Rabbi Leibel Alevsky, 86, OBM

By COLlive reporter

Rabbi Leibel Alevsky, Shliach and Director of Chabad of Northeast Ohio and builder of Jewish life in Cleveland, passed away on Monday, 3 Iyar, 5786.

He was 86.

Rabbi Leibel Alevsky was born in 5699 (1939) in Chernigov, Ukraine, to his parents Reb Chaim Boruch and Sima Chaya. His early childhood was marked by hardship; when he was just two years old, his father was drafted into the Russian army during the war against the Nazis and never returned.

He was subsequently raised by his devoted mother and his maternal grandfather, Reb Gavriel Kagan, a tomim of Lubavitch, who played a formative role in his upbringing. Following the war, the family fled the Soviet Union using forged Polish passports, eventually reaching a Displaced Persons camp in Wegscheid, Germany, around 5707 (1947), before continuing on to France.

In accordance with the directive of the Frierdiker Rebbe, the family later settled in Eretz Yisrael, where Rabbi Alevsky began his formal yeshiva education in Tomchei Temimim in Lod. At the age of 15, he entered the zal, where he studied under the renowned mashpia, Reb Shlomo Chaim Kesselman, who left a lasting impression on his development. Prior to relocating to the United States, he spent a period of study in Brunoy, France, under the guidance of Reb Nissan Nemenov.

On his 19th birthday, Rosh Chodesh Sivan 5718 (1958), he arrived in New York and joined the Central Lubavitcher Yeshiva at 770 Eastern Parkway, immersing himself in advanced Torah study.

During the 5720s, Rabbi Alevsky played a central role in the activities of Tzach, the Lubavitch Youth Organization, serving as its director in New York. In this capacity, he organized tahaluchos to outlying communities, coordinated public Torah classes, and was involved in the early dissemination and printing of Likkutei Sichos. He also served as a liaison with New York City officials and public figures, working to advocate for and strengthen the Crown Heights community.

In those years, he also merited a close and personal connection with Rebbetzin Chana Schneerson, mother of the Rebbe, assisting her in various ways.

In the early 1970s, Rabbi Alevsky was sent on shlichus by the Rebbe to Northeast Ohio, arriving in Cleveland in 1972 together with his wife, Devorah, to establish what would become the first Chabad House in the city and the broader region. The effort began modestly, with programming at Case Western Reserve University’s Hillel House, where his “Stump the Rabbi” sessions quickly grew from a small group of students into large, late-night discussions. With the support of philanthropist Irving Stone, who underwrote the initial years on condition that the Alevskys lead the effort, the first official Chabad House was established that same year in South Euclid.

From this foundation, Rabbi Alevsky guided the steady expansion of Chabad’s activities across the region. By 1975, new branches had opened in Columbus and Cincinnati, alongside the launch of Camp Chabad, which he described as a “major step forward.” In the years that followed, additional institutions were established, including Torah Nursery in 1980, along with a wide range of educational, social, and outreach programs designed to serve a growing and diverse Jewish population.

Under his leadership, Chabad of Cleveland developed into a regional hub encompassing multiple branches throughout Northeast Ohio, including centers in Cleveland Heights, Solon, downtown Cleveland, and on campuses such as Case Western Reserve University and Oberlin College. Specialized initiatives, including the Friendship Circle of Cleveland, founded in 2003 to support children with special needs and their families, and adult education programs such as the Fromovitz Adult Jewish Learning Academy, further broadened the organization’s reach.

A defining feature of his approach was expansion through shluchim. Recognizing that a single center could not adequately serve a wide geographic area, he encouraged the establishment of additional Chabad houses, each led by dedicated emissaries tasked with serving local communities. His goal remained consistent: to welcome every Jew warmly and without judgment, and to provide access to Jewish life, learning, and practice regardless of background.

Together with his wife, Devorah, daughter of Rabbi Zalman and Rebbetzin Shula Kazen, early pioneers of Chabad in Cleveland, Rabbi Alevsky built not only institutions but a multigenerational legacy. Their ten children became involved in the Chabad movement, many serving as shluchim in Cleveland and beyond, while grandchildren continued this work internationally, leading communities across the United States, Israel, Europe, and South America.

Alongside his organizational leadership, Rabbi Alevsky remained actively engaged in education and community life, delivering lectures, mentoring individuals, and fostering an environment where Jewish learning was accessible to all. Funding for the expanding network was sustained through local support, with each branch cultivating its own base of donors, reflecting his belief in community-driven growth.

Over more than four decades, Rabbi Alevsky transformed Cleveland into a major center of Chabad activity, establishing a wide-reaching network of institutions and emissaries that served thousands. His vision, rooted in the Rebbe’s directive of hafatzas hamaayanos, combined strategic foresight with personal dedication, leaving a lasting imprint on Jewish life throughout the region and far beyond.

He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Devorah Alevsky, and children, Sarah Freedman – Bahia Blanca, Argentina, Chani Glitzenstein – Maaleh Efraim, Israel, Kaila Sasonkin – Akron, Ohio, Chayim Boruch Alevsky – Cleveland, Ohio, Miriam Greenberg – Solon, Ohio, Dinie Greenberg – Shanghai, China, Estie Marozov – Pepper Pike, Ohio, Rochie Sudak – London, UK, Rivky Friedman – Brooklyn, New York and Mendy Alevsky – Cleveland, Ohio.

He is also survived by his sister, Mrs. Nechama Shtrassberg, Kfar Chabad.

The funeral will take place today, Monday, ג׳ אייר April 20, at 4:30 PM at the Waxman Chabad Center, 2479 S. Green Road, Beachwood, Ohio.
Burial will follow at Anshe Sfard Cemetery, 310 Swartz Road, Akron, Ohio.

Mrs. Devorah Alevsky and their children will be sitting shiva at 4481 University Parkway. Shiva times to follow.

Baruch Dayan Ha’emes – Yehuda Leib ben Chaim Boruch.