BDE: Rabbi Yisroel Rubin z’l, Ba’al Hachnasas Orchim at Berditchev

It is with sadness that we report the petirah of Rabbi Yisrael Aharon Rubin z”l, owner and operator of the Hachnasas Orchim “Eishel Rebbe Levi Yitzhak” house in Berditchev, Ukraine.

He was 64 years old, and passed away at the end of last week near the kever of Rav Levi Yitzhok zy”a, known as the “sanegor (defender) shel Yisroel” and author of Kedushas Levi. News of Rabbi Rubin’s petirah was reported Sunday.

The teams of ZAKA’s International Unit, together with the ZAKA Legal Department, led by the department’s coordinator, Michael Gutwein, worked with dedication and professionalism to assist Rabbi Rubin’s only son who arrived in Ukraine, and ensured the niftar’s transfer to Israel on the first flight this coming Tuesday.

Rabbi Rubin was born in Bnei Brak in 1961 to his father, the musician Rabbi Shmuel Rubin, z”l. He was a descendant of Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhensk zy”a and Rebbe Naftali of Rofshitz, zy”a.

In his youth, Rabbi Rubin learned at the Chachmei Lublin Yeshiva under Hagaon Harav Shmuel Halevi Wasner, zt”l.

His acquaintances tell of a Jew with a huge heart, a man of great kindness. For years he had a bakery in the city of Berdichev that supplied kosher products throughout Ukraine. He ran the large shul at the kever, too, in addition to his efforts to help the droves of yidden who would flock to Berditchev to daven at the kever.

He would give free Shabbos challah to all the elderly Jews living in Berditschov.

Nachman Dickstein, director of ZAKA in Europe, said: “From the moment we received the report of the deceased’s passing, we worked with the local authorities and the necessary agencies to take care of all the arrangements and bring the deceased with due respect as soon as possible to the Israel Cemetery.”

The niftar will arrive in Eretz Yisrael on Tuesday and his levaya will take place in the Bnei Brak section of the Be’er Yaakov cemetery.
Yehi zichro baruch.