By COLlive reporter
Reb Shloime Zalman Gelernter, a longtime Crown Heights resident and familiar local personality has passed away on Wednesday, 29 Shvat, 5775.
He was 89.
Rabbi Gelernter was known to many Crown Heights residents and guests of the neighborhood as the owner of the landmark Kesser hat store on Kingston Avenue for many years.
Rabbi Gelernter was born in the Polish town of Rubishov. During the Holocaust, he helped many people survive the terrible conditions, helping to find food and assisting others in many different ways. Many who survived later attributed this to the kindness of Reb Gelernter.
After the war, he returned to his hometown, where he was given a Sefer Torah that once belonged to the Baal Shem Tov’s students which had survived the war.
He later emigrated to America where he built a beautiful home together with his wife Sheindel.
The couple were known as tremendous baalei Chesed, dedicating their entire lives to kindness on every level, helping many others physically and spiritually.
In 1966, the Rebbe encouraged him to open a shul with the name “Anshei Rubishov,” which he did on Crown Street in Crown Heights.
The Shul quickly became a popular one, with a large congregation which is still flourishing today.
He is survived by children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who follow in the path of Torah and Mitzvos, many of whom are Shluchim around the world.
His wife Sheindel passed away in January of 2013.
He is survived by his children Shani Troppe – Queens; Yonah Gelernter – Crown Heights; Mina Sputz – Crown Heights; Chanie Cohen – Crown Heights; Libby Chein – Crown Heights; and Henny Wolowik – California.
The levaya will take place tomorrow, Thursday at Shomrei Hadas in Boro Park at 9:40 am and passing by 770 at 10:40 am.
Afterwards they will pass hls shul, Anshei Rubishov, 691 Crown St. From there they will proceed to the bais hachayim.
The family is sitting shiva at 691 Crown St. until Wednesday morning.
Shachris 8:00 am
Mincha 5:15
Maariv bizmano
Family email for Nichum aveilim is: [email protected]
Baruch Dayan Haemes.
May Hashem comfort you, Morah Henny, & all your family, during this trying & sad period of your lives. With warm regards….The Kessler Family (LB/LA)
ער איז געווען אזא צדיק שאין כמוהו
it’s the end of an era.
yinachem eschem b’soch she’ar avaylay tzion viy’rushalayim.
Rabbi and Mrs. Moshe Feller
he always had a gimatriyah…………
From the last of another generation…
To have lost so much during the war , and created so much in his life, is truly a miracle. Anybody who was touched by Zalman is the better for it.
I remember going to his store in 98 and my father wanted to buy the cheapest hat which was then called a huckel. As a 12 year old I felt like I should be getting a Borsalino but my father couldn’t afford it. He saw what was going on and for $60 he sold my father a Borsalino. While in his store it was much more of an experience then a purchasing a hat. Always saying a chassidishe vort/story asking via just du gelernt dem voch. Reb Zalmen was yid who brought Sefer hazichronos to life. You did not need… Read more »
שלמה זלמן בר׳ יונה
BD”H…691 Crown Street was my home in the early 70’s.I lived downstairs from the Gelernters …Reb Zalman ZT”L was the personification of a Tzaddik Nistar,,,humble,YirasShamayim,Baal Chesed….
A yid with only emes.please
Inform his fathers name
12 years ago my friend brought me to his hat store. I had only so much money and it had to stretch over the trip. My friend asked him if they had a used hat. He went to the back and found one. He plunked it on my head and it fit just perfectly. It was a Borsolino and he only charged me $10.
So quiet unassuming and eidle!
A true Tzadick he’s already in gan eden
he helped some many people in so many ways….
my father taught us many things.
one was a unique twist on a
something he seemed to have had a chidush about(or heard it and repeated it). we had relatives who lived an incredibly righteous life..when they reached their older years…they each became senile.My father said of them” just as we carried the first shattered holy loochos in an aron.. their holiness was retained…likewise we accord holy people care and their dignity…as we did the shattered loochos.
Rav Zalmen Gelernter was truly the 8th wonder of the world. I once asked him “when will they stop calling us baal tshovos?. He answered in jest “when you start talking during davening”
He was special beyond words. He was one person who kept true Torah values in this world and instilled them in his children. May his memory be for a blessing. May you know no more tzaar. HaMokom Yenachem Eschem BSoich Shaar Aveilei Tzion Virushalayim. The Rebbe once paid a visit to a shiva and mentioned that by chassidim we know that the person moved up, and it’s exactly like going from the bayis to the alya (the ground floor to the top floor). The person is there but has just gone up a level, a great level. May the family… Read more »
He was a real true chasideshe yid
A model of excellence of kibbud av belongs to their son , Yoni. He is humble and has given tremendous respect and specifically care to them in their elder yrs. It is certain that his devotion is very precious to the aibeshter and Hasem will certainly reward him as is his due.
I remember when they were opening a new hat store in Crown Heights (a typical person would have been very upset, he seemed happy. He told me the oibershter can provide parnassah for 1 hat store for 2 hat stores…
That had a great impact on my life
I must of spent 5 minutes in the hat store and looked at me and said “Nu….do you know how many mishnayos you could have learned in the time you spent looking for a hat”
המקום ינחם אתכם בתוך שאר אבלי ציון וירושלים
BDE
all the girls are such amazing kids:( i didn’t know him or his wife but the daughters that i know have tremendous hachnosas orchim and are special people
Boruch Dayan Hoemes.
Would not surprise me if he were a beinoni. The most remarkable man I’ve ever met.
always with a smile and cared for every single neshama that he came in contact with!!
He will be very much missed!!!
He went through gehinom but managed to remain a positive person and look out for the good of another yid. What a neshama! He’ll be missed down here, Hashem please send him back, with Moshiach now!!
When I was a bochur and had little cash, he would sell me hats at prices that had to be almost a joke, and be insistent that I take the hat when I hesitated. Kindness was his hallmark as far as I’m concerned
Whenever someone bought a hat in his store, Reb Zalman would include a dvar Torah or a chasidishe story for free.
A true baal chesed
he gave me my first lubavitch hat
he was a yid that always looked to do chesed and mitzvos
Boruch Dayan Ha’Emes. I believe most people have no idea what a great Tzaddik Reb Zalman was….