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26 Tishrei 5763 - October 2, 2002 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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NEWS
R' Shlomo Yitzchok Shapira Hy"d
by Betzalel Kahn

Thousands of family members, friends and residents of Jerusalem's Ramot neighborhood participated last Monday night (chol hamoed) in the heartrending levaya of R' Shlomo Yitzchok Shapira Hy'd, an avreich from the Ramot Polin neighborhood, who was killed Monday evening in Chevron when a Palestinian terrorist opened fire on a crowd of Jews visiting the city's Avrohom Ovinu neighborhood. Three of his children were wounded in the attack, one seriously and two lightly.

R' Shlomo Yitzchok Shapira was born fifty years ago to Rav Menachem Shapira, one of the heads of Yeshivas Bobov in Bat Yam. From early youth he displayed great ability, impressing his teachers and rabbonim with his extensive Torah knowledge and elevated midos. He studied at Yeshivas Ponevezh in Bnei Brak where he earned a reputation as one of the notable talmidei chachomim and was highly regarded by the heads of the yeshiva.

He married the daughter of R' Chaim Elazar Kasselstein, director of the Chassidic Chevra Kadisha in Jerusalem for many years. As a young avreich he toiled in his learning, amassing broad knowledge in Shas and poskim. He was also one of the highly regarded participants and gabo'im at Beis Knesses ZAI in Ramat Polin, where he was a regular and prominent participant in the shiurei Torah there and took an active role in tending to the needs of the beis knesses.

R' Shapira was a well-liked talmid chochom and yirei Shomayim, with a noble heart and exceptional midos. He prayed with great concentration and raised his voice in deveikus when saying omen during chazoras hashatz and yehei Shmei rabo during Kaddish. He educated his household in Torah and yiroh and had the merit to marry off two sons and a daughter; another daughter was scheduled to marry the week after Succos.

R' Shapira earned his living during the last several years working in the computer department of the Ministry of Construction and Housing, and was known among his co-workers as a goodhearted man with superb middos who was always ready to lend a hand.

Last Monday he traveled to Chevron with his children to pour out his supplications at the kivrei ovos in Maaras Hamachpelo. The levaya began at midnight at the Shamgar Funeral Center in Jerusalem. Rav Boruch Shushan recited Tehillim as the crowd repeated each verse with great emotion.

Hespeidim were not given due to kedushas Chol Hamoed, but divrei his'orerus were said by HaRav Zevulun Shub, one of the heads of Yeshivas Meor HaTalmud in Rechovot; HaRav Tzvi Weissfish, Rosh Yeshivas HaRan; and the deceased's neighbors, who emphasized the need for his'oreirus following Yom Kippur and leading up to Hoshano Rabo. Speaking for the entire family, his brother, R' Chaim Shapira, and his son, R' Dovid Shapira, asked for forgiveness and requested that each and every one pledge to add one maaseh tov or hanhagoh tovoh.

During the divrei his'orerus hearts were further torn when the widow and orphans arrived from the hospital, overcome with sobbing and mournful tears. The two children who sustained light injuries were brought in an ambulance, one lying in a sickbed, and recited Kaddish, throats choked with tears as the numerous listeners answered yehei Shmei rabo with great sobs.

Then the funeral procession set out with the thousands of people on hand accompanying a murdered talmid chochom, tzadik veyoshor, exacting in his observance of mitzvos, noble of spirit, yirei Shomayim and pleasant in his ways. R' Shapira was buried at Har Tamir in Givat Shaul.

R' Shapira is survived by his wife, who stood at his side faithfully, devotedly helping him to build a home of Torah and yiras Shomayim, his parents, his sons Mordechai and Dovid, his son-in-law R' A. Krashinsky and four other unmarried children--a daughter about to wed and the three injured children-- all of whom are following in their father's footsteps on the path of Torah and yiroh.

*

Based on the recommendations of rabbonim, a special fund was set up to assist the devastated family. Donations can be deposited at Mercantile Discount Bank, Branch 635, Account Number 295620 or sent to POB 50585, Jerusalem. Contributions can also be made by credit card via Vaad HaRabbonim LeInyonei Tzedoko at 1-800-22- 36-36, Number 1505.

 

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