By COLlive reporter
Mr. Efroyim (Freddy) Hager, a visionary Lubavitch chossid, businessman and community leader in London, UK, passed away Thursday, 3 Nissan 5771.
He was 62.
He was the WFDB Deputy Treasurer General and the President of the London Diamond Bourse. He a founder member of the World Diamond Council and is considered the spiritual father of the federation’s better business symbol, the WFDB Mark.
Hager and his wife Louise are residents of Golders Green, London, where Reb Efroyim was the dedicated gabbai of Kingsley Way Beth Hamedrash for many years.
The couple are known for their personal friendship with the Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson OBM since the 1960s.
Hager is featured in the Living Torah Video ‘Ten Minutes to Change Worlds,’ where he speaks about his Yechidus with the Rebbe.
He is survived by his wife Louise and children Naomi Pinson of Crown Heights, Sara Diament of Montreal, Mechel Hager and Sholom Hager of London, and grandchildren.
Details of the levaya to be announced.
Condolences to the Hager family may be emailed to: thefamilyhager@gmail.com
Baruch Dayan Haemes
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Do not comment, generally. Made the comment and never checked after that. There is a Gvaldike Hashgocho Protis in this. All in Reb Ephraim’s Zechus. My daughter mentioned that she saw this particular comment (without knowing who made it…) and the follow up comment… This is the vort. I told him that I heard it from my Mashgiach when I learned in the Lubavitcher Yeshaivah on Bedford Avenue corner Dean Street, Reb Elye Moshe Liss Z”L a wonderful Jew, a tayerer Yid. Why is the Yetzer Hora more successful then the Yetzer Tov, because the Yetzer Hora “handelt mit cash”… Read more »
Very sad, very broken, deeply hurt, how can such a wonderful man leave us ??? you will be deeply missed ;(
OUR HEAARTS HAVE BEEN TORN ASUNDER
MONUMENTAL LOSS
A MAN OF THE HIGHEST INTEGRITY
A DUGMAH CHAYOH
A WALKING KIDDUSH HASHEM FOR THE REBBE
LEFT WITHOUT AN ENEMY IN THE WORLD, WITHOUT A BAD WORD SPOKEN, A GOOD NAME.
HOW MAY CAN SAY THAT?
(IDEX Online News) – London Diamond Bourse President Freddy Hager collapsed this morning (Thursday) at his home and died. Hager, a well respected and loved figure in the diamond industry was in his early 60s.
Hager returned home from the morning prayers at the synagogue and complained that he felt weak. Shortly afterwards he collapsed. He leaves behind his wife, four children and grandchildren.
i cant actually belivethis… it cant be true!!!1
freddy was and still is a role moddle to all. we will truly miss u in kinglsy was and i dont knpw how the shul will stand without u. baruch dayen haemet!!! mshiach volse comen!!!!!!!!
Dear uncle’ Fredy, I know you told me not to call you that, but that’s how I saw you, you were everyone’s uncle. You set the mark for what we should strive for, embracing both person and situation with majestic grace, enthusing warmth and dignity to any room visited and all who were fortunate enough to encounter. Returning from shabbos shiva at Middleway, for what was a most sad yet uplifting shabbos, each to its extreme. Sad, well that’s obvious, uplifting because again I felt the presence of your majestic grace and warmth in the company of your family, ka’h,… Read more »
B’D’EMES. Freddy, who was a direct Decendent (Ben achare Ben) from the “BAAL SHEM TOV” & through his Maternal Grand father, from Chaim & his son Rav Shmuel meVITAL. We all con- sidered Freddy to be the Diamond of our Family & his tragic & sudden loss, has caused a feeling of profound sorrow & grief to our entire Family & to all who knew him. People such as was “FREDDY HAGER” are irreplaceable. He shall be ver much missed by all of us. To Louise, Naemi, Mechel, Sara & Sholem We convey our Condolences, Let “Hashem” Confort You. from,… Read more »
We are devestated at the passing of our dear close friend Freddy. He will be sorely missed. A giant amongst men. Our hearts go out to Louise, Naomi, Mechel, Sara and Sholom.
…… the community lost an uncle 🙁
I only learnt in London for a short time, but even in that short period, you stood out as a wonderful, caring and special man. Everyone, from young to old loved ‘Uncle Freddy’. May your family be blessed with only Simchas in the future.
i had the privilege of meeting Freddy Hagar a few times….he was a man with impecabable mannars…a intellectual and a man of class…he was loved with whoever was around him…he will truly be missed!
ive seen u come to shul everyday of my life since i was a kid…
u truly inspired every1 around u..
at the levayo shocked with tears, kingsley way will not be the same.
As a child you opened the gateways of davening for me.Just to hear you daven in our shul,was like coming upon an illuminated arrow which pointed you in the right direction.There was so much heart and bitul in it.The memories still inspire me and always will.
Sara, my thoughts are with you and cant believe what has happened. May hashem give you the strength to cope with this tragedy. Thinking of you. Hamokom yenachem eschem besoch shaar aveiley tsiyon veyerushalaim.
this cannot be true
3:30 from HGS then onto Enfield
Naomi – We are thinking of you and your family at this very very hard time, I cannot begin to imagine what your going through. My heart is with you. I was in school wiith you at Lubavitch… we lost contact. Stay strong.
such a sweet person and smile-may we speedily merit the coming of moshiach-and see his smile back once more.
Sara, Our thoughts are with you, Hamokom yenachem eschem besoch shaar aveiley tsiyon veyerushalayim,
your classmates from London
I saw the Hagars when they were in Manchester a few weeks ago for a chai dinner.
I am shocked and deeply saddened by the news!
speechless
we are thinking of you at this time, you always spoke so fondly about your father, you were always so proud of all he did! I am so sorry to hear this shocking news. May you and your family be comforted among the mourners of Zion, and may you onlyhave good news from now on!From a former seminary friend in OC ( sat next to you)
mendy c c h
I reclocated to London and Kingsley Way 25 years ago. I was welcomed into the life of Kingley Way with its somewhat unusual timings of prayers and other events. There was allways one person above all others who saw to it that the minhogim of Chabad was followed to the letter. Any small nuance that was out of place would be pointed out in a very discreet quiet way by its esteemed gabbai of the shul, Freddy Hager. Despite all shuls disagreements Freddy at all times would bring shalom to the shul and nothing upset him more if one person… Read more »
I too learned in YGL and I am of course in shock, a meal at the hager’s house is an event. The food is fantastic, the conversation sophisticated, Freddy leads the meal with his impeccable British manners and his friendly sense of humor.
I hope mrs. Hager and the whole family can find some comfort by knowing how much he will be missed by so many
I am deeply deeply saddened to hear the news. I used to learn in London and would go very often to lunch Shabbos day to the Hagers. They are truly special people, and I’m so sorry to hear this news.
A very special person has left us.
a mentch,a precious diamond,irreplaceable
ohaiv sholom v’rodaif sholom.
we are all in shock
Boruch Dayan Hoemes
i am devastated, he farbranged for are class purim night-he spoke of the need to give to others-the rabbe told him that a rebbi is not a receiver but a giver.may we all learn from that.
http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/livingtorah/player_cdo/aid/575003/jewish/A-Wifes-Nachas.htm
Please Please email me so i can get in touch with you about your conversation with freddy bochur2101@gmail.com
please email me as he told the community in london that he has what to farbreng about with them from his trip. bochur2010@gmail.com
enough already!
how did this tragic event happen
As a former shliach as a bochur in Kingsley way me and other friends were bney bayis by Freddy and Louise it was a home away from home .I saw Freddy on Purim and gave him shalach manos I cannot absorb this tragedy.
My heart goes to his wife and the entire family. and to the minyan in kingsley way . I have no words to say.
Boruch Dayan Haemes
I will miss Freddy O“H
I knew him well, he always liked me. I am going to miss having such a good gubay in shul
i also saw him by mariv with his son sholom!
such a nice person!! cant believe it!
i cant believe it i saw list night by mahariv in kingsley way
So shocked! Cannot think of him as gone! My heart goes out to Louise and their children.
Our son spent a few years in London and spent much time at the Hagars. I just sat with him at Getzels shule a couple of weeks ago . Will be missed greatly
So saddened and shocked by this heart breaking news;
He was such a mentch in every single way, warm and good to anyone and everyone;
He will be so badly missed by so many people here in London;
A truly wonderful person;
May his dear wife and family have the strength to continue;
We all share your pain so badly’
What a terrible blow! May the family be comforted.
We just spent a beautiful shabbos together in yerushalaim, davening, farbrenging together. He went out of his way to shlep something I had left in Israel to England where I was visiting.
When I visited England as a single bochur, he always opened his home to me (and my friends) with warmth.
He will be sorely missed .May the family be benched with only simchos henceforth!! AD MASAI!
hamakom yenachem eschem….
The shul will not be the same without Freddy, he was at my grandmothers shloshim, Freida Vogel yesterday. He got a aliya in shil on Rosh Chodesh. I can`t believe what happend. So sad, Hashem have rachmonos
After so many years not being in Kingsley Way for Rosh Hashona, every year on Rosh Hashona I think of the way he blew the Shofer, it was with a lot of Kavonah and has left an impression on me all these years.
just spoke with freddy a”h and ydlcht”a lousie in ny last week after not seeing them for nearly 15 years. we caught up like old buddies and picked up where we left off, as if there was no gap whatsoever. after i pointed out that i was significantly younger than them, he said “i’m not THAT old…”
may the family be comforted by the effect he had, and will continue having, on so many people.
Told him a Vort. He was so happy with it that he said he will farbreng on it for many hours. He must be continuing that farbrengen now in Gan Eden
agreed it is so weird to hear everyone talk about him in past
no one knows what to say. there is nothing to say. we are all in shock.
Thank you
i believe its “ben Reb Yechiel Michel”
its been a while since i have seen our community in london so united, everyone is calling each other with words of comfort, everyone is involved in this tragedy
our community should only have simchos!
I see freddy almost every day. Such a speical person. I am so heart broken, i can not stop crying. He was the strenght of our shul. When freddy was around you knew every thing was under control. He cared so much. Hashem why? Ad mos!!, I wish the family and all his friends in kinglsey way the strenght to continue until moshiach comes and we will all be reunited. Hashem please we can not cope with this!
I davened in Kingsley Way for several years and Freddy was such a mentch. People gave him a hard time but he was so ibbergegeben to the Rebbe and to Lubavitch. He was such a shining example to the non-Lubavitch welt and he just helped give Lubavitch a good name in North West London. Te-he nishmoso tzrur b’tzrur hachaim.
For those that knew him (and all) let us learn a Mishnah for his Neshoma, Reb Efroyim Shaltiel ben Reb Michoel Michel OBM. That’s one thing we can do for him to say thank you for all he did for our shul.
We will miss you uncle Freddy
From one of the boys you would give Glilah to.
baruch dayan emes
I knew him so well a tear ago
how did this happen
I saw him yesterday. and to think of him in the past is strange.
BDE
Never met him and yet I feel like someone I know just passed away…. may the family and London community know of only Simchas
Was a shliach there and am deeply saddened by the shocking news.May Hashem comfort the entire mishpacha and give them the koiach to continue in his wonderful ways.
Crazy. NO words.
Freddy was a great man, I knew him quite well, he wasn’t just a wealthy businessman, he helped many people out in a quiet and dignified manner.
I also want to add a note of thanks to JEM for sitting him down and recording his stories with the Rebbe, they are an inspiration.
What a real “mentch”. I stayed in house on numerous occassions. A generous and wonderful person. This is shocking news.
used to learn in london yeshiva and freddy was the light and life of the shul. what happened? what a special man
To an old friend and a true “mentch”! Freddy was a light unto the nations of the world and the diamond industry will feel the loss.
May Hashem bring the family comfort.
It feels like Tisha b’Av here in London. Thinking of the family at this incredibly painful time, and wishing I could do more than just love.
May Hashem only have rachmonus on His weary People and send Moshiach NOW!
יהודי יקר שביקרים בר אוריין ובר אבוהון נין ונכד של אדמור”י זאבלטוב -ויזניץ טוב לשמים וטוב לבריות ןמקושר לאילנא דחיי חבל על דאבדין ולא משתכחין
The Hager couple (she tzum lange yoren) enjoyed a close relationship with the Rebbe and Rebbetzin. Here are some of their encounters:
His:
http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/livingtorah/player_cdo/aid/1102141/jewish/Ten-Minutes-to-Change-Worlds.htm
Hers:
http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/livingtorah/player_cdo/aid/575003/jewish/A-Wifes-Nachas.htm
freddy was my cousins zaidy but he acted to me like my own zaidy and ill miss him for as long as i live.
i also ate with him just last shabbos and farbrenged with him by a wedding last week.
I just farbrenged with him last shabbos!
he was in shul in bright spirits just yesterday
B”DE
I just saw him at a wedding in CH last week. Horrible news. BDH
we just recently saw him here in Crown Hts. A very fine person
BDHemes
AD MOSAI!!!
So shocked.
bde