By COLlive reporter
Rabbi Zalman Baras, a Mashpia at Yeshiva Lubavitch in Cincinnati, Ohio, who has battled an illness for years, passed away on Thursday, 30 Adar I, 5779.
He was 38.
Rabbi Baras, originally from Crown Heights in Brooklyn, moved to Cincinnati 10 years ago to dedicate his life to the education of yeshiva bochurim.
He served as the main Mashpia – teacher and guidance counselor – in the Rabbinical Yeshiva High School of Cincinnati, where he has personally overseen the development of hundreds of young boys into productive young adults.
He was known for always putting others first and working tirelessly to help and guide his students, both past and present.
In recent years, Rabbi Baras bravely battled a tough illness, and over the past year he has gone through many costly treatments. Many around the world united in reciting Tehillim and doing good deeds on his behalf.
Rabbi Baras leaves behind a beautiful family, a young wife and a family of 7 children, the oldest only 12 years old. The family are now all on their own, grieving for their father and husband.
They must have financial support, and friends of the family have set up an urgent campaign to help them.
Please help us alleviate their financial worry at this very difficult time.
Please help now at Charidy.com/barasfamilyfund.
The Baras family fund Va’ad / committee: Rabbi Gershon Avzton, Rabbi Abby Vail, Rabbi Shmuli Gordetzki, and Mendel Dubinsky.
He is survived by his wife Nechama Dina (nee Shusterman) and 7 children.
He is also survived by his parents, Sholom and Miriam Baras of Crown Heights, grandparents Motel and Sarah Dubinsky – Kensington, NY and siblings, Yosef Yitzchak Baras – Kingston, PA, Mendy Baras – Cedarhurst, NY, Nechemala Minsky – Crown Heights and Chayale Berkowitz – Kingston, PA.
The levaya will take place Friday, leaving Shomrei Hadas in Boro Park at 9:30 am and passing by 770 at 10:30 am.
The family is sitting at 437 Sterling St, right door/upstairs.
Friday mincha: 4:00pm.
Maariv motzei shabbos: bizman
Sunday
Shacharis: 9:00 am
Minchah: 6:30 pm
Maariv: 7:40
Mon-thursday:
Shacharis: 8:00 am
Mincha:6:30pm
Maariv: bizman
Family requests visitors not come after 10pm.
Baruch Dayan Haemes.
what Zalman a”h accomplished in his short life, with ahavas yisroel and erlichkeit was more than most. may the entire family and klal yisroel be comforted, MOSHIACH NOW ad mossai
As a shliach a bunch of years ago in the yeshivah I was zocheh to see this incredible chossid do his holy work. The impact he had on the many hundreds of bochurim that entered the doors of the Yeshiva is literally indescribable. Enough of this golus! We need the hisgalus of the Rebbe immediately!!
BDE
All the best to his wife and kids. Reb zalman was the nicest person ever
The most gentle humble person I ever met. Nothing makes sense.
Zalmy was the most temimus bochur I knew in Yeshiva. He was 1 grade above me but I spoke and learned with him plenty.
When you talked Zalmy really listened and truly cared about you.
If we can just work on becoming better listener’s like Zalmy, we would be better people.
One who wanted to hear what you have to say and NEVER has a NEGATIVE word to say about anyone.
Such tragic news, BDE.
No words can describe what a special man he was!
After I left Cincinnati, I couldn’t find a mashpia, that I felt understand me, that I was comfortable with like Rabbi Bares. So I continued to call Rabbi Bares every time I needed advice and guidance. And honestly the effect that he had on me was truly everlasting, much of the way I am today is thanks to him. Last year a little before yud shvat, after hearing he was fully cured from his sickness, I wanted to call him for a mashpia talk, so I texted asking if we can speak. He responded, tomorrow should be good. The next… Read more »
No words. The world needs Rabbi Baras down here teaching more talmidim. His sincerity and eidelkeit were inspiring to all those who knew him. We lost a tzaddik today.
I just recently spent a shabbos in Cincinnati and saw first hand how his name was always mentioned, by the Hanholo, for a refuah shelaime, throughout Shabbos, culminating with a special farbrengen on his behalf on shabbos afternoon.
If I can describe rabbi baras in one word it would be genuine.
I can not say this about most people but I really feel that he was a true tzadik he was a real benefit to the world and a real light in the darkness.
R. Zalman Baras was a shliach in our yeshiva in São Paulo, Brazil. He was always very friendly to all of us and had so much patience with us. He was one of the most eidl people Ive ever met. He was very intelligent too. Not only he was a great chavrussah and would always be shteign, he spoke fluent Portuguese in under a year! That is an impressive feat to say the least. He’d also inquire me for some words and phrases in Spanish… He moved on from Brazil and sadly we did not keep in touch. My heart… Read more »
I can’t believe it he was the most kind real and genuine person I knew. He would do anything for his talmidim .
Very Sad News, went to Rabbi Zalman’s Brith in 5741, his father Rabbi Sholom Baras my mashpia for 38 years, beginning in Hadar Hatorah, MOSHIACH NOW IS THE ONLY ANSWER, ENOUGH OF THE SUFFERING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This day in the jewish calendar only exists 7 times in 19 years.
See the Hayom Yom – it truly describes him
Hashem yishmor!
Moshiach must be right here…
No other way
As a student of Reb Zalman. All I can say is that I am lucky to have known this saint of a man. Besides being the most dedicated teacher, he was the person who helped me through the my rocky teanage years and beyond. I lost count of the countless hours that he spent listening to me and to so many others. There is no one else that listened like he did. He made it sound like I was doing him a favor by talking! I never once felt that I was a burdon to him. Why Hashem did this… Read more »
I met him for the first time at his lchaim. I was so blown away by his aidelkait.
Rabbi Baras how can I describe this angelic and how he exuded a light to all of us. It is indescribable the Kavona he posses. He was a light to all his students and everyone in the Cincinnati Jewish community that witnessed his ahavas Israel he exhibited. It is a sad day in Cincinnati . He can honor Hashem and his students and family leaves a legacy we all can dedicated ourselves to do the Rebbes work and for the bachurim he taught as well as his family will pursue the coming of Moshiac speedily. It hurts to think about… Read more »
Bde what a special man
One of the puresit Yidden of our generation. A true chassid.
A truly tragic loss. You can see the eidelkiet on his face…
Hashem please send moshiach now! The rebbe predicted and we know the rebbes accurately predicts.
Lets open our eyes and welcome moshiach now
Such terrible news. R Baras was my teacher and mashpia in cincinnati for 2 years. He was a pure soul who always put others before himself. A kind heart in its most literall definition. we will miss you Rabbi Baras.
He was an amazing person with my son, believed in him and brought him up to higher levels. I still have his cell phone number. He was a person you always wanted to be in touch with.
Instead of getting down and sad about the situation, we have to have Bittachun in Hashem and the Rebbe, that what happened was for the best (literally!).
In response to what happened, we need to involve ourselves and really kuch in what Rabbi Barras lived for – Moshiach, happiness, and love for every single Jew.
MOSHIACH NOW- AD MOSAi!!!!
Your freinds in Brazil!
No words!
Moshiach should come NOW!
BS”D How give by check
The ultimate chosid I ever met. And how he made Tanya so practicle to us students also every perek was its own farbraingen. Bde. We need Moshiach now !!!
My heart and feelings to the Baras Family.
I see this outcome and listen to
Matisyahu – Forest Of Faith
It helps me explain myself to G-D
10 years ago I experienced a tragedy right before Purim that changed my life forever. From my experience: When Hashem gives someone a big test, the kind of test that anyone would agree is a “test”…it becomes a time when Hashem makes it possible to have a very high level of simcha. Since the test is beyond understanding and so hard to deal with, it becomes “easy” to throw your hands up and say “Hashem I need your help, big time!” This is when, at least for me, I was able to find simcha, and as a result Hashem gave… Read more »
He was always careful during davening. In crown Hieghts Zalman would daven in the now famous Empire Shteeble. Always looking in a siddur when he davened. We will miss him.
You state you are not Frum perhaps it is a good time to restart putting on tefilin every morning and learn 5 minutes a day in zchus of Rabbi Baras
Rabbi Baras was a holy special person. A true Chosid.
We are crying with the Baras family. What a terrible loss for the Jewish people. I will never understand why Hashem does this to only the KINDEST, pure hearted souls. Bde. Blessed is the true judge. Love, the Voola’s
He didnt have a judgmental bone in his body and accepted everyone exactly the way they were.
So sad. Unfortunately I did not know him but by that beautiful smile that says it all A genuine Beautiful person .May his family Be Comforted and may we be all together with the coming of Moshiac
nothing to say . דאלאי גלות
My sincere condolences from brazil we are so sad a very special person how help and made i shturem here in brazil when he was a shliach in our yeshive in the year of 2000 may there family had confort and mashiach now
Why do bad things happen to the BEST people? Truly a tzadik. Hashem must’ve wanted him close to him. (I am not frum whatsoever). Rabbi Baras had a profound effect on my life, I wish the best to his family in this tragic time. He was so understanding, non judgemental, and kind. Please consider donating to his wife and children.
There’s so much to write but nothing I write will ever be enough. A very special man. Heartbroken. He will be missed.
I didnt know him well but all I can remember was how he made me feel…
He will be missed.
Sorry for your loss..
משיח נאו!!!
My Zalmin’ke the first baby I ever knew & loved. You showed me the miracle of life. Your pureness taught me the simplistic value of אמונה & ביטחון. Through your wife & kinderlach the Rebbe’s brocha on your 11th birthday should be fulfilled
“דו זאל האבן לאנג געזונט יארן ~ חסידישע יארן ”
Always
Tante Rivky [Novitsky] Wilks
BDE
The world lost a very precious soul 🙁
This one hits hard… AD MOSAI?!
no words – such sorrow – just a solid guy period!
Moshiach now!
How tragic. R’ Zalman was such a genuinely good person, this is devastating. Always had a smile on his face (look at all the above pictures) was very friendly to all he encountered. BDE
May his family be comforted.
His Aidelkiet was beyond this world. A type of Chassid not easily found in this generation. Not everyone understood his greatness, but everyone knew he was on another level. All Cincinnati bochurim were touched deeply by his personality. Some would try to shrug it off, but no one remained unaffected. Rabbi Baras will live on in the hearts of countless young men he touched. You will be missed. BDE
I’ve heard countless countless stories of how rabbi Baras touched so many people. He took a real interest in others, listening, guiding, and caring. Moshiach is coming Immediately and we will all be reunited. This is too much.
I am deeply sorry for this tragic turn of events and wish his widow the tremendous strength and comfort she will need from here on out. May her proclivity for joy carry her way above the oceans of grief and may her children continue to be a source of incredible blessing…BDE.
Rabbi Baras was my son’s mashpia in Cincinnati 8 years ago. Still he never failed to ask about him every time he saw us. We all davened so hard for his recovery. So, so heartbroken.
I’m sitting here crying not that it would help… A story that comes to mind is when I was with Zalmy in Yeshivas Kayitz in 1996 and the Aliyos for a given Shabbos were being split up for 7 Bochurim to Lain, he had a short one and already reviewed and practiced it. I had never previously Lained, yet he encouraged me to give it a try and gave me his short Aliya taking a different and longer one for himself and starting from scratch so that I can Lain the short one, which I did thanks to his encouragement.… Read more »
We are so heart broken!
Where is Moshiach?
Dear Baras Family,
I am truly pained by this news, it is not only your loss but the loss of our whole community, I always looked forward to seeing Zalmy and talking to him, and seeing his happiness, bitachon and friendship. Boruch Dayan Haemes, may Hashem send you true comfort Ad Biyas Go’el Miyad.
Baruch Dayan Haemes. I never had the zchus to meet Rabbi Baras but he was my sons mashpia and teacher 2 years ago in Yeshiva Cincinnati Shiur Alef. My heart is broken for his family. His dedicated wife and parents. He believes so much in my son and treated him with such love and sincerity, he made Chassidishkeit so real in my sons eyes. What a zchus my son had to be close to such A true chossid. No words. My son is heartbroken. Baruch Dayan Haemes. Moshiach must come right now ! He is needed more than ever .
He was the definition of a True Chosid and an amazing Mashpia! He had a heart of gold and was the most kind and caring person I knew. We lost a shining light today and May we all do extra Mitzvos in his memory. I was privileged to call him a friend for over 30 years. R’ Zalman we will miss you dearly. BDE
Haven’t spoken to him since I finished Cincinnati should’ve.