By COLlive reporter
R’ Mendel Bartfield, a long time resident of Crown Heights and President of the Empire Shteible, passed away this morning at the age of 81.
R’ Mendel was a beloved figure in the Empire Shteible shul, known for greeting each and every person who came into the shul with a smile, and making sure they were comfortable.
“R’ Mendel was a person who loved life, and always put a smile on everyone’s face,” a friend of his told COLlive. “Even when he was going through his own hardships, he made us all remember to enjoy life, and live every moment to its fullest.”
Known also for having a great sense of humor, R’ Mendel had a special connection to the children of the shul, showing each one care and kindness, and inquiring about their parents.
R’ Mendel was a baal chesed, helping many in need in secret. He was also a big supporter of Hatzalah of Crown Heights, always involved in their fundraising efforts and installing a large Tzedakah box for them in Empire Shteible.
He is survived by his wife, Fruma Bartfield and children Yossi Bartfield – Florida, Sarah Denburg -Montreal, Aaron Bartfield – Florida and Isaac Bartfield – Crown Heights.
The levaya will take place today, leaving shomrei hadas at 1:45 pm and passing by 770 at 2:45 pm.
The Bartfield family will be sitting shiva at 505 Montgomery St., until Wednesday Morning.
Shacharis: 7:30, 8:15,
Mincha: 7:00, 7:15,
Maariv bizmanah,
Mincha today friday, 2:00 and 2:15.
Condolences can be sent to [email protected]
Baruch Dayan Haemes.
A true friend who always went out of his way to help someone. Never thinking of himself, always putting the needy first. He was and always will be a very special friend of mine.
POTATO SACK
I was told by one of his nephews that he was a MaShBaK (MeShamesh BaKodesh – attendant) to the Frierdiker Rebbe
He was unbelievable person I will miss him a lot a true one of a kind of person he came to many times to ask if I need anything
What a men חבל על דאב דין ולא משתכחים he was a true תלמיד חכם as well
Please be melitz yosher for us
WOW!! WHAT A POWERHOUSE OF A PERSON. ALL HE WANTED TO DO WAS TO MAKE IT TO HIS NIECES CHASUNA. 2 WEEKS AGO. HE MADE IT. GOT A BROCHO UNDER THE CHUPA . WHAT A KOVOD FOR US. Y’HEE ZICHRO BORUCH.
Rabbi Mendel Bartfield always spoke with me when i visited n.y always laughed..always smiled. always joked…he was always concernd how we were doing on our shlichus and much more.you will be truly missed..Daniella Uminer palm city fl
hamokom inachem all the mishpocho
i remeber r.mendel in the end of 69 and 70
a special person
My heart goes out to the wonderful bartfield family. Mr. Bartfield Was cut from a special cloth…a good person, alwAys with a good spirit. He will be missed, but his examples on how to live a good life will always be remembered.
Yossi and Idii Stern
Integrity is the word that comes to mind. R’ Mendel taught me that honesty must rise above all else. He was a living example of ehrlechkeit. His devotion to the Shteeble and its congregants was truly remarkable. He took his position as president very seriously and never took any money for his services. R’ Mendel’s existence was about giving not taking. He was a shining example of what it means to run a shul and tzeddaka campaigns without an ulterior motive or personal gain. He spent his time learning, davening, and with gmilei chassadim. A true dogma chaya who taught… Read more »
No one knows all the chessed this man has done. In a quiet way he helped so many. Never seeking any reward or Kovod. Who can replace R’ Mendel? Sadly I know of no one who fill his shoes.
a person who did alot without wanting recognition
A true Baal Chessed
I always admired Reb Mendel Bartfield
Please daven for all of us and Moshiach Now!!!
Saddened by the news of the untimely passing of a wonderful person, My friend Mendel. Always a good word and welcome when i visited Crown Hts,Empire Shteble. They dont make them like Mendel Bartfield today, proud and confident of his heritage as a Chabadnik, good hearted and friendly to one and all. May his family be comforted and keep his legacy alive, of being a good human being, a chosid, and a man of truth and action..Yehe Zichro Baruch!
א אמת’ר גוטער פריינד זינט 50 יאר צוריק. המקום ינחם אתכם בתוך שאר אבלי ציון וירושלים.. שלום בער ודבורה בוטמאן
BD”H…deepest condolences to the Bartfield and Denburg families..
I will never forget what I heard from one of the first baalei tzshuvah couple that were zoche to be by the Bartfields’ home for Shabbos .”Don’t make Yiddishkeit a punishment. Live with simcha”…he will be greatly missed.
In the early seventies I came as a teenager to the Rebbe for Tishrei for the 1st time. 770 was a little overwhelming & on Rosh Hashono R’ Mendel was sitting in his place towards the back of 770 with his good friend R’ Shia Bronstein a”h & he must have noticed this young kid “lost in the crowd”. He came over to me & after asking where I came from etc , realized that I needed a little “care” & so he invited me to sit with him & R’Shia for davenning. He kept me up to date on… Read more »
Bde a wonderfull person, a huuuge Baal chesed, always learning Gemara from that old set which stood right behind him and always raising money to keep our one of a kind shul standing!
I don’t know what it was, but every time i saw him something always pushed me to go over and say hello to him while shaking his warm soft hand.
It going to be very weird not seeing him around anymore, he will surely be missed!
Moshiach now!!!!!
Hamokom Yenachem wishing the entire family good health and simchas.
So sorry to hear the sad news thinking of you all. Kind regards from all of us.
Everyones TRUE friend! A geshmake to talk to him about everything and anything.
His cleverness allowed the shteebel to accomodate every type of person ever created. He was the ultimate pilot. If only every shul had a Mendel Bartfield.
He’s probably up there telling the Rebbe to go back to his flock and take them out of this “bittere galus” (as he always said).
Ad masai!?
I grew up in empire shteeble, R Mendel was huge ball of energy. He would sit right near the entrance of the shul and anyone that walked in would immediatley be greeted by him and made to feel welcome. He was always playfully teasing the kids. I will find it hard to back there and not see him. I would like to ask R Mendel Mechila if I ever disrepected him.
I just noticed this and am so saddened by the news. Mendel was such a close friend to my husband, Tzvi Hirsh zt”l.
I have such fond memories of Mendel. I remember when he went to Texas for a heart operation in the 1970’s. When I was seeing my husband for s shiddach, it was Mendel and Fruma’s house that we met in.
Mendel had such a warm heart and was ready to help those in need.
My heart goes out to the entire family.
Hamakom yenachem eschem besoch shaar avaylay tzion ve’yerushalayim
BACK in the day when I was totally uninterested in davening downstairs with the Rebbe I usually found myself in his minyan which used to be the main shul. Shabbos morning was a 3 ring circus with Mendel, Jerry and Shimshon and we davened as well
A zah chossid shtamed from Worcester, MA to such Gevurah Yehi Zichro Baruch
Ahron and Family.. R’Mendel was a righteous chosid and dogma chaya to many
I had the pleasure of farbrenging with him once at his great grandson’s bris. that farbrengen was a big influence on my life. Will miss him
Many forgotten souls, the sick, infirm, the poor, were always remembered by Mendel. Today, we tend to be able to sustain chesed and caring for a short period of time, Mendel would visit people in rehabilitation homes, hospitals, at home, long after the onset of their illness – when most had forgotten that the person was sick.
Mendel was a real Jew. A tough Jew, and an ardent chossid of the Rebbe Rayatz. He was also like a grandfather to me. A loss, a real loss.
Reb Mendel gave me the real appreciation for Bourbon. He will be missed. BDE..
At night he was writing checks for the NEEDY and in the morning Hashem NEEDED him!
Reb Mendel was a true chosid with Misiras nefesh leaving the comforts of home in Wooster MA as a young boy to come to New York and learn in Tomchie Temimim, He was from the few Chasidim left that saw the Friediker Rebbe and was in 770 on Shabbos Yud Shvat 1950
We will sorely miss you.
R’ Mendel was a big Gomel Chesed, always taking a personal interest in someone else’s misfortune and making them feel like family – he would do it discreetly making sure to protect the receivers dignity. His brand of Chesed was from another time, a chesed rarely seen today.
hamokom yenachem to the entire family….reb mendel was a great guy and well liked by everyone…he will be missed.
fay kranz greene
BH
I didn’t know R’ Mendel all that well, but I will always remember him as a blast of energy! Good ole’ R’ Mendel!