A large crowd attended the levaya in Jerusalem on
Monday 29 Shvat of HaRav Zalman Halevi Ury zt"l, an
elder talmid of HaRav Aharon Kotler zt"l and
the chairman of the California Bureau of Jewish Education,
who passed away in Los Angeles at the age of 81.
Rav Zalman Ury was the great-grandson of HaRav Dovid Teveli,
author of Nachalas Dovid. His parents sent him to a
yeshiva ketanoh and later to the yeshiva
gedoloh in Kletsk, where he studied under HaRav Aharon
Kotler and formed close ties with the mashgiach, HaRav
Yosef Leib Nandik zt"l.
When World War II broke out Zalman followed the yeshiva to
Vilna and from there was exiled to Siberia. Later, in
Samarkand, he met and married his wife, Rebbetzin Chavoh
tlc"a, the daughter of HaRav Meir Pearl. In 5707
(1947) they arrived in the US, where R' Zalman Ury resumed
his studies under HaRav Kotler in Lakewood.
He dedicated his whole life to providing American Jews a
Torah education — first in St. Louis and then in
California, particularly Los Angeles.
From early childhood he cleaved to his rabbonim and their
mussar teachings. He delved into the teachings of
HaRav Yisroel Salanter and even wrote a sefer on his
approach to mussar. His conduct and pursuits, both in
the rabbinate and in Jewish education, were guided by the
foundations of the mussar movement. His noble manner,
pleasant ways and command of the Torah were widely respected
by all who came in contact with him, including Jewish leaders
unassociated with the Torah world, and he played an important
role in the development of Torah education in Los Angeles.
Last year he was noted for having completed 45 years of
service to the Board of Jewish Education in Los Angeles,
having guided the growth of yeshiva education in Los Angeles
from less than 1,000 talmidim to more than 5,500
today, kein yirbu. The number of such schools
increased from five when he took his position in 1960 to some
21 today.
Ten years ago he considered retirement and he even moved to
Eretz Yisroel and had already bought an apartment, but
Maran HaRav Shach — who knew him from Europe —
told him that he was needed in Los Angeles. Although he would
have preferred to stay, he followed his rebbe's
instructions.
In 5761 (2001) he published Kedushas Avrohom, a two-
volume work containing chiddushei Torah, mussar
teachings and correspondences with gedolei Yisroel,
including HaRav Moshe Feinstein, HaRav Henkin and HaRav
Simcha Wassermann zt"l, as well as a mussar
essay on his rebbe, HaRav Nandik.
HaRav Ury maintained close ties with HaRav Simcha Wassermann
and Yeshivas Ohr Elchonon in Jerusalem and even had the merit
to write a sefer Torah and donate it to the
yeshiva.
He was buried at Har Hamenuchos Cemetery in Jerusalem on
Monday. HaRav Zalman Halevi Ury zt"l is survived by
his wife, children and grandchildren, who follow in his
footsteps of Torah and mitzvas.
