Baruch Dayan HaAmet: From Laniado Hospital in Netanya came the bitter news tonight (Thursday to Friday) about the passing of the late Rebbe of Chakwa, R. Naftali Halberstam, one of the oldest rebbe of the generation, and he is 94 years old.
In recent days he has been weakened and forced to undergo emergency surgery and tonight as mentioned he has returned his soul to its creator. The late Rebbe also served as chairman of the kosher committee of the Badatz of the Haredi community.
His funeral procession left today (Friday) at 11:30 from the Beit Midrash ‘Divrei Chaim’ Sanz-Chakwa at 11 Yona Street in Jerusalem, will pass through ‘Zofnik’ and from there to the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.
To watch the broadcast from the funeral procession:
The late Rebbe was born in Galicia to Rabbi Yaakov, the Rebbe of Chakawa, the son of Rabbi Sinai of Zemigrad, and to Idol Dina, the daughter of Rabbi Shalom Moskowitz of Shatz. He studied Torah and piety, and in his youth he studied at the Slonim Yeshiva, and was associated with the then Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Shalom Noah Berezovsky, the Rebbe of Slonim.
He married Chaya Sara, daughter of Rabbi Shmuel Shmalka Ginzberg, Av Beit Din of Orniash Madish, a descendant of Rabbi Shmuel Shmalka Klein of Salish. Authorized to teach by Rabbi Pinchas Epstein and Beit Din.
He was crowned rabbi of the Chakwa Court during his father’s life, and after his death in 1958 he began to fill his place as Rebbe of Chakawa.
He served as chairman of the kashrut committee of the Haredi community in Jerusalem. Of the ‘Arava’ area on the southern border of the country. He also worked hard for the kosherness of the dishes for Passover.
Conducted struggles against autopsies in Israel. And also fought against the excavation of tombs, and thanks to his connections with Rabbi Yitzchak Ze’ev Halevi Soloveitchik of Brisk he managed to prevent the excavation of tombs near the tomb of Maimonides in Tiberias.
Author of the book “Divrei Naftali” on the Torah and festivals.
His brothers were Rabbi Moshe Halberstam, Rabbi Meir Halberstam (Rebbe of Chakawa Bnei Brak), and Rabbi Hacham Zvi Halberstam. (Details courtesy of The Complex).