The Olam Hachassidus has suffered a devastating loss with the petirah of the Kretchnif-Sighet Rebbe, HaRav Zeida Eliezer Zev Rosenbaum zt”l. The Rebbe, who led his kehilla with kedushah and avodas Hashem from his youth, was niftar on Tuesday at the age of 75.

The Rebbe suddenly collapsed last Friday afternoon, shortly before the onset of Shabbos Parshas Eikev, at his beis medrash on Rappaport Street in the Beis Yisroel neighborhood of Yerushalayim. He was rushed to Shaarei Tzedek Hospital, where doctors determined he had suffered a massive stroke. Thousands across the globe davened for his refuah, but alas, his neshama returned to the bais medrash shel maalah.

Arrangements for the levayah are still being finalized.

The Rebbe was born in Kiryat Ata (then Kfar Ata) on Pesach 5710 (1950), the second son of the previous Kretchnif Rebbe, Rav Tzvi Hirsch Rosenbaum, zt”l, known  as “Reb Hershele,” and Rebbetzin Shifra a”h, daughter of the Nadvorna Rebbe, the author of the Dvar Chaim zt”l.

From his earliest years, he was nurtured in the atmosphere of Nadvorna–Kretchnif. As a child he learned in the local Talmud Torah of Kiryat Ata and later in Satmar’s Talmud Torah in Haifa. Even in his youth, his avodah was apparent, with all who encountered him recognizing his yiras Shamayim and dveikus.

As a bochur, he learned in his father’s yeshiva in Kiryat Ata and later at Yeshivas Kochav MiYaakov (Tchebin) in Yerushalayim.

He married Rebbetzin Frimet a”h, the daughter of Rav Yechezkel Shraga Meirz zt”l, of America. After her petirah in 1998, he remarried to the daughter of Rav Ephraim Fishel Brax zt”l. He then settled in Williamsburg, where he became Rav of the Kretchnif-Sighet kehilla.

Following the petirah of his father, Reb Hershele zt”l, in 2006, he became Rebbe of Kretchnif-Sighet alongside his brother, the Kretchnif Rebbe of Yerushalayim. In 2009 he established a beis medrash in Williamsburg, later expanding his activities to Eretz Yisroel with mosdos in Yerushalayim and Beit Shemesh. In 2016 he returned permanently to Yerushalayim, establishing his beis medrash in Beis Yisroel. In 2018 he founded Nachlas Tzvi, a kollel for horaah named after his father, and also initiated the Amud HaYomi learning program.

The Rebbe, following the ways of his illustrious father, conducted his tishen on Shabbos with a fiery avodah that often continued until dawn, drawing throngs of Yidden from across Yerushalayim to bask in the kedushah. His Shalosh Seudos Torah often extended close to an hour, particularly during the days of Shovavim. Each Thursday night he would deliver a shiur in Chumash with Rashi.

His divrei Torah were published in the series Raza D’emunah — an acronym on his name, Rav Zeida Eliezer Zev Rosenbaum. In addition, weekly sheets under the title Lehavos Eish featured divrei Torah from both the Rebbe and his father.

He was renowned for conducting a special Pesach Sheini seder dressed in Shabbos attire, a minhag of Kretchnif, which drew large crowds from Yerushalayim and beyond.

The Rebbe participated personally in family simchos, with his mitzvah tanz uplifting all present, his dance lifting the crowd “two tefachim above the ground.”

Like his father before him, the Rebbe was outspoken against Zionism, following the derech of Satmar, opposing participation in Israeli elections and urging fidelity to the minhagim of previous generations.

Each year during the Nine Days, he traveled to the kever of the Nadvorna Rebbe, Rav Mordechai of Bistritz, zt”l, in Ukraine.

The Rebbe leaves behind a dor yesharim mevorach of sons, daughters, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

His sons:

• Rav Naftali Hertzka Yitzchok Rosenbaum, Rav of the Kretchnif-Sighet Beis Medrash in Beit Shemesh.
• Rav Yechezkel Shraga Rosenbaum, Rav of the Kretchnif-Sighet Beis Medrash in Williamsburg.
• Rav Nissan Chaim Mordechai Rosenbaum, Breslov mashpia.
• Rav Meir Aryeh Leib Rosenbaum, son-in-law of the Shendishover Rebbe.
• Rav Yoel Zusman Rosenbaum, son-in-law of the Bistritza Rebbe of Canada.

His sons-in-law:

• Rav Dovid Tzvi Kahn, Rav of Toldos Aharon–Beit Shemesh, son of the Toldos Aharon Rebbe.
• Rav Aharon Kahn, Rav of Toldos Aharon in Monsey.
• Rav Chaim Eliyahu Yoel Ilowitz, son of the Rav in Williamsburg.
• Rav Chaim Meir Schneiblag, Av Beis Din Straliszk, son of the Chernovitz Rebbe.
• Rav Shmuel Halevi Rothenberg, son of Rav Yisroel Rothenberg of Salkah, Monsey.
• Rav Aharon Teitelbaum.

His siblings:

• His older brother, the Kretchnif Rebbe of Yerushalayim.
• His sister, Rebbetzin Reitza Bracha Rabinowitz, wife of the Biala-Bnei Brak Rebbe.

Yehi zichro baruch.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)