Chabad Mourns The Passing Of Rabbi Marlow, Zt’l
 

Members of Anash worldwide, and the Crown Heights community in particular, mourn the passing of HaRav HaGaon HaRav HaChassid Rabbi Yehuda Kalmen Marlow, o.b.m, Mara d’Asra and member of the beis din tzedek of Crown Heights. After 8 months of prolonged suffering, Rabbi Marlow was struck with a heart attack Thursday night, the 20th of Sivan, and died at the age of 68.

Rabbi Marlow, who served as a rav for decades and was head of the beis din of Crown Heights for close to 14 years, whom the Rebbe referred to as “Abir she’be’Abirim,” passed away in the hospital after being treated there that evening for his sickness. In the course of his treatment, just passed midnight Thursday night, Rabbi Marlow suffered the heart attack which took his life.

Immediately after the deceased was taken to the Shomrei HaDaas Chapel in Boro Park, groups of students from Tomchei Tmimim 770  arrived to say Tehillim there until the funeral procession the next morning. Relatives and close friends of Rabbi Marlow began making preparations for the levaya.

The siren in Crown Heights went off at 8:00 AM to alert the community of the tragic circumstance. Word of Rabbi Marlow’s passing spread quickly, for many members of Anash called their acquaintances in the sh’chuna to inform them what was going on. The residents of Crown Heights, who awoke that morning to the terrible news, made there way to 770 to daven and prepare for the levaya.

Throughout Crown Heights and the surrounding Jewish communities, signs were posted by the Vaad HaKohol of Crown Heights informing the public of the p’tira and the time of the funeral. Also, the media broadcasted news of the passing of the “Chief Rabbi of Chabad’s world center in New York.”

The New York police department prepared by placing extra policemen on duty to help keep order. A helicopter monitoring the scene from above and dozens of police officers patrolled the area.

At that time, members of the Rebbe MH”M’s Kollel were busy digging the grave site near the Ohel, in the row of the Kohanim, in the old Chabad section of the cemetery in Long Island.

At 10:00 AM, as the levaya left from Boro Park, the siren went off again to alert people of the approaching levaya. All stores in the area closed, including the stores of gentiles.

Thousands of men, women, and children gathered along Eastern Parkway in front of Beis Chayeinu - 770. Traffic was blocked off on the nearby streets. Reporters gathered in a special location to cover the event.

At approximately 10:40 AM the funeral car approached 770, escorted by 3 police cars and a few motorcycles. As the vehicle stopped before 770, crowds of people approached the aron to ask forgiveness, as is customary.

In New York at that time, it was very hot, and dozens of Hatzoloh volunteers, including those from surrounding communities, stood by with their ambulances.

Eventually, the procession started inching its way forward. The stream of people continued at this pace for several blocks down Eastern Parkway before the motorcade picked up speed and made its way to the cemetery.

At the head of the procession were members of the beis din of Crown Heights, Rabbi Avrohom Osdoba and Rabbi Yosef Avrohom HaLevy Heller, as well as the heads of the Chabad institutions.

Hundreds of people all crammed into the cemetery to participate in the burial. As in Crown Heights, there was a large contingent of police there, as well as members of Hatzoloh.

Before the aron was lowered into the grave site, Rabbi Shneur Zalman Gurary, one of the elder Chabad Rabbis, and a member of the international Agudas Chassidei Chabad, stood up and, facing the aron, pleaded with the Rav to ascend On High and demand in the name of the Torah for Hashem to immediately bring the final Redemption.

The secretary of the beis din, Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Schapiro, also parted with the Rav with heartfelt words, asking him in the name of the whole community to arouse mercy from Above on the members of the community and to bring the Geula shleima.

May these prayers be heard and may we see an end to the suffering at once.