Milton (Yechiel Michel) Kramer, a resident of the Five Towns, NY, who was once blessed by the Previous Rebbe with long life, passed away this week.
He was 99.
His family was instrumental in establishing Chabad-Lubavitch in America, in saving the Previous Rebbe from the Nazis, and in acquiring the building at 770 Eastern Parkway to be Lubavitch World Headquarters.
Kramer was privileged to have attended a Farbrengen during the Previous Rebbe’s visit to America in 1930. As a young boy of 10 at the time, he merited to sing at the farewell Melava Malka in his uncle’s home.
Several years ago, as part of the My Encounter with the Rebbe project, Kramer reminisced about this event.
“My uncle, Sam Kramer, was a camera buff and he took pictures, silent movies and those are the movies that we turned over to Lubavitch, and they’re part of the record. I was actually ten years old,” Milton reminisced. “My father gave me a nudge, he said ‘Michel’e zing, zing, zing,’ and that’s what happened…”
Following his family’s storied tradition of recording history and in establishing the historic record, Milton was also instrumental in the release of his uncle’s historic films of the Previous Rebbe in one of JEM’s earliest productions, “America is No Different.”
May his memory be for a blessing.
A real mensch, BDE.
I was close with Milton. His dedication and his devotion to both Rebbes was always with a whole heart.
Milton, like I once told you, my world is a better place because you were in it. May you be a mailitz yosher for all of us.
To #6 — I think you mean Yossele ROSENBLATT!
His grandson is a good friend of mine from childhood. I used to learn with him and Gramps gemoro l’iyuno every motzei shabbos for a long time. BDE zeyer a shiene yid.
Not rosenfeld
Never forget his father the classiest man Sam
It’s not Rosenblat
A good Jew
famous chazan yossele rosenfeld
he was very involved with the Lubavitch Yeshiva and the Rashag
Anyone know what song he sang?
One who doesn’t know the Kramer history doesn’t know the history of Lubavitch.
The Kramer were zoche to something incredible! BDE
Amazing to see this footage from over 80 years ago and to hear directly from him.