Rabbi Yaakov Eichorn passed away on April 13 as a result of complications due to COVID-19.

As a young man, he was known as the “Polishe Iluy” (Polish child prodigy), in recognition of the depth and clarity of his extensive Torah studies.

He became a close student of Rabbi Shlomo Heiman, who until his 1945 passing was a leading Torah figure in the United States in his position as dean of Yeshiva Torah Vodaas in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Recognizing their unique relationship, Heiman officiated Eichorn’s wedding, and after the former’s relatively early demise at the age of 52, Eichorn’s notes and records of his classes and teachings were used as a crux of his original Torah thoughts published posthumously.

Stepping into his mentor’s shoes, Eichorn accepted a job at his alma mater in a teaching capacity, a position he retained for the rest of his life, guiding and teaching hundreds of students over the decades.

He will be remembered by all he mentored.

Predeceased by his wife, Feile Yocheved, he is survived by their 10 children, and generations of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

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