Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak haKohen Rosenfeld, 1929-2025, Rav of Lubavitch Boro Park shul, 48 yrs

This is a tribute to Harav Rabbi Benoy and Rosenfeld. Rabbi Rosenfeld was my childhood rabbi in 1977 when he took over the sh as the from his illustrious father-in-law Elo Simpson Talmud in Lavich and Lavicher and Rab Rosenfeld was one of his son-in-laws. So I grew up with Rab Rosenfeld. So I want to share some personal things and and to to sh to show you know what type of ye was Rabbi Simpson used to every shabas there as the tradition in is when he passed away Rab Rosenfeld started to review the shabas afternoon and I noticed this was when I was like 16 17 I noticed that he was hazering my marash. Now we yes were learning later. No one learned my of marash not yeshiva and not much other times either. So I asked him so he said this is what we learned in 770 in the 1940s. That was the a few the previous Reb had printed with the Rebash as my was the grandfather of the fba and I remember sitting I used to come early and he used to sit and I saw him preparing the mimer and reviewing it and memorizing and then he said the mimer and it just left an impression I could see it in front of me right now you know coming into the shul at let's say 6 6:30 or 7 whatever it was before mink in the longer days and he's sitting there learning the mimer. Another thing that I saw he used to have a he used to learn with melovich. Those borrow of us from borak know who he was. He was a Russian yid that was close to rabashkin and he used to learn with him was a simple person Rosenfeld taught him. And later he learned with someone named was but they learned it could be was a book in I don't know I know from his children so I guess they got it somewhere but the the commitment you know to to learning to learning I I saw that I grew up with that and who who can forget Rosel standing outside sometimes might have to I'm sure there's a 10th person. Your heart goes out. Here's a person with, you know, a white beard already. You know, he's in his 80s and he's standing outside in a minion. Why? Because this was a sh of his father-in-law and it was a sh of they named it then later after he passed away the father-in-law they named it bas. But it was it was it was Kabad of Burough Park was the Simpson/roenfel Shu. That's that's what it was. The sh started in this location in 1936. It actually started in 1929 on 14th of 46 where you see on the gem video the fida from the second floor uh looking out to the people who came to greet him in 1929. That was on 14th Avenue 46th Street in in the corner. But then in 1934 that burnt down and until they he moved to a permanent place. It was 1936. So he's there 89 years. Right. It's 2025. the the shul the place was in the 89 years open as a shu as a moderator and um Rosenfeld himself moved there in 1963 because his mother-in-law passed away. So with the advice of the Reba he moved in with his wife and family to to help the Rabbi Simpson who's already become you know was older and he lived there pretty much uh till probably about 60 years till 2023 or so before him and his wife you know couldn't be alone anymore and they moved to their son in Crown Heights. So you know 60 years uh being you know between your father and then leading a congregation of the Yeshua. Some other memories every Shuis the the people from Crown Heights of Tal they would walk in right Shoulus was Burough Park Williamsburg was Pes and was uh East Flatbush and I remember you know as a boy seeing this um we got here my parents moved here in 1970 I was 9 years old and I remember the coming I remember Lipkar was speaking there was on someone's shoulder and I remember Bman speaking on someone's shoulder I remember and there was thousands of people in the street of Lebachers and people the Boro Parkers were standing and looking from the outside and Rosenfold had um kdish and miz and soda at a place it was it was beautiful it was gorgeous it was it was great and that was leavich it was kabad then of course there began not in before began roenfel Sh and at and there was a time when was teaching there that's where it began the the I think in 75 or so 76 77 those years it began that used to give the Tanya it all began over there a lot of memories a lot of memories to 95 in 96 years I think that's they wrote 95 but I think it was 96 six. He was born in of I believe. So this of he would have been 97. Tesh Pas of and uh he raised Barashem beautiful children and grandchildren great grandchildren. Just three weeks ago he was Mad Kadush I think of a great grandchild at 770. And uh I comfort all of them, you know, um those that are more my age and then the older sons who are in their schlookim all over the world in Switzerland and Colombia in Colombia andro here there and everywhere you know and the grandchildren are shim and great grandchildren. It's it's beautiful to see it's a beautiful family and on one hand this you know it closes the circle you know sagural you know I mean I'm standing I was standing there this morning and looking at the shul and looking at the the the hear and the casket and the urin and the people and it's on one hand very sad like you know it's the end of an era it's the end of an era now hashem there's several and and then there's things happening. But this is this is something that I grew up with and many of us grew up with and those that are a little older can relate to what I'm saying. This was this was Lebavich and Burough Park. Okay. It was always small. We weren't very large, you know. It was was but it was it was a magnificent shoe. you had in the show there people like Roberto Levy and a Ginsburg and Zelig Leven and my father and Iort and Kodney and Picarski um Rubashkin um the Rabinowitz and Shinburgger and there was it was it was a happening place. It was arguments and sometimes fighting and screaming and sometimes hugging and kissing and fabanging and um it it it's really a very very special a very special thing you know so my wish to to the family is to continue Rosenfeld's ways you know how he came to Leavage his father was a Gassid in fact I know where he's buried not far from my father-in-law And um he came to lababage I think the grroners helped brought them that's what they say you know to to the yeshiva he became a talban in the early 1940s and the yeshiva he was um I think in 1946 he was sent I believe uh to Chicago with a group of goldman him and the posner posner label posner and a few others they were like in you know 1946 six I believe to Baba Shiva in Chicago what else what else should I say that um so on one hand you know it's the the the it's the end of an era the same time there's the generations continue and people and he left over such a beautiful illustrious and wonderful and large family and may Hashem help that there should be death should be eradicated and uh be a blessing and let us continue doing good things [Music] that he was a Rosenfeld should be in the right place in the best place and to go to the to bring Msiah and to rebuild the BD. Thank you.