R’ Mordechai Baron, a photographer from Kfar Chabad, Israel, who spent many years photographing the Rebbe in and around 770, passed away on Tuesday night, 27 Elul, 5783.
He was 81.
R’ Baron was known as a photographer who spent a lot of time in Crown Heights and took thousands of photos of the Rebbe over the years.
Born in the year 5702 in Ulyanovsk, Russia, at the age of 7 he immigrated with his family to Israel. They settled in Ramleh, where he attended the local Mizrachi school and in the afternoon he learned with the Chassid, R’ Moshe Beitch obm.
After his marriage, the couple moved to the US and lived in Cleveland, where they connected with the local shliach, Rabbi Kazen, who ‘adopted’ the young family and had great influence on them. For Simchas Torah 5731 he traveled to New York to the Rebbe for the first time. He received many special kiruvim from the Rebbe, as well as instructions and guidance.
A while later, he wrote to the Rebbe and asked permission to photograph in 770, and from that time on he became a known fixture in 770, meriting to photograph the Rebbe thousands of times.
After he returned to Israel in 5740, Mordechai began creating and distributing original Chassidic products. One of his products was a card, the first of its kind, which had a picture of the Rebbe on one side and Tefillas Haderech on the other side, along with horaos from the Rebbe.
R’ Mordechai was also known for his dedication to the Rebbe’s Mivtzoim, and always had tefillin, Shabbos candles, and brochures, as well as Sheva Mitzvos cards with him to give out at every opportunity.
In recent years he had been republishing many of his photos from his collection and has been selling them in various stores.
Many have thanked him for the historic photos he took during the decades he spent in 770.
He is survived by his wife Nechama and children and grandchildren.
Yaacov Baron and Yossi Baron will be sitting Shiva in New York.
Shiva will be held at 1664 President, apt 2K.
Baruch Dayan Ha’emes.
I vividly remember Mordechai many years ago when I was living in Cleveland. May the family gain comfort from knowing that Mordechai had a positive influence on many people.
Hensha Gansbourg
המקום ינחם אתכם בתוך שאר אבילי ציון וירושלים
R’ Mordechai was such a gentle neshomo. BDE
Great memories of him in Cleveland.
The most amazing stories happened to him! Once, he went out searching for a tenth man to join the Minyan at the local shul Tzemach Tzedek. He walked into some non Jewish shop and asked around if there are any Yidden there. He found one yid and brought him to Shul. Turns out that it this ‘random’ Yid had a parents Yartzeit that day!!! And he was able to say Kaddish!
Always with a smile… went with him to Jacob Javits Center מבצעים
עד מתי!!
ברוך דיין האמת
Mordechai obm was a rare Chosid!
From De Alte Heim!!!
The Rebbe’s word was his command!!!
He has loads of Teffilin stories where he had the Z’chus to be mezake men to do this Mitzvah!
What a loss!!!
Growing up in Cleveland, he used to ask us kids to do some of the work on his products. I have great memories of sitting and cutting out Rebbe pictures with my siblings and friends. He was our first employer! He always had a good Rebbe story and a chassidishe way about him.
I used to live in Cleveland and merited to see many miracles through Mordechai. He bought a house and the tree in the front lawn was dead. He didn’t want to cut it down. He asked the Rebbe for a bracha for the tree,and it revived and sprouted again. One time he was trying to put teffillin on people in front of a Jewish restaurant. He was asked to leave so he went across the street in front of a drugstore. A man was going in so Mordechai stopped and asked if was Jewish? He responded no as a matter… Read more »
Mordechai was a one of a kind special loving soul. He always made you feel happy and joyful. He will be dearly missed. I have many fond memories of him throughout the years but I will always be forever grateful to him for saving my sons life 8 years ago, when my son was extremely sick and thin and doctors didn’t know what was wrong with him or what to do, Mordechai came to our home and put teffilin on my son and changed the mezuzahs in our home. He was always willing to help. His art was beautiful, too!