By COLlive reporter
Rabbi Shmarya Katzen, a Lubavitcher chossid in Crown Heights who has dedicated his life to teaching children with love and devotion, passed away on Sunday, 22 Elul 5779.
He was 76.
Rabbi Katzen came as a teenager to Crown Heights where he learned in 770 and later in Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch in Montreal, Canada.
After his marriage, Rabbi Katzen asked the Rebbe for guidance on how to make a living. Interestingly, the Rebbe advised that he take an aptitude test which determines one’s ability and potential to succeed in a certain task, with no prior knowledge or training.
The result of the personality test was “you would be suited in a job that helps people.” Upon hearing that, the Rebbe instructed him: “If you want to help people, you should become a mechanech,” an educator.
Rabbi Katzen went on to become a rebbi in United Lubavitcher Yeshiva on Ocean Parkway and later on Crown Street. As a beloved pre-1a teacher, he taught hundreds of young boys the Alef Bais, instilling yiras shomayim and love of Hashem in each generation of students.
Over the years, Rabbi Katzen received many horaos from the Rebbe in the field of Chinuch. Most notably, the Rebbe instructed that he should instill ahavas Hashem and yiras Shamayim in the children. The Rebbe also told him to make sure to increase the children’s self-esteem.
A devoted chosid, Rabbi Katzen followed the instructions and was devoted to teaching Alef Bais al taharos hakodesh. He also taught about being passionate about Mitzvos B’Hiddur by example, with his piety and strict adherence to Torah and Mitzvos according to the ways of Chassidus.
For decades, Rabbi Katzen performed hundreds of Hachnasa L’cheder ceremonies for children when they entered Yeshiva. Only last week, just before suffering from a heart attack, he led a communal Hachnasa L’cheder at All My Children’s Daycare in Crown Heights.
For over 40 years, Rabbi Katzen led the Messibos Shabbos gatherings at 770 Eastern Parkway, which he started with the Rebbe’s brachos. The songs he composed for the 12 Pesukim and ‘Ani Ledodi’ have become classics renowned around the world. The Rebbe described him as ‘osek betzorchei tzibur’ (one who is active in communal affairs).
Despite teaching for some 47 years, Rabbi Katzen remained an enthusiastic teacher at Lubavitch Yeshiva until his last day. He was beloved by generations of students, over the last few years, teaching the grandchildren of his first students.
He is survived by his wife Rivka, and children, Chani Laufer – Chevy Chase, MD; Mica Soffer – Crown Heights; Moshe Katzen – Crown Heights; Esther Malka Schlanger – Bakersfield, CA; Dini Simons – Crown Heights; Lieba Kahan – Crown Heights; Shaina Fine – Montreal, Canada, and grandchildren.
The Levaya will take place tomorrow, Monday, leaving Shomrei Hadas in Boro Park at 11:00 am and passing by 770 at 12 pm.
The family will be sitting Shiva until Sunday morning, at 736 Lefferts Ave., second Floor.
Shachris:
Slichos – 7:00 am, Shachris – 7:30 am
Mincha: 6:30 pm
Maariv: B’zmano
Please no visiting between 3 – 6 pm or after 10 pm.
Baruch Dayan Haemes.
Rabbi Katzen Honored at YTTL Melave Malka
He has a major zechus for teaching so many boys . I remember my brothers areinfernishin .
He was so kind
Bde
So sorry to hear this, what a tremendous loss to all of us and especially his students! He was my teach 38 years ago and I still remember him fondly and I am impacted by the lessons he taught!
He was selfless and devoted, sincere and real, joyful and full of life and most importantly a true devoted chossid of the rebbe!
A true loss
Yehi zichro boruch!
Tremendous loss for klal Yisrael.
Need Moshiach Now!
The black and white picture appeared as graffiti in few places on Kingston.
Dearest rabbi katzen , how I wished I can always tell you how you saved me . I was a poor lonely boy roaming the streets of crown heights shabbos afternoon. I had no where to spend the hot summer shabos afternoon. At mesibas shabbos you encouraged me and made me feel good . How I loved the stories you and rabbi Schwartz said . Storm the heavens on behalf of all the children who are suffering .
A real tzadick he will definitely bring us down moshiach
He was my children’s Rebbe and my Husband’s Rebbe. He will be missed
He loved my son, my son loved him. We will always remember him.
Kids will miss him and all of us too
BDE!
Sad!!
What great zchusim he earned!!
Raby kattzen fue el primer moré de mi nieto Gad chayo…desde arhentina lo sentimos mucho bda
We are fortunate that Rabbi Katzen taught four of our boys. He wasn’t just their teacher for pre-1a. He came to their bar mitzvahs and always asked how they were doing. Once a talmid, always a talmid.
I learned in rabbi katzens class 11 years ago,and my 3 older brothers did and the only reason i know how to daven and learn is because of rabbi katzen may his neshoma go up to gan eden. WE WANT MOSHIACH NOW!!!!!!!
He was truly a gem in our community and will be sorely missed.
We’ll always remember the unique hachnasa lcheder that he did for our son.
What a zhus we had to be his Talmidim. Great Rebbe loved kids and kids love him and will remember forever.
Great Rebbe, great Mentch ….. we are so sad …. kids went this Shabbes to 770 and all tfilos they sang and were asking for Refua Shleima, we can’t believe it, just saw him this Thursday at school….
BDE😥😥
He was a very special man. A true legend with an enormous impact on Lubavitch and Klal Yisroel. I used to go to his mesibos shabbos 35+ years ago. Remember it fondly.
He will be truly missed.
ברוך דיין האמת
I learned by rabbi katzen 42 years ago one of his first years teaching at ocean pkw i still remember it like as if it was today his kindness showing every child how special he was tonight i would like to thank you rebbe for teaching me how to be a mench you will always be missed to the family no words i say can bring your lovely father grandfather back but know this his zechus that he has will send him straight to gan edan near the rebbe and hopefully he will be able to bring moshiach now
What a loss
What a great human being he was
May we all use him as an inspiration Of spirituality.
Rabbi Katzen, Shmarya, was a very kind and warm person who cared for other people, especially his family and students. I always enjoyed shmoozing with him and very proud to have called him ‘my mechutan’. My wife and I express our condolences to Mrs Katzen and the whole family. May His Dear Soul Rest In Peace.
Benyomin Simons
‘Down Under’
My first year in ULY ocean parkway I had the zechus to have Rabbi Katzen….
May he DEMAND from Hashem a refuah shelaima for our classmate & shliach of the Rebbe MH”M
Yosef Yitzchock ben Bracho (Yitzie Horowitz)…..
I and many others are truly saddened by his passing. I was his student 38 years ago and still spoke to him every time I saw him. He.was a truly holy man.
He taught all five of my boys
A true Tzadik! BDE
Rabbi katzen was my teacher, he was the sweetest teacher i have ever had. with the prize bag with Rebbe pictures and stretchy smiley figures, to the warm feeling of watching my Father shake rabbi katzen’s hand by the siddur party, rabbi katzen was amazing. later on, when i was feeling sad, i used to come to rabbi katzen and he would talk to me, make me feel good again, give me a jelly fish candy and make me smile. i still have a picture of me and rabbi katzen by the siddur party, on my shelf at home. rabbi… Read more »
A great man will be greatly missed!! Always with a smile a kind word! He was the type of man that energized you with a simple smile! The world needs more people like him! There are no words nor emotions to fully describe the way he was! He was a great teacher a great inspiration and a great human being! To his family I’m truly sorry that you are going through this pain! Just know that he left behind a life full of kindness and love! He was a great man that earned the respect and love of many! May… Read more »
Rabbi Katzen obm, Shmarya, was a very warm and loving person. He cared dearly for his family and his students and I am proud to call him my mechutan. My wife and I express our sincere condolences to Mrs Katzen and the whole family. May His Dear Soul Rest In Peace.
Benyomin Simons
Down Under
Sorry for your lose
Mrs Soffer
Your dad was the best
I was Very close To Him
Rabbi Katzen taught two of my boys, we requested him because of his amazing ability to teach kriah, but the chassidus and the niggunim, and dugma chaya that he gave over stayed with them just as much as the kriah.
So sorry to hear this terrible news. May G-d comfort the family at the time of mourning.
He was my children’s teacher He was so ehrlich, so emesdik, and so fine. He will be sorely missed.
he was a real TOMIM. A REAL TOMIM
HE WAS A real tomim
You will be sorely missed!!! My two sons read beautiful thanks to you. Your patience and experience taught me so much as a mother! Thank you for all you have done for our children! May Hashem comfort your family!
He did what he did best just a few short hours before he took ill.
He was at all my children day care center on lefferts ave doing a grand hachnoso L’cheder!!!!!!!
A grateful parent.
My son is so sad. Will be truly missed.He was a really sincere special man.A tsadik.
We are very saddened at the sudden petirah of our esteemed Mechutan. He was an emisdiger Chossid and truly a mensch. He greeted everyone he met b’seiver ponim yofos.
May you, Rivka, Esther Malka and all your dear family find comfort in the legacy he has left behind of אהבת ישראל and exemplary middos tovos.
יהי זכרו ברוך
Binyomin & Dobra B Schlanger
what a tzadik!
He and his dear wife brought up one of nicest families in CH!
ps
notice the names on blackboard .. i read mendy lipsker
Oy hashem hashem what a loss ad mosai ad mosai ad mosai .
Enough is enough hashem .
May the family be comforted arichas yomim shonim tovos
What a special special person BDE . Wishing the entire Katzen family arichas yomim , we are thinking of you all at this immensely painful time . Moshiach now !
Every morning at drop off I would see Rabbi Katzen come to school with his usual big smile on his face. We did not know him personally, since my son joined ULY in 1st grade, but he radiated such love and warmth and anyone could feel it.
What a zchus he had in his lifetime to educate generations of boys with such love. We need more of this big time.
Tremendous condolences to the Katzen family. Moshiach now!
BDE What a MENTCH!! GREAT LOSS.Thousands of children learned from him.We should take it to heart and LEARN Emes from an Ish Emes☝
He taught some of my children. A pnimi in the full sense of the word. No surprise at all these beautiful comments. Niftar beshem Tov.
He should be a mailitz Yosher for his family and his extended family all the boys and their parents he taught. Finally and hopefully he will storm the gates of heaven to bring the ultimate redemption geulah hamitis zhashlaima with our Rebbe MH”m broshainu. Yehi Zichro Baruch.
Nachman S.
So sad. he was my neighbor. what a special man. went to his mesibas shabbos as a kid. We used to speak sometimes and in short, he was a good man a true chossid and we’ll lack his presence.
Moshiach now!!
I didn’t even know what “frum” was. All I knew was that I was sent to this beautiful home. Rabbi Katzen stayed up very late with me that Shabbas night – explaining, sharing, inspiring me with the truth about Judaism. He was so jovial, caring and sincere. That’s the night I turned the curve and did tsuvah.
Rabbi Katzen sent me to Morristown from his time as a Schliach in Pittsburgh 45 years ago. He always had a big smile and happy words whenever I’d see him in 770. BDE
His family should be comforted, MOSHIACH NOW, a friend from the past HADAR HATORAH 1981, KALMAN LEIB.
No other words to describe Rabbi Katzen…
A former talmid, “Gemeint mit an emes” without the modern day tricks he learnt how to give his students the love and education a child needs to grow up on the right path, no I wasn’t the best student however when I received a reward he delivered it with a real sense of “you earned it, you deserved it ” and when I went out of line, he delivered the consequence, which was quite rare, I felt the love and and I definitely new I earned it, and when he felt he was too strong even though well deserved he… Read more »
What a special man and a chossid. 25 years ago I married his daughters close friend. I was not even his student as I had gone to OT.In our shana rishona we ate at his home many shabbosim. After we went out on shlichus , and I would visit crown heights for weddings, ohel, with bal habatim or for whatever reason, if i would see him in the street , or he would see me in 770 , he would make an effort to come over give me a huge hug and always ask how i was, how is my… Read more »
What a special special person
A Chossid a incredible human being and educator. He will be dearly missed. MOSHIACH NOW
I am no longer what most people would consider frum but,
he taught me aleph Beis
He taught me how to daven , and
He taught me how to be kind .
He was the kindest teacher I ever had growing up .
When I look back to my yeshiva days , I think of him and his smile .
He would say hi to me in Kingston , I couldn’t believe he remembered me .
And I want to say thank you
HaShem should comfort his family .
Times do change. Now that your beloved teacher is in Olom HaEmes , perhaps it’s ‘Payback Time’..
You may want to re- consider the turn you made in your Ruchnyus’dike lifestyle and make an About Face , leaning towards the warmth of Yiddishkeit ,that Rabbi Katzen A”H instilled in you in the early years of your life.
Please please , do it at least for the sake of your devoted Rebbi , you won’t regret it .
With outpouring Ahava,
YDR , Montreal ,Canada
ומצדיקי הרבים ככוכבים לעולם ועד – אלו מלמדי תינוקות. כגון מאן? אמר רב כגון רב שמואל בר שילת. דרב אשכחיה לרב שמואל בר שילת דהוה קאי בגינתא אמר ליה שבקתיה להימנותך? אמר ליה הא תליסר שנין דלא חזיא לי והשתא נמי דעתאי עלויהו (בבא בתרא ח, ב) (“They who turn many to righteousness are like the stars for ever and ever” – these are מלמדי תינוקות. Like whom? Rav said, like Rav Shmuel bar Sheilat. Rav once found Rav Shmuel bar Sheilat standing in a garden. Rav said to him: Have you neglected your students? Rav Shmuel bar Sheilat responded:… Read more »
I did not know Rabbi Katzen but his son-in-law, Rabbi Schlanger, has had a great influence in my life. This is such a beautiful tribute. I didn’t know him, but I’ll certainly miss him. xo
— Steven Kunes
Our dear shmerul, whom I remember since ever, came to New York from Baltimore, where he got his great inspiration etc from the famous shluchim rabbi yitzchok ע”ה Springer,
And צו ליינגע יארן
His wife rebetzen Adele
( דובראווסקי = ווילענקין )
BDE very nice person