Rabbi Ralph Pelcovitz, Zt”l

The Jewish Press joins Klal Yisrael in mourning the death last Wednesday, at age 97, of Rabbi Ralph Pelcovitz, legendary rav of the White Shul in Far Rockaway New York for more than five decades. He is credited with having built the White Shul into one of the largest congregations in New York.

Rabbi Pelcovits was a formidable talmid chacham, widely recognized as one of the preeminent pulpit rabbis of the last half of the 20th century with unsurpassed oratorical skills. A prolific writer and commentator, he wrote on Torah themes as well as social and political issues. His translation of the Seforno is considered a classic both for its erudition and wealth of footnotes.