Rabbi Menachem Mendel Taub, the Rebbe of Kaliv, passed away this weekend, at the start of the week of Holocaust Martyrs ‘and Heroes’ Remembrance Day.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed “deep sorrow” over the passing of the Admor, zt’l.
“The Hasidic Admor survived the horrors of the Holocaust and dedicated himself to rebuilding the world of Torah in the State of Israel and among the Jewish diaspora,” Netanyahu said.
“At the same time, he was tirelessly engaged in enshrining the memory of the Holocaust, especially the triumph of the impressive spirit in the ghettos and camps. The passing of the Admor of Kaliv close to Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day strengthens our eternal commitment – to remember and not forget. May his memory be blessed.”
President Reuven Rivlin likewise spoke about his sadness upon receiving the news of the Rebbe’s passing, the “Holocaust Admor,” as he described him, who “suffered terribly as an inmate at Auschwitz and dedicated his life to the memory of the victims, inspired by a true love of Israel.
The Admor gave voice the spiritual heroism of Jews during the Holocaust and did all he could to honor the memory of its victims. His work has particular resonance at present as we redouble our commitment to remember and never to forget. Our condolences to his family and many pupils. May his memory be a blessing,” the president said.
The Rebbe was born in Marguita, Transylvania, to the family of Admorim, descendants of Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac of Kalib, married to Sarah Shifra Taub (1918, December 19, 2011), the daughter of Rabbi Pinchas Shapira of Kachnaya. After the death of his first wife, the Rebbe remarried with Sheindil Melnik (born in 1949) from Winnitza Ukraine.
Himself a survivor of Auschwitz, the Rebbe of Kaliv has been one of the greatest proponents of Holocaust commemoration, working to establish a Holocaust museum for the strictly-Orthodox public, which will be a complementary museum to Yad Vashem. The Rebbe, zt’l had contended that Yad Vashem did not sufficiently commemorate the spiritual heroism of the Jews who gave their lives to observe mitzvot even in those years.
May his memory be a blessing.