Rabbi Chaim Ciment, a veteran Shliach in Boston, MA for more than 60 years, passed away on Shabbos, 8 Tishrei, 5781.
He was 90.
Rabbi Ciment was born in Hungary to a Chassidic family, and came to the US in the early 1930s as a young boy. His family lived in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and as a bochur he made his way to Crown Heights to learn in the Central Chabad Yeshiva at 770 Eastern Parkway.
He often told about one Erev Rosh Hashana in the late 40’s that he merited to hand to the Rebbe, who at the time was son-in-law to the Previous Rebbe, his Rosh Hashanah petition of prayer customarily handed by a Chossid to his Rebbe before the New Year. The Rebbe took his “Pan,” handed back its enclosed dollar due to the late hour, and returned back upstairs to personally deliver it to the Previous Rebbe.
At his wedding to his wife Esther in the mid 1950’s, they merited to have the Rebbe as Mesader Kiddushin.
After their marriage, they set out to Boston as Shluchim, where they dedicated their lives to Jewish education for over 60 years.
Rabbi Ciment served as the Menahel Ruchni, Principal, and for the past 60 plus years as the Executive Director of The New England Hebrew Academy Lubavitch Yeshiva. As a beloved educator, he impacted thousands of students.
He is survived by his wife, Esther and children, Zissie Nagel – Crown Heights, Goldie Gansbourg – Crown Heights, Mendel Ciment – Crown Heights, Dovber Ciment – Boston, MA, Sarah Hecht – Park Slope, NY, Pinchus Ciment – Arkansas, Sholom Ciment – Boynton, Florida, Yaakov Ciment – Boston, MA, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The Levaya begins Sunday, Erev Yom Kippur at 8:30 am in Boston at Lubavitch Yeshiva which he directed, and from which he has thousands of talmidim, from over 6 plus decades as Menahel.
From there it will come to NY and pass 770, in the vicinity of 12:30-12:45 PM.
Kevurah next to his father and brother in Wellwood Cemetary, Long Island.
Shiva will be for a few hours before Yom Kippur in Crown Heights.
Baruch Dayan Ha’emes: Chaim ben Reb Yosef
I worked in the school as a teacher 24 yrs ago. Sad to hear. BDE
He made the concepts of לבוד, קלוטה כמי שהונחה דמי, etc. crystal clear and intellectually stimulating. I spent many a Shabbos at the Ciment home, always being made absolutely welcome and at home by the Rabbi, Rebbitzen, and those Ciment boys who were still in town. Besides Gemara, I learnt many tidbits from Rabbi Ciment, e.g. be maavir the sedra before the Shabbos meal; and the first time I heard ‘Al Tira Avdi Yaakov’ was from Rabbi Ciment at a melava malka at his home. One of the early siyyume sefer Torah was in Boston, and the Rashag made the… Read more »