Chief Rabbi Joins Hundreds in Honoring Life of Departed Leader

Joined by a rabbinical delegation led by one of Israel’s two chief rabbis, several hundred residents of the desert town of Arad made their way to the city’s central synagogue Wednesday night to mark the completion of 30 days since the passing of a beloved leader and Jewish educator.

The marking of the shloshim, as the date is known in Hebrew, came as a catharsis of sorts for attendees, who spoke glowingly and mournfully of Rabbi Ben Tzion Lipsker, who passed away three days before Yom Kippur. For more than 30 years as director of a Chabad-Lubavitch center deep in the Negev Desert, Lipsker – who also served as chief rabbi of the 25,000-population Arad – oversaw a sprawling complex of educational institutions he founded, ensured local factories’ adherence to Jewish dietary laws, and provided spiritual guidance to countless numbers of Jews.

At the ceremony, Rabbi Shlomo Amar, the Sephardic chief rabbi of Israel, noted that Lipsker died at the relatively young age of 65.

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“Sometimes, a man does not reach his full 70 years of life,” he said, “but the life he has lived far exceeds those years in its accomplishments. Rabbi Lipsker was such a man.”

Rabbi Naftali Lipsker – who serves as an administrator with the Lubavitch Youth Organization in Israel – was the emcee of the service. He related a quick anecdote to illustrate the love that people of all backgrounds had for his uncle, who was known for a take-charge attitude and his personal involvement in many different projects.

Shortly after the rabbi’s passing, said the nephew, a woman in an airport was unwilling to believe the horrible news.

“No way,” she exclaimed, asking a Chabad-Lubavitch emissary near her to try to reach Lipsker on the phone. “Rabbi Lipsker is a man filled with life!”

Rabbi Naftali Lipsker emcees the service.

Friends and associates remembered Lipsker as a devoted servant of Arad’s residents and the Jewish people as a whole. Rabbi Yosef Albo, the city’s Sephardic chief rabbi, talked about the special relationship the two men enjoyed while serving together on Arad’s rabbinate. He called on Jews everywhere to strengthen their unity and love for each other as a way to elevate Lipsker’s soul.

Meanwhile, Rabbi Meir Druckman, chief rabbi of Kiryat Motzkin, spoke of preserving Lipsker’s legacy.

“Rabbi Lipsker could not tolerate the world of lies,” said the close friend. “Whatever he thought, he said. And sometimes it cost him dearly.

“But there comes a time,” continued Druckman, “when one must state the truth as one sees it. That is the legacy of Rabbi Lipsker.”