Rabbi Zimroni Tzik, 69, OBM

Rabbi Zimroni Tzik, a rabbi of the Bat Yam, Israel community, passed away on Wednesday, 16 Sivan, 5778.

He was 69.

In 1974, Rabbi Tzik opened the Chabad House in Bat Yam and spread Judaism throughout the city. In 1979, he opened Yeshivas Hadar Hatmimim, a Yeshiva for new Baalei Teshuva.

Born into a traditional Jewish family, as a child his parents sought a religious summer camp for him, and sent him to the camp in Kfar Chabad, Israel. In his youth, he studied at the Nechalim yeshiva and also in the Lithuanian Yeshivat HaNegev in Netivot, under Rabbi Yissachar Meir.

In 5727 he was drafted into the army, and while he was in a squad commanders’ course, the Six-Day War broke out. Rabbi Tzik was sent to the Egyptian front, where he met Rabbi Aharon Tenenbaum, who was then a reservist, and together they learned a chapter from the Tanya. Rabbi Tzik visited the yeshiva where he studied Chasidus with the bochurim, and since that visit, every Shabbat he was allowed to leave the base, he would come to Kfar Chabad.

After his marriage, he began teaching in the non-Chabad Nechalim Yeshiva, and began teaching his students about Chabad and Chasidus, which the Yeshiva did not approve, and he was soon asked to resign.

At that time, his boyhood friend Rabbi Dovid Nachshon suggested he go to visit the Rebbe in New York.

When he arrived in 770, he wrote to the Rebbe that he wanted to work to cover the expenses of the trip, but the Rebbe replied that “he should do according to the advice of the yeshiva’s management.” The yeshiva leadership decided that, according to the Rebbe, he should join the yeshiva “Tomchei Temimim Lubavitch Central Yeshiva” in the framework of the “Kollel” in 1971. Thus he found himself a student in the “Kevutza” after his marriage.

After returning to Israel, he returned to Bat Yam and began to work as a teacher in the Aderet yeshiva, which operated in a similar format to Nachalim Yeshiva, and when the students soon became interested in Chabad, he was also fired from there.

In the summer of 5733 he offered his friends the idea of opening a library where they would give Torah lessons and operate a shop selling religious objects. He called Rabbi Hodakov, the Rebbe’s secretary, and suggested the idea.
Rabbi Hodakov clarified what was planned for operating the library, and all the details, during the entire conversation, the Rebbe himself was listening on the line.

Rabbi Hodakov was interested in whether this would be done with great publicity, and how they would reach a large number of people. Rabbi Tzik suggested that they visit all the summer camps in the city and teach about the five Mivtzoim (at the time), and permission was received.

At the opening of the library Chabad House, flyers were distributed about mezuzahs, distribution of charity boxes, and other Mivtzoim. In a short time, local newspapers began to publish positive reports about their activities.

In 5739 he opened the Yeshivat Hadar HaTimim in Bat Yam for young Ba’alei Teshuvah, which was active until the year 5742. He was a member of the organization of the Rambam’s Tzemach celebrations. And in 1987 he organized the third “Rambam” celebration in Israel, held at the “Binyanei HaUma” in Jerusalem.

In the month of Iyar, 5778, Rabbi Tzik suffered a severe stroke, and many recited Tehilim and prayed for his recovery, in Israel and around the world. A few weeks later, he passed away at the age of 69.

He was survived by his wife, sons and daughter: Rabbi Chaim Tzik – Bat Yam, Rabbi Meir Tzik – Jerusalem, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Tzik – Kfar Chabad, Rabbi Shneur Zalman Tzik – Kfar Chabad, and Mrs. Boroshansky – Kiryat Malachi, Israel.

His funeral will take place at 15:00 from the Chabad synagogue in Sderot Ha’atzmaut, 67 Bat Yam, and at 16:30 in the cemetery of the settlement of Ahiezer.

Baruch Dayan Ha’emes.