The Novominsker Rebbe, Rabbi Yaakov Perlow, Agudath Israel United States head, has passed away.
The Rebbe was a revered figure in American Jewry, and served as Agudath Yisrael of America head since 1998. He was the head of Agudah’s Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah. He was 89 at his passing.
Before his untimely demise, Rabbi Perlow directed a message to Jewry: “We cannot behave the way we did last week or two weeks ago. We’re told that the halakha (Jewish law) is that we must listen to doctors, whether it’s about a sick person or Yom Kippur.”
Hamodia reports that Rabbi Perlow was born in New York in 5691/1931. He was the son of the previous Rebbe, Harav Nachum Mordechai Perlow and Rebbetzin Beila Ruchama. He was named for his great-grandfather, Harav Yaakov Perlow, the first Novominsker Rebbe. His maternal grandfather was Harav Yitzchak Zelig Morgenstern, the Sokolover Rebbe, a descendant of the Kotzker Rebbe.
Rabbi Perlow was not well over the last week, and passed away at his home on Tuesday morning.