Hundreds attended the levaya of HaRav Avrohom Yitzchok
Elzas, zt"l on Wednesday 18 Teves, who was a resident
of the Beit Shemesh community for the past few years. He was
eighty at the time of his petiroh.
The illustrious niftar was the son of the pious Reb
Moshe Chaim and his wife Devorah (nee Breslauer). The
family's home in Holland was a focal point of Torah and
yirah. Rav Moshe Chaim was especially known for his
staunch efforts to strengthen Torah in Holland and for his
firm battles against Zionism. In this unique Torah home, Rav
Avrohom Yitzchok imbibed his pure hashkofoh and love
of Torah.
Rav Avrohom Yitzchok was one of the few Dutch Jewish
youngsters who, during the stormy period between the two
World Wars, left his parents' home in order to attend a
yeshiva, traveling to Montreux where he studied under HaRav
M. Botchko zt"l. At that time, HaRav Moshe
Soloveitchik zt"l and HaRav Aharon Yehuda Leib
Steinman yibodel lechaim tovim ve'arukim taught in the
Montreux yeshiva, and they had a profound impact on R'
Avrohom Yitzchok, contributing greatly to the molding of his
character and his spiritual growth.
With the outbreak of the Second World War, Avrohom Yitzchok
was called back to his parents' home, where he suffered
through all of the events of the period, including
detainment in a concentration camp. The Nazis caused him
physical injury, from which he suffered the rest of his
life. However this suffering only strengthened his
emunah and contributed to the substance of his
spiritual edifice.
He frequently said that those who entered the war with firm
emunah emerged stronger, after having seen
Hashgocho protis with their very own eyes and
witnessing chasdei Hashem with every step they took.
For that reason he opposed the well known term "Holocaust,"
saying that his firm and crystal-clear emunah stemmed
precisely from his wartime experiences, and that all of the
hardships he bore helped formulate his pure
hashkofoh.
At the end of the war, he married the daughter of HaRav
Yaakov Naftoli Abrahams, an outstanding talmid
chochom. As a youth, Avraham Yitzchok had studied with
HaRav Yaakov Naftoli, but he never knew him as a father-in-
law, since HaRav Naftoli and his wife perished towards the
end of the war.
Six years ago, HaRav Avrohom Yitzchok moved to the Torah
community in Beit Shemesh, where he stood out as an
illustrious figure, active in the founding of the
community's institutions, despite his frailty and weakness.
Two weeks ago, he suffered his final illness and was brought
to the hospital in serious condition. Despite his failing
health, his mind was clear until his final moments and he
was fully aware of what lay ahead of him in the World of
Truth. Prior to his petiroh, he asked to bless all of
his offspring. On Wednesday 18 Teves his situation grew
worse and he returned his pure soul to its Maker while
calmly reciting Shema Yisroel and accepting ol
malchus Shomayim.
His levaya, which left from the Marbeh Torah yeshiva
in Bnei Brak that is headed by his son HaRav Naftoli Elzas,
was attended by hundreds. Hespedim were delivered by:
HaRav Menachem Tzvi Berlin, rosh yeshiva of Rabbenu
Chaim Ozer the niftar's mechuton, HaRav Meshulem
Shenker, rosh yeshiva of Kehillos Yaakov, HaRav Yaakov
Galinsky and HaRav Naftoli, the niftar's son.
In Beit Shemesh hespedim were delivered by the moro
de'asra HaRav Nosson Hakohen Kopschitz and by the
niftar's son, HaRav Yehoshua.
In Yerushalayim, hespedim were delivered by: the
niftar's mechuton HaRav Sholom Povarsky, one of the
roshei yeshiva of Kol Torah, the niftar's
mechuton HaRav B. Carlebach, a ram in the Mirrer
yeshiva, the niftar's son-in-law HaRav Avrohom Chaim
Carmel the head of Kollel Boston, the niftar's brother-
in-law HaRav Shlomo Abrahams, and by a grandson, HaRav
Eliezer Dunner.
He is survived by his wife, as well as by his daughter,
Rebbetzin Basya Dunner, widow of HaRav Shlomo Dunner, his
sons: HaRav Yaakov Naftoli, HaRav Tzodok Eliyahu, one of the
prominent mechanchim in Gateshead, and HaRav Yehoshua,
one of the rabbonim of Kollel Beis Hillel in Bnei Brak, as
well as by his son-in-law HaRav Avrohom Chaim Carmel.
