berel Zisman, a beloved father and grandfather who survived the Holocaust to build a proud Jewish family, passed away on Friday, 28 Adar, 5781.

He was 92.

R’ Berel Zisman was born in Kovno, Lithuania in 1929. He came from a well-off family and his father owned the second-largest wholesale grocery store in Lithuania.

In 1941, the Germans invaded Kovno and Mr. Zisman’s family was forced to move into the ghetto. In 1944, on Gimmel Nissan, Mr. Zisman’s family was hiding in their bunker when they were discovered by the Nazis. Mr. Zisman’s father and brother were taken away that day.

Mr. Zisman and his brother Leibel Zisman obm were sent to Dachau Concentration Camp. Two weeks later, his brother was sent to Auschwitz, where he remained until 1945. In April, Mr. Zisman was sent on the Death March and was eventually liberated.

He reunited with his brother Leibel in 1945 on Erev Yom Kippur. The brothers both ended up at the Pocking DP Camp, where they awaited immigration to America.

At Pocking, the brothers met Rebbetzin Chana Schneerson, the Rebbe’s mother, who came to see them when she heard they would be immigrating to Brooklyn, NY.

She was still waiting for her papers, and she didn’t know when she would be permitted to travel. Rebbetzin Chana asked the brothers if they would be so kind as to take a letter to her son.

“We asked, ‘Who is your son?’ and the Rebbetzin said, ‘His name is Menachem Mendel. You’ll ask at the Chabad headquarters. They’ll point out who he is.’ Of course, we agreed. We had no idea at the time who she was introducing us to, or that her son would become the next rebbe,” Leibel Zisman told JEM’s Here’s My Story.

At the first opportunity after arriving in the US, the brothers went to the Chabad headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway with the letter from Rebbetzin Chana. After handing the Rebbe the letter, which he read intently, the Rebbe asked them, “How does my mother look?”

Leibel Zisman answered, “Vee ahn alte yiddene—Like an old lady.”

The Rebbe smiled and peppered him with questions about how his mother was doing for half an hour. “When he had exhausted my recollection, he thanked me, and then he went to the bookshelf and took down two books—copies of Likkutei Torah—and he gave one to me and one to Berel,” he told.

R’ Berel was known for his sweet smile for all, and his unassuming and humble personality. He cherished every moment of life, spending many hours a day learning and telling over stories.

In later years he lived in North Miami Beach.

He is survived by his wife Judith and children Chaya Moster, Dr. Sharon Zisman, Shragie Zisman and Eli Zisman.

The levaya will take place Sunday morning at 10:45 am at 770 Eastern Parkway and 11:45 at Old Montefiore Cemetery.

The family will be sitting shiva at
14 Green Hill Lane, Spring Valley, NY 10977
*Side Door
Shachris 7:30am
Mincha 6pm
Maariv 8:30pm

Baruch Dayan Ha’emes.