Boruch Dayan Hoemes: Reb Leibel Zisman, 81, OBM

With sadness we inform you of the passing of Reb Leibel Zisman OBM, a survivor of the holocaust and a mekurav to the Frierdiker Rebbe. He was 81 years old.

Reb Leibel was born in 1931 to a prominent family in Kovno, Lithuania, was just a young boy when he lost his parents and two of his siblings to the Nazis. With great courage and unbending faith, he survived the atrocities of the concentration camps alone, reuniting after the war with his older brother, his only surviving sibling.

He attributed his miraculous survival of the holocaust to a blessing he received from the Frierdiker Rebbe, whom he met in Europe.

later made his way to the United States where he met the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe and merited special kiruvim.

He is survived by his wife Myrna, his children Liba Koren, Karen Portal, Chanie Grief along with grandchildren and great grandchildren. He is olso survived by his brother Berel Zisman.

The Levaya will take place tomorrow, Sunday, at 1:00pm at Shomrei Hadas 3803 14th Ave in Brooklyn.

The family will be sitting Shiva until Friday afternoon at 40 Maple Ave in Cedarhurst, NY. Reb Berel Zisman will be sitting Shiva until Tuesday morning in Cedarhurst, and then from Tuesday afternoon to Friday at 1266 East 24th Street in Brooklyn, NY

Boruch Dayan Hoemes

6 Comments

  • yossi

    Can’t believe it!
    I attended his lecture on Tisha Beav last year in Boro Park.He was so animated and vigorous and then we shmoozed with him after the lecture.
    Chaval de’avdin

  • A nephew

    Correction: Leible met the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe in Europe prior to the war, and credits the Rebbe’s brachos as the reason he survived the war.

  • Grandson

    All though the header says Reb Leibel 81, he was in fact, 82 years young when he left this world. Zaide truly was the meaning of Good, Kind, Great, and a just an awesome, awesome human being. You could turn to him for ANYTHING and he would do the best he can to help guide you to the right direction. He was a constant Baal Tzedaka without ever wanting recognition for his life saving deeds. He was always the center of fun and all of the grandchildren and great grandchildren knew this and were lucky to experience it. Reb Leibel, Zaide, the world will not be the same without you. The long Seder Nights, the weekly insights of the parshah, the inspiration you gave us all that we can achieve anything if we just BELIEVE and DO. That as long as we have Hashem and his Torah, we have it all….That everything will be okay. I’m already Missing the cups of coffee and the drives into Brooklyn, the stories that we never wanted to end and the long drives to Beaver Lake. The “Nigunim”, the “Ani Mamins” and the “Bitachon” are instilled in everyone that ever met you forever. From a small boy who went thru the unthinkable who over the years turned the world upside down to make it the best for everyone. Your legacy will live on, your achievements in life will never be discounted and we can only learn from who you were to become better human beings.
    Zaide, as my eyes start to fill with tears, know that we all love you very much, and miss you.
    Baruch Dayan Emet.

  • yossi

    Grandson, you have written so eloquently about your grandfather
    Yehi zichro baruch