Jerusalem’s Renowned Kotel Photographer and Chabad Founder Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Shlas Dies at 86
Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Shlas, a prominent and colorful figure of Jerusalem’s Old City and a leading Chabad Hasid, passed away last Thursday, one day before his 87th birthday. Born in Poland in 1939 to a non-observant family, his early years were marked by wartime migrations through Russia, Poland, and Germany before his family settled in Brooklyn, New York, in 1948. He studied at the Torah V’Daat yeshiva and twice visited the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn. Leaving yeshiva at 15, he traveled extensively before returning to New York at 33 to open a successful vegetarian restaurant in Manhattan’s East Village.
His life changed profoundly on Lag BaOmer when he participated in a Lubavitcher parade and was encouraged to put on tefillin, sparking a deep return to religious observance. Influenced by Rabbi Binyamin Kohn’s teachings on Tanya, he transformed his restaurant into an active Chabad house hosting prayers and Torah events. During a month-long visit to Israel, he was blessed by the Baba Sali that he would soon find a match, and within hours met his future wife, Leah Yocheved. Despite initial opposition from her father, the Lubavitcher Rebbe instructed them to marry before Passover, and with the Rebbe’s secretary’s help, they moved to Jerusalem’s Jewish Quarter.
Rabbi Shlas became a devoted student and organizer of Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh’s classes, founding the "Gal Eini" association in 1980 to publish Ginsburgh’s works. He served as the direct liaison to the Rebbe during years when Rabbi Ginsburgh was forbidden to travel to the Rebbe, frequently visiting the Rebbe’s study to deliver publications and receive guidance.
Known as the "Treasurer of the Kotel," Rabbi Shlas carried two professional cameras to document worshippers at the Western Wall, amassing an archive of over 160,000 photographs capturing prayers, notes, tears, and moments of devotion from diverse communities. His home overlooking the Kotel served as a vibrant guesthouse, and he and his wife ran a family catering business specializing in vegetarian cuisine. A beloved member of the Tzemach Tzedek synagogue, he was renowned for his kindness, warmth, and love for all Jews. Rabbi Shlas died on August 24, 2024, leaving a lasting legacy of spiritual dedication and cultural preservation. May his soul be bound in the bond of life.