Zaidy Davening

Zaidy with Falik. This was one of last photos taken Thursday night before the stroke on Shabbos

Zaidy with Sholom Ber Raitport and Shaya Schtroks

With gratitude to Hashem Binyomin and I feel honored and blessed to have had Zaidy at our wedding and fully involved. Zaidy joined the circuits under the chuppah and danced with my father and Binyomin. Before the Chuppah Zaidy peered into my eyes as Uncle Sruly mouthed "Yevorechicha Hashem, Vyishmirecha, Yaer Hashem Panav Eilecha Vichuneka, Yisa Hashem Panav Eilecha Vyasem lcha Shalom!" How powerful, something I will never forget! 

Zaidy was a special person, who welcomed all with a smile! I remember how he used to dance and sing with young children as they came to visit. Each morning when we spent Pesach at Bobby's and Zaidy, 5am we could already hear the Kol Torah as Zaidy was sitting over a sefer learning. 

I was one of the privileged aineklach to have my own Chana - Zaidy song. It went like this:

"Oifn bargel, shtait a haysel mit a greenem dach, Chanale mit mir!"
(If anyone remembers the rest of the song please email me the lyrics - cschtroks@gmail.com)

 Zaidy will be deeply missed! May we follow in his footsteps and learn from his example!

Photo of Zeidy from Wedding of Chana and Binyoman Gordon June 12 2013

Photo of Zeidy from Wedding of Chana and Binyoman Gordon June 12 2013

Photo taken by Nachman Schtroks

Pictures- Zaidy

from Rabbi BenZion Chanowitz:

Thank you very much for all your good wishes, kind thoughts and prayers on behalf of my family. I had planned to return to Monticello for one of the days of Shiva, however, my mother has requested that the family remain together until Monday afternoon.

If you wanted to come for a Shiva call, I have a suggestion. In memory of my dear father Gerson Ben Ben-Zion hk’’m, please use the time that you would have spent (in travel and visiting with me) to study Torah, give charity, or add a new Mitzvah to your life. It would be very meaningful to my family if you could write a few words about your accomplishments and send it to chanowitzfamily@gmail.com.

A real hartwarming letter from Cheskey Fishman:

 

Dearest Bobby, Mom, and the whole family,

No matter what the age, health condition, or circumstances are, it always comes as a shock when someone close to us passes away. It’s a time of mourning, feeling the great loss, and looking deep within ourselves and having a reality check of where that person stood in our lives and the impacts and meaning that person had on who we are as a person. How much more when that someone was our amazing Zaidy, a pure golden angel of a person, and the head of our amazing beautiful family. In essence, a lot of who we are today stems from the roots of our family tree and he was the biggest root.

To be honest when I heard that in Chabad they don’t make Hespeds, it bothered me a bit. I know that when someone passes away his soul flies across time and space. The soul travels from one end of the universe to the other, and travels across all the memories and actions that made up his life. They say that his one place of comfort from the shock of what life was about is his physical body. By the funeral the soul joins the family in their mourning, and gains comfort in hearing all about what their life meant to everyone and the impact they made on this world. Remembering Zaidy and who he was as person quickly made me realize that this is exactly what he would have wanted. Zaidy was never drawn to respect and honor; he didn’t like being in the spot light, or hearing what an amazing person he was. He considered himself a regular person, just like everyone else, maybe even less. By being a humble person he always strived to better himself, to leave a legacy here that would be remembered by others. I even remember a while back my mother saying to me, that before Zaidy went into surgery, he had asked her that maybe he didn’t fulfill what he was put here to do, maybe it’s not enough. Now a person as humble as Zaidy, when others would go on and on about how great they were would be embarrassed and leave the room, not wanting to hear more. Now that Zaidy is in the Olam Haemet, the world of pure truth, where everyone in Heaven can see his true self, he feels embarrassed enough, if you would say, that people here saying all the stories wouldn’t make him happy. So I believe that at the funeral, Zaidy seeing all the family, whether there or around any part of the world, took comfort just by seeing all that he has done and built in life, all that his 90 plus years have contributed to this world and the purpose of his Hashem putting him here. He knows that he accomplished all that he was meant to, plus so much more.

Im remembering that as kids we would go to Bobby and Zaidy for Shabbat, and am remembering some of my highlights from spending time there. To me one of my favorite moments was right after Havdala. During Shabbat, Zaidy would make sure to learn with all the kids and review what they learnt during the week. No matter how many of us were there he would learn with all of us, and not just make believe he was listening, he would take such pride and interest, and then run to the Sforim shelves and pull out a sefer that we wouldn’t even open in school for another 10 years, and within seconds flip to the right page, and show us what that meforish said. After havdala one by one he would take us to his hallway closet, open one of his jackets, and pull out a dollar and give it to us. No, the dollar is not my fond memories; its how he gave it to me. He would always pet my cheek, and hold my shoulder, and tell me how proud he was of me, and actually thanked me for learning with him, and telling me that I should continue just like I am and I will grow to greatness. It was sincere and real, the amount of love and the words spoken, time after time, week after week, year after year, that I received in that hallway echoes throughout my life and haunts me now as I write this. I am sure that I wasn’t the only one who got this treatment, and that’s what’s all the more amazing, he had 100 or so grandkids, and to tattoo that feeling into the very fibers of our beings is amazing, and just shows a glimpse of who he was as a person.

As a child I spent a lot of time by Zaidy and Bobby, many Shabatot, Pesach seders, Sukkot in Montreal, and even living by them for some time. Never did he have a negative thing to say, never did he get angry, never treated anyone wrong. Always did he show me love, as well as anyone that came into his house or spoke to him for that matter. He took interest in all, no matter from 2 days old to older than him.

I can proudly say that what I strive to be in terms of a person, and what I strive to gain out of my life, is a lot due to Zaidy. He taught me so much, and analyzing how he lived his life and analyzing my memories, and of course implementing it, would be like a guide book to being the best person I can be, to fulfill my purpose on this earth. Sadly I can also say that I have much much work to do to even begin walking in his footsteps, let alone his enormous shoes.

Its difficult writing this, or even finding words to write, since all I keep seeing is his smiling assuring loving face. I keep spacing off smiling back to him and remembering our life and times together, and crying about all the time I missed spending with him, and all the more I could have gained from him.

Bobby, I apologize if anything is written wrong, or not in the proper time or place.

Zaidy I love you and miss you, and hope you forgive me if I did anything wrong to you ever, or didn’t respect you enough. It will be very difficult imagining life without you or learning new things from you, or hearing your stories. The root that you are in this family tree has not died; your root will live on through your legacy, through your family, through me. On the contrary it will only get fatter and stronger, and sprout many more branches.

I wish all the family Hamakom Yenchem Etchem Btoch Shaar Aveilei Tzion Vyerushalayim, may we gain strength and comfort from the happy life and great memories that Zaidy left behind, and knowing that he is up there in heaven watching over us now, and protecting us from any more sorrow.

With Love, respect, and grief

 

 

this write up was posted on the Web on July 9 2013:


Jul 9, 2013

R' Gershon Chanowitz, 91, OBM

Reb Gershon Chanowitz, an elder Chabad Chassid and long time Crown Heights resident, passed away.

Reb Gershon Chanowitz, an elder Chabad Chassid, passed away on Tuesday, 2 Av, 5773.

He was 91.

Reb Gershon was born in the Town of Glubocke, Belarus to Reb Ben Zion, a family of Chabad Chassidim for many generations.

He was sent at a young age to learn in Tomchei Temimim in Otvotzk as well as in Shanghai.

He was Zocheh to be at the Freidiker Rebbe’s Pesach Sedorim for many years.

Some Ma’amorim we have today of the year 1940 - 5699 were given to the Rebbe from his Seforim.

Reb Gershon lived in Crown Heights for many years, working as a Shochet. He also worked with the Rashag as a fundraiser for Tomchei Temimim years ago.

He leaves behind a beautiful legacy of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, many of whom are on shlichus.

He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Lea Chanowitz and their children Mrs. Elki Elbaum – Boro Park, Rabbi Moishe Chanowitz – Montreal, Canada, Mrs. Shifi Kohl – Boro Park, Rabbi Ben Zion Chanowitz – Monticello, NY, Mrs. Esti Fishman – Boro Park, Mrs. Simi Schtrocks – Surrey BC, Canada, Rabbi Sruli Chanowitz – Monsey, NY, Mrs Chani Schiener -Boulder, Colorado; grandchildren and great grandchildren.

The Levaya will be today, Tuesday at Shomrei Hadas - 14th Ave & 38th Street at 1:00 P.M., passing by 770 Eastern Parkway at 1:45 PM.

The burial will be at Old Montefiore Cemetery in Queens.

Shivah will be at the Chanowitz residence 1556 43rd St, Brooklyn NY.
They will be sitting Shiva through Monday.

Minyonim are needed for the following times:
Shacharis: 7:30, 8:15
Mincha: 8:00, 8:15 (3 minyanim)
Maariv: bizmano (3 minyanim)

The family has requested that people send stories, memories and nichum availim to chanowitzfamily@gmail.com.

Baruch dayan haemes.