loss

West Hempstead loses Rabbi Kelemer, who built its frum community

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Rabbi Yehuda Kelemer, who for 38 years has been the spiritual leader of the Young Israel of West Hempstead, was niftar on erev Shabbat, Jan. 8, at age 74.

“He made us all feel better about ourselves after being with him,” the shul’s president, Arthur Cooperberg, said during funeral services on Sunday. “His sweet nature and quick wit endeared him to us all, but It was his sharp intellect that guided us and gave us answers to our questions large and small.”

“He taught us to treat every person with dignity,” Cooperberg said.

These themes were echoed by other speakers at the service, held in the Young Israel, at 630 Hempstead Ave., and livestreamed around the world, and in tributes posted online.

While crossing Hempstead Avenue on his way to services in December 2016, Rabbi Kelemer suffered serious injuries when he was struck by a hit-and-run driver. After an extended period of convalescence and rehabilitation, he resumed his duties, but his medical condition deteriorated in recent weeks.

Rabbi Kelemer was the preeminent Jewish authority in West Hempstead, where he was involved in all aspects of community life. He was a widely respected Jewish legal scholar and authored many books on Jewish subjects.

He was recruited to the fledgling Orthodox community in West Hempstead in 1983, after serving in Brookline, Mass., and in Switzerland where he began his rabbinical career.

“At his installation, he alluded to the fact that part of a rabbi’s job is to help grow a community,” Cooperberg recalled. “Well, 38 years later, our Young Israel is the second largest Young Israel in the country, our community is bursting at the seams.” The synagogue has over 700 member families.

Soon after ascending the pulpit in West Hempstead, Rabbi Kelemer gave a significant boost to Yachad, an organization that had recently been created by the National Conference of Synagogue Youth to integrate developmentally challenged teens into its activities.

Referring to Rabbi Kelemer’s “guiding trailblazing hand,” Rabbi Raphael B. Butler of the Afikim Foundaton wrote in The Tablet that “it was Rabbi Kelemer who introduced the practice of communities around the world to offer aliyot to Yachad members. It was Rabbi Kelemer who shared the lectern with a Yachad member offering a dvar torah to the entire community. I am told it was the first time she had every spoken publicly.”

Howard Bressler, a member of Congregation Anshei Shalom, another synagogue in West Hempstead, eulogized Rabbi Kelemer online, writing that “his genuineness, gentleness, erudition, compassion, joy and warmth are legendary.”

“He was one of those unique people who could make you feel as if the world was made for you and that you were the most special part of it,” Bressler wrote on Facebook. “If you greeted him with kind words he always one-upped you in compliment. If you said ‘Rabbi, it’s so nice to see you,’ he would say something like ‘today is a cloudy day, but now that I’ve seen you the sun is shining’.”

“Chessed and modesty, [that’s] what West Hempstead is known for, and he is the reason why,” said Cooperberg.

The Hebrew Academy of Nassau County, with two campuses in West Hempstead, praised Rabbi Kellemer’s “unparalleled and equal devotion to both community and individual” and said that he “was a guiding force and supportive partner to HANC throughout his years in West Hempstead.” 

CAHAL remembered Rabbi Kelemer for “his love of children and the CAHAL program” and as “a great leader and Torah luminary who was filled with warmth and caring for all, and who dedicated his life to helping others and building a community that continues to grow and thrive.”

“Rabbi Kelemer was the definition of a mensch who always put the needs of others above himself,” state Sen. Todd Kaminsky said. “We will all miss his humility, piety and dedication, but the legacy he left of community leadership will continue to live on for generations to come. His memory should be a blessing for us all.”

Rabbi Kelemer is survived by his wife and large family.

Rabbi Yehuda Kelemer, who for 38 years has been the spiritual leader of the Young Israel of West Hempstead, was niftar on erev Shabbat, Jan. 8, at age 74.

“He made us all feel better about ourselves after being with him,” the shul’s president, Arthur Cooperberg, said during funeral services on Sunday. “His sweet nature and quick wit endeared him to us all, but It was his sharp intellect that guided us and gave us answers to our questions large and small.”

“He taught us to treat every person with dignity,” Cooperberg said.

These themes were echoed by other speakers at the service, held in the Young Israel, at 630 Hempstead Ave., and livestreamed around the world, and in tributes posted online.

While crossing Hempstead Avenue on his way to services in December 2016, Rabbi Kelemer suffered serious injuries when he was struck by a hit-and-run driver. After an extended period of convalescence and rehabilitation, he resumed his duties, but his medical condition deteriorated in recent weeks.

Rabbi Kelemer was the preeminent Jewish authority in West Hempstead, where he was involved in all aspects of community life. He was a widely respected Jewish legal scholar and authored many books on Jewish subjects.

He was recruited to the fledgling Orthodox community in West Hempstead in 1983, after serving in Brookline, Mass., and in Switzerland where he began his rabbinical career.

“At his installation, he alluded to the fact that part of a rabbi’s job is to help grow a community,” Cooperberg recalled. “Well, 38 years later, our Young Israel is the second largest Young Israel in the country, our community is bursting at the seams.” The synagogue has over 700 member families.

Soon after ascending the pulpit in West Hempstead, Rabbi Kelemer gave a significant boost to Yachad, an organization that had recently been created by the National Conference of Synagogue Youth to integrate developmentally challenged teens into its activities.

Referring to Rabbi Kelemer’s “guiding trailblazing hand,” Rabbi Raphael B. Butler of the Afikim Foundaton wrote in The Tablet that “it was Rabbi Kelemer who introduced the practice of communities around the world to offer aliyot to Yachad members. It was Rabbi Kelemer who shared the lectern with a Yachad member offering a dvar torah to the entire community. I am told it was the first time she had every spoken publicly.”

Howard Bressler, a member of Congregation Anshei Shalom, another synagogue in West Hempstead, eulogized Rabbi Kelemer online, writing that “his genuineness, gentleness, erudition, compassion, joy and warmth are legendary.”

“He was one of those unique people who could make you feel as if the world was made for you and that you were the most special part of it,” Bressler wrote on Facebook. “If you greeted him with kind words he always one-upped you in compliment. If you said ‘Rabbi, it’s so nice to see you,’ he would say something like ‘today is a cloudy day, but now that I’ve seen you the sun is shining’.”

“Chessed and modesty, [that’s] what West Hempstead is known for, and he is the reason why,” said Cooperberg.

The Hebrew Academy of Nassau County, with two campuses in West Hempstead, praised Rabbi Kellemer’s “unparalleled and equal devotion to both community and individual” and said that he “was a guiding force and supportive partner to HANC throughout his years in West Hempstead.” 

CAHAL remembered Rabbi Kelemer for “his love of children and the CAHAL program” and as “a great leader and Torah luminary who was filled with warmth and caring for all, and who dedicated his life to helping others and building a community that continues to grow and thrive.”

“Rabbi Kelemer was the definition of a mensch who always put the needs of others above himself,” state Sen. Todd Kaminsky said. “We will all miss his humility, piety and dedication, but the legacy he left of community leadership will continue to live on for generations to come. His memory should be a blessing for us all.”

Rabbi Kelemer is survived by his wife and large family.