BDE: The Tachakever Rebbe, zt”l, 94, Scion of Great Dynasties, Leader in Kashrus

By: Boropark24 staff

We are deeply saddened to inform you of the passing of the Tchakever Rebbe, Rav Naftule Halberstam, zt”l, who passed away a short time ago in the Laniado Hospital in Netnanya. He was 94 years of age, and dedicated his life to Torah learning, and was considered one of the preeminent kashrus authorities of our time.

He was born in Tchakeva, Galicia, in the year 1928, to his father Rav Yankele of Tchakeve—a great-grandson of the Divrei Chaim of Sanz—who was later in the United States, and later in Eretz Yisroel. His mother was Rebbetzin Eidel Dinah, the daughter of the Shotzer Rebbe of London, a scion of Zlochev and other dynasties. In 1935, seeing what was coming to the Yidden of Europe, they made their way to America, and later to Eretz Yisroel.

Here, the young Naftule, along with his illustrious brothers, Rav Moshe and Rav Meir, learned among the great men of Yerushalayim. He learned in the Slonimer yeshiva, and was exceptionally close with the Nesivos Sholom of Slonim.

For decades, he led the kashrus division of the Eidah Hacharedis, and was universally respected. The Rebbe was known as an extremely sharp person, who was focused on his learning—being a masmid otzum all his life.

The Rebbe was a repository of stories and traditions from his own holy ancestors, and of the innumerable Gedolim whom he knew intimately during his youth in Yerushalayim, and who foresaw his greatness.

He leaves hundreds of descendants who proudly carry on his legacy.

The levaya will take place in a few hours, on Friday morning, at the Rebbe’s Beis Medrash on Rechov Yonah in Yerushalayim. He will be interred on Har Hazeisim.

With his loss, we have lost a true leader in Klal Yisroel, and a great link to our glorious past.