A Chassidic rebbe and circumcisor renowned for his skill, Rabbi Uri Ashkenazi was a beloved figure in his London community. He passed away on March 26 after contracting COVID-19.

In 1995, after the passing of his father, Rabbi Meshulam Yissachar Ashkenazi, he took the mantle of leadership of the Stanislav Chassidic group. He left an indelible mark on those who knew him, or who used his services as a mohel. He would walk for more than a half-hour each Shabbat to his synagogue, the Stanislaver Beit Midrash.

“He spoke straight on the level with everyone,” wrote Amanda Bradley. “No patronizing, no dismissing your fears as a new mother, even though he had dealt with thousands of new mothers and new babies. He was so calm and experienced.”

“His davening was special; he had a sweet, melodic voice,” Avishai Josephson, a former Londoner, told Chabad.org. “His ahavat Yisrael was amazing; he always had a good word for everyone.”

He is survived by his wife, children, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

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