Renowned Rabbi Chizkiyahu Elazar Menachem Gellerenter Dies at 82

Rabbi Chizkiyahu Elazar Menachem Gellerenter, a respected elder scholar from Jerusalem, passed away in Bnei Brak at the age of 82. Born in 1944, he was the son of Rabbi Alter Pinchas Gellerenter, a prominent figure at the 'Yachel Israel' yeshiva of the Seret-Vizhnitz Hasidic dynasty, and a student of Rabbi Yehuda Leib Chasman. His mother was the daughter of Rabbi Yaakov Yerucham Katzenelbogen.

Rabbi Gellerenter's father, who passed away in 2012 at 96, studied at the Hebron Yeshiva alongside Rabbi Michel Yehuda Lifshitz and taught at several yeshivas, including 'Yachel Israel,' 'Torah V'Yira,' and 'Knesset Benei HaGolah,' where he influenced many students with his deep scholarship.

Rabbi Gellerenter was married to the daughter of Rabbi Mordechai Levi, a close associate of Rabbi Shmuel Halevi Wosner, author of the 'Shevet Halevi' responsa. He experienced the profound loss of his daughter, Mindel Wein, approximately twenty years ago. For decades, he was a notable figure at the 'Lederman' synagogue in Bnei Brak, where he resided on Reshbi Street before moving to Miriam HaNevia Street in recent years.

Those who knew him described Rabbi Gellerenter as a humble, pious, and diligent scholar, deeply committed to observing commandments. Despite enduring significant personal suffering, he maintained a rigorous daily study schedule for many hours with his study partner, Rabbi Avigdor Shapira.

The funeral procession departed from his home on Miriam HaNevia Street in Bnei Brak on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, at 12:30 PM, proceeding to the Segula cemetery in Petah Tikva for burial. He is survived by his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, many of whom are involved in Torah scholarship. One of his sons-in-law is Rabbi Nachum Shlomo Uzair Stern, a Rosh Yeshiva at 'Brachot Cohen' in Beitar.