BDE: Rav Meier Weinberg, zt”l, Marbitz Torah for Half a Century

by YS Gold 

We are saddened to inform you of the petirah of Rav Yosef Chaim Meier Weinberg, a Ra"m in Yeshiva Torah Vodaas for more than fifty years. He was 88 years of age, and dedicated his life to harbotzas Torah. 

The niftar was born in Fulda, Germany in the year 1935. During Kristallnacht, the Nazis sent his father and older brother to Buchenwald, and it was only through great miracles that the family got out of the country before the Holocaust.  

They made their way to Philadelphia until 1947, and then purchased an egg farm in Vineland, New Jersey, like many Yidden during the postwar era.   

Rav came to learn in Yeshiva Torah Vodaas during the 40’s and 50’s, and this is where he was forged with the fire of ahavas haTorah that would never depart him. He married Marcia, the daughter of Haga’on Rav Shaya Shimonovitch, one of the greatest talmidim of the Mir, and a longtime Rosh Yeshiva in Yeshiva RJJ. 

The Weinberg’s settled in Boro Park, and for many years Rav Meier davened in the Lakewood Minyan.  

He would return to his alma matter, Yeshiva Torah Vodaas, where he would spend the next half century as a marbitz Torah. “He served alongside the great Roshei Yeshiva of Torah Vodaath, and earned tremendous respect from them and from the talmidim who loved him deeply,” recalls a talmid of Torah Vodaas.    

“Still,” recalls a nephew, “he was the picture of simplicity. His entire essence was hatzne’ah leches—even though he was a tremendous talmid chochom. He insisted on dressing in a simple manner, and those who knew him understood that there was so much more to him than he let on.” 

A niece relates that she can’t recall her uncle Meier without a smile. “He was an ish hasholom, a man of peace and serenity. There was always peace between the siblings and the extended family.” 

In later years, Rav Meier would daven in Novominsk, which was near his home. Here he gained a new cadre of talmidim who came to appreciate and revere this great talmid chochom and learn from his ways. The Novominsker bachurim would come over to walk him to the yeshiva for tefillos, and spend time in his presence—thus, his harbotzas Torah continued until his last days, fulfilling his life’s calling of passing on Torah to future generations. 

The Levaya will take place at Yeshiva Torah Vodaas at 11:00 this morning, and kevurah will be in Eretz Yisroel. 

Yehi zichro baruch.