Rabbi Moshe Eliyahu Gerlitzky, one of the eldest Chabad Chassidim and of the founders of Lubavitch Montreal, passed away Sunday, 20 Nissan 5770.
He was 94.
Rabbi Gerlitsky was born in Otwock, Poland, in 1915. He lost his entire family during the holocaust and was saved through Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara.
Following his learning in the Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch in Poland and later in Shanghai, the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson sent him to the Canadian city of Montreal to establish a Yeshiva and a Lubavitch community.
He was one of the 9 bochurim Shluchim who were sent. The other two remaining members of that legendary group are Rabbi Menachem Zev Greenglass and Rabbi Yosef Wineberg, may they live and be well.
Togather with his late wife Mrs. Chana Etka Gerlitzky, he raised a Chassidic family and opened a branch of the Yeshiva in Montreal to be called Rabbinical College of Canada.
It was the home of the central Chabad shul, mikvah, kindergarten, school, Mesivta and Zal and a beacon of light which strengthened religious Jewish life in the metropolitan city.
Known as a good-hearted person, Reb Moshe Elya, as he was called, shared his love for the Rebbe and Chassidus with young and old and left an everlasting impact on their lives with a good word or candy for the kids in Shul.
He also involved himself in acts of Chessed, helping people and families in need – from all communities.
He is survived by 8 children and over 300 grandchildren and great grandchildren, many who are Rabbis and Shluchim around the world.
His children are Mrs. Mindy Shemtov – Crown Heights, Mrs. Rivka Aisenbach – Montreal, Rabbi Avrohom Gerlitzky – Maggid Shiur in Oholei Torah in Crown Heights, Mrs. Chaya Leah Berger – California, Mrs. Devorah Rivkin – Tampa, Florida, Rabbi Yosef Gerlitzky – Head Shliach of Tel Aviv, Rabbi Menachem Gerlitzky – Crown Heights and Mrs. Fraide Shpigelman – Montreal.
The funeral was held today at Yeshiva Lubavitch, 6405 Westbury Avenue in Montreal at 2:30pm.
The family will be sitting Shivah at 5027 Plamondon.
Baruch Dayan Haemes.
i was also his great granchild zeide passed away when i was 7
To #33.
The nine listed are the nine original buchrim who came and established the Yeshiva in 1941. Originally located on Pine Avenue, then Park Avenue followed by Westbury.
Rabbi Gerlitsky used to travel to the many remote areas collecting for the Yeshiva. In addition to raising tzedaka, he saved many young boys and brought them back toi Montreal to learn in the Yeshiva.
One of the greats. He will be sorely missed.
every year he would go to the ludger memoreal day and make the kel malei rachamim i even was zoche when i was a bachur in montreal to drive him their.
doesn’t really mater about where hes from .
he was agrate talmid chacham!
“…chachomim marbim shalom baolam.”-tehilas hashem
after” kave .. hashem”
Rabby Gerlitzky alwas made people happy.
never took sides .he cared for ‘anyone who is anyone!’
his neshama should have an aliya.
infact he diseves gan eden stright!
to the family you are luky to have such a grate talmid chacham
he looks like a beautiful chossid!
is it weird to say that I’m relieved to go onto COL and see people dying at the age of 94 and 89? As it should be, after a full life of growing and giving……..
Its called KINSK not Minsk!
Ur Zaide was born in MINSK
you got it right, no need for a ? by rabbi stein he was definetly one of the 9. what a group, they dont make them like that any more. “who will be the zaidys of our children if not we” “vhachai yiten el libo”
Rabbi’s Gerlitsky, Tennenbaum, Kotlarsky, Rodal, Wineberg, Kramer, Greenglass, Hendel, (Stein?)
R’Gerlitsky!!!!
just looking at the pictures makes me cry.
a real chayol of the rebbe!!!
he was so couragous,always made people be simcha
just seeing him walking to shul ,it would encouraged me to do more good in the world,to change and become better
person ,to serv hashem with joy and gratitude!
he taught me a lesson for life.
he is a person i will never forget!
WE SHOULD BE ZOCHE TO SEE THE GEULAH SHELEIMA !MAMOSH NOW!!!!!!HASHEM I CANT WAIT ANY MORE.
אהב כל נכד וניס כאילו הם בן יחד שלו
to 27 he was 94 and in iyar he was going to turn 95 a very heilige man and we will all miss him
wow! moshe eli seems to be a really special person – this is such a loss for klal yisrael!
hashem, ad mosai: WE CAN’T TAKE IT ANY MORE!
1) check again if he was born in otwotzk
2)he was 94!!!
3)very nice der neshama zul hoben an alea
ANOTHER great grandson (kein yirbu…)
my brother had a bris the day he passed away and we named him moshe elye,he was such a good kindhearted sweet man.a bit of the info about him was wrong like he was born in otwack also he was really 95
I did not really have the zechus to meet Rav Gerlitzky AH during my days in Montreal, and all I can say is that I “knew who he was”. That in itself speaks volumes.
the simcha with which he wished Mazel Tovs from the bimah on Friday night was a true reflection of ahavas yisroel.
Rabbi Gerlitzky’s passing leaves a tremendous void in Montreal and in our hearts. He will never be forgotten. Our deepest sympathy to the entire family.
Aaron and Rivka Chaiton
R’ hendel A”H, R’ kotlarsky A”H, R’ tenenbaum A”H etc.
Rabbi Gerlitzky z”l will be very much missed by everyone in here in Montreal. Whenever there was a Simcha, Rabbi Gerlitzky would be there as if it was his own family’s Simcha. He would talk into the microphone with such excitement and happiness always finding so much good to talk about every Baal Hasimcha. The entire Shul would burst with much happiness when Rabbi Gerlitzky would officially announce any new Mazal Tov as it was his very own Simcha. We will all yearn his Farbrengens, Chassidishe Vertlach, his stories from Otwotck Poland , from their escape from the war, and… Read more »
Rabbi Gerlitzky cared so much about even the seemingly smallest details of Yiddishkeit. For example one time he got upset about that too many Tanyas were on the shelf and not enough were on the tables i.e. people weren’t using them enough. Another example was on a Chassidishe Yoma Depagra (can’t remember which one) when no-one else cared enough to Farbreng, he got together a couple of Bochurim during our break to Farbreng with us (that’s actually the first photo after the article here). I still remember what he spoke about: the Chassidishe explanation of the words Az Ponim Legehinom… Read more »
Yes it”s true 100% Reb Moishe Elya ZT”L is takeh geven balibet ba alemen… He is certainaly not a case fun Acrel Mois Kedodishim… I remember way back in Montreal.. the little sholeish Sedus he used to make for us little kids 12 yrs old etc where it was dark in a room upstairs near the Beis hamedresh where he told us stories sang songs with us… He litterally never never ever had a shlecya vort always a smile I remember once by a farbrengen in OLD Montreal I was about 11 at the time when the Chassidim were farbrengen… Read more »
When the shiddach for Uncle Moshe Elye, A”H, and Auntie Chana, A”H, was ‘redt’, Uncle Moshe Elye had no one to represent him. The Frierdike Rebbe told our Zayde, R’ Noteh Zev Rosenbloom, A”H, that he himself is the mechutan!
Rabbi Gerlitzky was beloved by all. A kind smile always exuded warmth, goodness and graciousness. Humble and devoted to all – he will be sorely missed.
May he be a gutte better for klal yisroel with his sweet smile, HKB”H surely will not be able to refuse his request for the geulah shlaima.
what a wonderfull person ! baruch dayan haemes
B”H Zoiche to great great… Keyn Yirbu.
we need moshiach now! so many rabbonim and ppl in general are passing away
rabbi gerlitzkys daughter is my naighbour so i feel th epsin! oy hashem! baruch dayan emes! WE WANT MOSHIACH NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sasses I new him berry well he was a verry good man just about a week ago he asked me for my help I walked doing the steps whith him and held the door for him and he looked bak at me and said with a smile thank you
Naffla Ateres Roisheinu
so many deaths recently, we need moshiach!
always a happy person
baruch dayan emes where is moshiach
we need moshiach we want moshiach
5 generations ka”h
Wooww he was a very special person
baruch dayan haemes….moshiach now
We have had great chassidim in the past as well, but a Shlich in a city for over 70 years and NO ONE could or ever did say anything negative about him, that speaks volumes. He was truly the ISH CHESED of the century.
May his beautiful Hartzigeh Varimeh Neshomeh go up to the Eibishter and say enough, Ad Mosai, bring Moshiach NOW!
A crying and heartbroken Montrealer.
Boruch dayan haemes
i was zoche to be his grandchild and able to learn so much from his ahavas yisroel and simchah!
AD MOSAY?