Boruch Dayan Hoemes: Reb Mottel Lifshitz, 97, OBM

With sadness we inform you of the passing of Reb Baruch Mordechai Lifshitz, affectionately known as ‘Reb Mottel Der Shochet.’ He was 97 years old.

Born August 29, 1916 (Av 30, 5676) in Kiev, Reb Mottel studied with the older Lubavitcher Chassidim in the ‘underground Cheder network’ founded by the Sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yoseph Yitzchok Schneerson, across Soviet Russia.

At the age of 23, only three days after his engagement to a young Jewish girl, he was imprisoned by the KGB and sentenced to slave labor for several “crimes,” including “holding a strong letter contact with an agent of the Polish secret police named [Rabbi] Schneerson” and for “gathering youth to study the banned talks and discourses of [Rabbi] Schneerson.”

He was sent to the frozen Siberian and Kolyma Mountains, where he labored for 7 years until the end of the WWII. Upon returning to Kiev he learned that his entire family had perished in Babi-Yar at the hands of the Nazis, and only he survived due to his imprisonment.

Reb Mottel later married, built a family and continued to study Torah while serving in multiple Jewish communities as their teacher, Mohel, Shochet (ritual slaughterer) and Rabbi, only to skip to the next town upon being detected by the local authorities.

Eventually, Reb Mottel became the sole Shochet and Mohel of Moscow for over 25 years, until being replaced in the early ’90s by others when the “Iron Curtain” came down. Reb Mottel is known by his beloved nickname “Mottel der Shochet.”

He is survived by his children Sara Haskelevich (Crown Heights), Zalman Lifshitz (Monsey, NY) and Shaindel Weiner (Far Rockaway, NY).

The Levaya will take place today Thursday and will be leaving from Shomrei Hadas at 1:00pm and passing by 770 at around 2:00pm.

Boruch Dayan Hoemes

mottel-lifshitz-w-rebbe-sukkos

8 Comments

  • I love this picture.

    Beautiful picture of Reb Mottel with the Rebbe. It seems like Reb Mottel really connected with the Rebbe. That the Rebbe really connected with him is not a surprise, because the Rebbe connected with everyone in a personal and sincere way.

  • 1990'sMoscow

    So upset I missed the levaya.just found out an hour ago. Having moved to Moscow for kiruv, my husband at the time, took over the schecitah and he later taught and arranged for the present shochet , R Yitzchak Lipshitz, no relation, to learn schecitah and get experience in it abroad and take over. I used to send food and bake challah for Shabbos for him and his wife . She had been ill for 10yrs and he lovingly took care of her. What a zechus I had. He and his wife would call me before Shabbos to Thank me and they told me my challah tasted like cake :-).

    • WHO Is THIs.

      VERY INTREsTING… IM zaLMaN HIs GRaNDsON TYPING FROM a BROKEN cOMPUTER IN KIEV 1 BLO cK /a w/aY FROM wHERE HE LIVED N’ BEEN TaKEN a waY BY THE K.G.B.
      I DIDNT MaKE IT TO THE LV. I’D BE VERY HaPPY TO HERE MORE

  • yossi & berel, CH

    i believe he has a son in law in Lakewood NJ?
    R’Mottal can to speak in Lakewood a few years ago

  • shiva information

    Shiva at 658 Montgomery Street 1k

    Minyan times till Thursday morning.

    8am shachris
    630pm mincha
    730 maariv

    Nichum aveilim via phone 718 774 7912

    Aveilim Chaya Sara Haskelevich, zalman Lifshitz, Shaindel Weiner.