Rabbi Zelig Epstein, the head of Yeshiva Shaar HaTorah (Grodna) in Queens, New York, passed away Monday morning, Yeshiva World News reported. Rabbi Epstein - who was in his upper nineties - had been hospitalized for the past few months, and his condition had slowly deteriorated.
The funeral will be held Monday afternoon at the the yeshiva (117th Street & 84th Avenue). The body will be flown to Israel for burial.
The rabbi studied in the Mir yeshiva and taught in Yeshiva Torah Vodaas prior to becoming Rosh Yeshiva at Shaar HaTorah. Although he maintained a relatively low profile, turning down numerous invitations to join the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, he was widely known for his brilliance and wise advice.