By COLlive reporter
R’ Yossi Melamed, a photographer who spent hundreds of hours photographing the Rebbe, has passed away on Wednesday night, Iyar 10, 5772.
He was 75 and was in a coma after falling in his home.
Born in Tel Aviv, his interest in photography began at the age of 16. One of his first jobs in the U.S. was at the Algemeiner Journal, published by the late Gershon Ber Jacobson OBM.
Always known for sporting a short beard, he has photographed many great rabbis, Jewish and world leaders at events and simchas over the years.
He took a particular interest in the Lubavitcher Rebbe and would regularly be seen at 770 Eastern Parkway during the 1970s where he attended and photographed farbrengens and life with the Rebbe – sometimes the only photographer allowed in.
He documented the visit of injured Israeli soldiers with the Rebbe, Prime Minister Menachem Begin‘s historic meeting in 1977, the first farbrengen the Rebbe held after his heart attack and the Chanukah Live worldwide broadcast.
JEM (Jewish Educational Media) has recently acquired Melamed’s vast photo collection and their staff have been working with him on archiving them.
A short biography about him was produced and shown at the JEM Curators Conference this year:
In his later years, he became a ben bayis by the Liska Rebbe and his son Rav Sholem Chaim Friedlander.
The levaya will take place Thursday 9:30 AM at Shomrei Hachomos at 4218 Ft. Hamilton Avenue in Boro Park.
He will be buried at the Eretz Hachaim Cemetery in the city of Bet Shemesh in Israel.
He is survived by a daughter and five grandchildren.
Oy! how sad to hear that Yossi z”l is no more with us. I knew him many years ago, and like many others will miss him, his big smile and voice directly from his pure heart…
He was a very special person, with a big neshama, a true mentch. He should be Melitz Yosher for all of us.
Oy how sad to hear that Yossi z”l is no more with us. I knew him many years ago, and like many others will miss him, his big smile and voice directly from his pure heart…
He was a special person, with a big neshama, a true mentch.
May Hashem comfort the family amongst the Mourners of Tzion and Yerushalayim. Comment 5 written very well. May he soar to great heights in Gan Eden and demand Moshiach Now!! Thank you for your impact on this world. You made us all so happy by being able to have our picture taken with our Dear and Holy Rebbe…Yossi we will surely miss you so but we know indeed that really soon we will see you once again with ALL of Klal Yisroel with the coming of Moshiach Immediately NOW!
You mean more like a Life Saver?
I wonder what it would take for JEM to make a screen saver that scrolls through pictures of the Rebbe
I KNEW HIM PERSONALLY SHALOM CHAIM IS MY BROTHER, MAY HE REST IN PIECE!
Baruch Dayan Ha”Emes. We will miss him.
may he soar to the greatest heights in Gan Eden and demand Moshiach
Thank you for your impact on this world
MOSHIACH NOW!!
http://www.chabad.org/1227940
Rav Sholem and his Reb Tziporah deserve a lot of praise for the way they extended themselves for Reb Yossi. I live on their block on 45 st and would marvel how their children would push the wheelchair and make sure that he enjoyed all his shabos and yom tov meals. Even in his very weak stage they always brought him to their home and would really put up with so many issues as it pertains to a person who is frail etc. Its a lesson for Klal Yisroel!
I am a mispalel in the Liska Shul in Boro Park and it was so heartwarming to see the mesiras nefesh of Reb Sholem Chaim Friedlander and his Rebbetzin and their grand-children take care of Reb Yossi when he was so frail–they made sure that he ate by them even when it was difficult to do so and made sure he got home, and really looked out for him 24/7–he should be a melitz yosher!