By COLlive reporter
R’ Sholom Gershon Schtraks, a Lubavitcher chossid from London who was involved in the contentious Yossele Schumacher affair, passed away on Monday, 2 Teves 5776.
Schtraks was a student at Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch in Lod when his family became national news in Israel and the cause of enormous controversy between frum and secular Israelis.
At the center of the affair was his nephew Yossele Schumacher over whom a family feud broke out regarding who would be responsible for his education and upbringing.
The boy’s parents immigrated to Israel from Russia and requested that Schumacher’s grandparents, R’ Nachman and Miriam Schtraks, take care of him at their home in the haredi neighborhood of Mea She’arim in Jerusalem.
When the parents decided to return to Russia and lead a secular and perhaps Communist-influenced life, the Breslav chassidic grandparents refused to return Yossele and hid him in several haredi locations such as Bnei Brak, Tzfas and Komemiyut.
Sholom Schtraks assisted his parents in the scheme, leading police and the Mosad to search Chabad synagogues and schools in Kfar Chabad, Lod and even in 770 Eastern Parkway, among other frum communities.
The person who smuggled Schumacher into the United States in March 1962 was Ruth Blau who disguised him as a girl. The boy was hidden in a Satmar home in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
Sholom Schtraks fled to London but was extradited to Israel at the request of David Ben Gurion‘s government. On July 1, 1963, he was sentenced to 3 years at Ayalon Prison in Ramla. Visiting him to lift his spirits were friends from the Lod Yeshiva.
On his first day in office, Israel’s 3rd President Zalman Shazar pardoned Schtraks’ sentence at the request of a group of Chabad activists. The Rebbe publicly praised the President for his decision in a Shabbos farbrengen on Sivan 5723.
Schtraks then returned to London, where he lived and raised a family in the Golders Green and Stamford Hill neighborhoods.
According to a member of the Chabad community in London, Schtraks had an “extremely secretive” personality and “hardly spoke about it,” referring to the famous affair titled “Epho Yossele?” (“Where is Yossele?”) that rocked Israeli society in the 1960s.
Blau, who later married the anti-Zionist Neturei Karta leader Amram Blau, was never prosecuted for abducting the boy and her involvement.
Yossele Schumacher ended up being returned to his parents living in Holon, first being sent to a religious school and later a secular one. He served in the IDF and today lives in the Sha’arei Tikva village with his wife and 3 children.
Sholom Schtraks is survived by his children R’ Kalman Schtraks – London, UK; Menachem Schtraks – Edgware, UK; Mrs. Ita Teller – Edgware, UK; Mrs. Soro Lipszyc – Thornhill, Canada; and Mrs. Chana Ibgy – Shenley, UK; grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The levaya took place on Monday and he was buried at the Adath Yisroel Cemetery in Cheshunt.
Baruch dayan hames.
What a zchus, he realy cared.
R’ Sholom was imprisoned in Brixton Prison in London too
As a child I remember my father taking us on sundays to Brixton Prison bringing him kosher food.
He should have a Lichtigeh Gan Eden
we are sorry to hear of your loss. May Hashem comfort you among the mourners of zion. Vehokitzu viraninu shochnei ofor. Moshiach now. BDE
Wow, what a chosid.
He should have a lichtige Gan eden
And we should have Moshiach now.
B.H. TO THE SCHTRAKS FAMILY.
So saddened by your loss, and we wish you a long, healthy and happy life. We were at each other’s weddings.
BDE A kind man.
Condolences to all his family.