At every celebration in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y., Sidney Russ would be there, a cheerful character who had a passion for helping others in any way he could, despite his meager means. On April 4, he succumbed to COVID-19.

A veteran of the Korean War, for many years “Shmiel” was the caretaker of the “Lefferts Shul” synagogue and loved to attend Torah classes.

Russ was a Kohen, and as such, loved to bless people. Countless mourners paying tribute online have shared their encounters with him, and how his blessings for children and marriages often came true.

He is survived by his sister and deeply missed by the community.

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