Rabbi Moshe Yehuda Kotlarsky, Vice Chairman of Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch, the educational arm of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement which oversees over 5,000 Chabad centers and educational institutions worldwide, passed away on Tuesday, 27 Iyar 5784.
He was 74, just a few days shy of his 75th birthday on Rosh Chodesh Sivan.
He was born in 5709 (1949) in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, home to Lubavitch World Headquarters – 770 Eastern Parkway, where he would be spending most of his time between travels the world on missions. His parents were Rabbi Hershel and Golda Kotlarsky (nee Schimmelman).
His father, a native of Otwosk, Poland, was a student of the Yeshiva Chachmei Lublin and Tomchei Tmimim in Poland. He lost most of his family in the Holocaust but miraculously survived. He was one of the 9 Shluchim who built Chabad in Montreal before moving to New York to serve in the administration of the Central Yeshiva Tomchei Temimim of Chabad.
In his youth, Rabbi Moshe learned in the Chabad Yeshivos in Crown Heights. He married Rivka Kazen, daughter of Rabbi Zalman and Shula Kazen, while they ran a girls’ school in France and later moved to Cleveland, Ohio, as one of the Rebbe’s first Shluchim.
After his marriage, Rabbi Moshe and Rivka Kotlarsky settled in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, where they raised nine children.
He is survived by his wife Mrs. Rivka Kotlarsky – Crown Heights, their children Mrs. Chanie Wolowik – Five Towns, New York; R’ Mayer Kotlarsky– Boca Raton, Florida; Mrs. Sarah Benjaminson – Glenview, Illinois; Mrs. Nechama Greenberg – Vista, California; Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky – Crown Heights; Rabbi Sruly Kotlarsky – Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania; Rabbi Levi Kotlarsky – East Flatbush, New York; Rabbi Dovid Kotlarsky – Chicago, Illinois; Mrs. Goldie Perlstein – Gainesville, Virginia; grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
He is survived by his siblings, Mrs. Chumi Hershkop – Kingston, Pennsylvania; Mrs. Esti Wilschanki – Morristown, New Jersey; Mrs. Suri Perlman – Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania; Rabbi Mendel Kotlarsky – Crown Heights; Mrs. Fradel Hershkowitz – Crown Heights; Mrs. Chanie Shemtov – Tucson, Arizona; nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by his older brother Yaakov Dovid Kotlarsky, who passed away in his youth.
The Levaya will take place tomorrow, Wednesday, passing by 770 at approximately 1:00 pm.
Baruch Dayan Haemes: Moshe Yehuda ben Tzvi Yosef
he was known for his dedication to the shluchim and in FM experience a Mentch