Rabbi Sholom Feldman, 81, OBM

By COLlive reporter

Rabbi Sholom Feldman, one of the elder chassidim in the Israeli village of Kfar Chabad, passed away on Thursday, 27 Nissan 5775.

He was 81.

Born in the Soviet Union to a Chabad family whose roots trace to the villages of Nevel and Klimovitch, R’ Sholom studied in wandering underground Chabad Yeshivas in Samarkand and elsewhere.

Escaping the Communist oppression with many chassidic families, his family found shelter in France, where he was sent to learn in the famed Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim in Brunoy.

Once in Israel, he learned in the Chabad Yeshiva in Tel Aviv, then a center of vibrant Jewish life for many Jewish immigrants. He later traveled to New York to study near the Rebbe at 770 Eastern Parkway.

He and his wife settled in Kfar Chabad, where he directed the Yad Hachamisha print house as part of Chabad’s vocational school for youngsters from impoverished backgrounds.

As the years advanced, fellow residents enjoyed his knowledge and wit and would sit during the farbrengens he led at the Central “Merkazi” Shul in Kfar Chabad. He never missed a single Shabbos farbrengen there.

American bochurim learning at the Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim in Cholon merited to be influenced by him in his position as Mashpia up until 5 years ago. The Yeshiva is led by his cousin Rabbi Shlomo Chaim Feldman.

Every Friday, R’ Sholom would travel to Rishon L’tzion at the corners of Rothschild and Hertzel streets to help Jewish store owners and passersby to put on Tefillin.

The tradition began in 5735 (1975) when the Mashpia R’ Mendel Futerfas urged fellow chassidim to follow the Rebbe’s instructions and go on Mivtzoim. They placed a loudspeaker on the roof of their car to invite people to do a Mitzvah.

In recent years, R’ Sholom was accompanied by his son R’ Dovid Feldman and grandson Itzik in what has become an unstoppable tradition. “Rain or shine, he always appears,” one store owner commented.

Always with a friendly approach, many store owners in Rishon L’tzoin strengthened their connection to their faith following his visit and the Shmura Matzah he would bring before Pesach.

He is survived by his wife Mussia, their children R’ Dovid Feldman, Mrs. Chaya Zalmanov, Mrs. Rochel Leah Zaks, Mrs. Esther Olidort; grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

He is also survived by his sisters, Mrs. Ella Belfer, Jerusalem, and Mrs. Sara Kasinetz, Livingston, NJ.

His funeral left from his home in Kfar Chabad to the Har Hazeisim cemetery in Jerusalem.

Baruch Dayan Haemes.