Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbi and Kashruth Superviser Yossi Bialo of Beachwood, Ohio (a suburb of Cleveland) passed away Monday night (Dec. 23) at the age of 34.
Rabbi Bialo was responsible for the kosher supervision at the Menorah Park assisted living facility in Beachwood. He was also a beloved member of the Cleveland Chabad community,” COLLive reported.
Bialo grew up in Beachwood. He attended Hebrew Academy of Cleveland in Cleveland Heights, and received his rabbinic ordination at a yeshiva in California. He worked at Menorah Park for six years as mashgiach, developing policies and procedures for all four of the Orthodox Jewish nursing home’s kitchens. He had previously worked in kashruth supervision for other agencies as well.
“The entire Menorah Park family is in shock over this terrible loss,” Rabbi Howard Kutner, director of spiritual living at Menorah Park, told the Cleveland Jewish News in an interview.
“It’s a big tragedy for the community and for Menorah Park in particular, and for the family of course. Rabbi Bialo was really a great dedicated worker, our kashrut coordinator and our head mashgiach.”
The circumstances of his untimely and tragic passing reportedly involved gunfire, but are not yet clear. Police have opened an investigation.
Rabbi Bialo is survived by his wife Elli (Polonsky) and two young children, ages three and six.
The funeral for Rabbi Yossi Bialo is to be held Wednesday at 10 am local time at Chesed Shel Emes, 3740 Ridge Rd., Cleveland, Ohio.
Baruch Dayan Ha’emet.
