Memory Lane: Rav Dovid Singer

A world-class ga’on in Boro Park of yesteryear, a brilliant orator blessed with a phenomenal recall in all areas of Torah was Rav Dovid Singer, zt”l, the longtime Rov of the Sfardishe Shul. His droshos—filled with chiddushim, and an endless flow of Torah brilliance coupled with phenomenal oratorical skill—drew audiences that packed the cavernous Sfardishe Shul, and he would be a regular honored speaker at community events, similarly mesmerizing and inspiring his audiences with his oratory. 

Tarnów

Rav Dovid was born in the town of Tarnów, in burgeoning Jewish prewar Galicia, in the year 1917. His father was Haga’on Rav Eliyohu Singer who would later be a prominent rov in Newark, New Jersey. Rav Eliyohu was born in the Galician town of Stuchin around the year 1895. A born genius, he learned under the Maharsham of Brezan and became one of his prize talmidim. He later served in a number of kehillos in Poland before coming to the United States around 1920 and serving as a rov of Congregation Anshei Galicia in the then-thriving Jewish metropolis of Newark. 

Being a young boy without many chinuch options in Newark, his father learned with young Dovid, enriching his breadth of Torah knowledge. Possessed with a brilliant mind, and an even stronger desire to master Torah, he absorbed an incredible amount and internalized all of it. 

From his youth, he became proficient in Tanach and Mishnah, and in Jewish history, and as he grew older, he dedicated himself to the mastery of Shas and Poskim. He would draw upon this mastery throughout his many years of teaching and inspiring his People. 

When he came of age, he entered Yeshiva Torah Vodaath, where he stood out for his brilliance despite his lack of a formal yeshiva education. When Rav Dovid Leibowitz opened his yeshiva Chofetz Chaim, Rav Dovid was among the first talmidim, and he became a talmid muvhok of the Rosh Yeshiva who showed him tremendous love and adoration, referring to him as “the iluy.” 

His hasmodoh during his years in Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim was legendary. One of the his fellow talmidim from that time related that Rav Dovid was once tested on eleven blatt in Nedorim in their entirety. “He didn’t leave out a single letter of Gemoro or Ran,” he recalled. 

Even at this young age, his oratorical ability shone forth, and recognizing this, Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim would send him out to make appeals in support of the fledgling mossad in Shuls and botei Midrashim. He would also serve as the main speaker at Sheva Brochos celebrations of chaverim and other events.

A Half-Century of Rabbonus 

In 1944, when Rav Dovid was just a young man, his father was niftar, leaving behind an almonoh and yesomim. Being the bechor, the weight of caring for the family—spiritually and materially—fell onto his able shoulders. With his deep wisdom, he understood the soul of his mother and siblings. 

He did not demur when his father’s congregation offered him to succeed him in the rabbinic position—for he needed to support the family. Thus began a sterling rabbinic career that would span half a century—a tenure in which he would hold thousands of droshos, care for countless people, and serve in a prominent role within the Jewish community in Brooklyn. 

A new chapter was opened in Rav Dovid’s life when he was appointed to the prestigious pulpit of First Cong. Anshei Sfard of Boro Park, a position that he would hold for thirty-three years. 

Soon after his acceptance of the position, the kehillah came to realize the exceptional caliber of the rov that they had appointed. When he delivered his first major droshoh in front of the shul, on Shabbos Shuvah of 1961, more than 1,000 people packed the shul to the rafters! 

His droshos were comprised of ma’amarei Chazal, fused with the words of Rishonim and Poskim, interwoven with the words of the Rambam, Sifrei mussar and chassidus—recalling each of the sources verbatim without the aid of a single note! His droshos were delivered with flair and ease, and would regularly draw large crowds who took in every word with thirst. 

Aside from his communal obligations, Rav Dovid’s true joy was to sit with his seforim, learning with incredible diligence and iyun in his study for many hours on end. He once encountered the Satmar Rov in Sharon Springs and got into a Torah discussion for four consecutive hours. The Rebbe later remarked that he had not had such a pleasurable conversation for all his years in America. In general, the rebbe love and respected Rav Dovid greatly. 

In addition to his many qualities and talents, Rav Dovid was a great shfal berech, exceedingly humble. He was also exceptionally close to numerous Admorim and Rabbonim of New York, all of whom held him in the highest regard. 

This towering pillar of old-world Rabbonus and incredible Torah brilliance served as one of Boro Park’s leading Rabbonim for 33 years until his passing on 3 Elul, 1994, following a lifetime dedicated to Torah, and decades of sterling Torah leadership in Boro Park of yore.