By Rabbi Yair Hoffman

Every so often you run into unique individuals who you take an instant liking to because they are so genuine.  Reb Kalman Mendlowitz was just such a man.  He was a person with an extraordinary sense of ahavah and achrayus to Klal Yisroel – something we can all learn from.

Kohanim serve Klal Yisroel, once with the avodah in the Beis HaMikdash and now with Birkas Kohanim. Reb Kalman served Klal Yisroel by ensuring that they would be able to have simchas without breaking the bank.  Whether it was in his takana simcha hall, or the restaurant he ran that one could hold a sheva brachos or a Shabbos Aufruf or a pidyon haBen – he made it possible to be done affordably and without having to stress over it.

He was a partner of mine, so to speak, where he had supplied much of the food for many a yesomah, a giores, the daughter of a single mom or a single dad, and so much more.  We would plan together and things would work or just fall into place. Together we did close to 200 weddings and simchas. His food was wholesome and delicious too.

Reb Kalman was a remarkable anav as well.  His family did not fully realize the breadth and scope of the chessed that he had accomplished throughout his life career of Chessed, ahavas Yisroel, and achrayus.  He was a ba’al achrayus and they are always the quietest; they redeem, they rescue and then they step back and let the simcha shine.

He had a special ko’ach and energy and a sense of yashrus wherein he always did what was right. He also had a special “can-do” attitude where if things didn’t work one way, they would work another way – and it always did.  He was both an out-of-towner in his b’saiver panim yafos and an in-towner – where he knew how to get things done.

I last spoke to Reb Kalman some three weeks ago.  We had planned a simcha together for a struggling couple that faced extraordinary difficulties.  He embraced the opportunity to help and suggested innovative ways in doing so.  

Reb Kalman also demonstrated remarkable mentschlechkeit.   He treated everyone with kavod and respect – the wealthy and the not-so wealthy and the very-not-so-wealthy all alike.  It is hard to train kitchen staff and waiters, and yet he did it. He also did it with a mentchlichkeit.

He had the Ateres Shlomo Hall on New Utrecht Avenue and 77th Street, pioneering the ffordably priced simcha hall.  Together with his family, he also operated Sasson V’Simcha, halls that hosted everything.  Everyone remembers that remarkable story some 17 years ago, where authorities had shut down a wedding on the day it was scheduled to happen.  Un-flustered he made the arrangements to have it held elsewhere.  Waiters, food and all.

The levayah was held on Friday morning at Shomrei Hadas Chapels in Boro Park, just a few hours before Shabbos.

Previously he was in a different career – dealing in diamonds.  But when you think about it – it was not a career shift at all.  He dealth in diamonds in what he did with his food.  The thousands of acts of chessed he did were diamonds as well. 

His late brother, Reb Shea Mendlowitz was renowned around the world for his beautiful musical compositions. But Reb Kalman also made his own different type of music – a music that gave nachas to the families of Klal Yisroel and Avinu sh’bashamayim in his unique sense of achrayus for Hashem’s children.

The family gets up from shiva tomorrow morning.  R’ Kalman is survived by his wife, Mrs. Mollie Mendlowitz; his siblings, Mrs. Frimi Frankel, Mr. Chaim Kopel, Mrs. Chaim Mendlowitz, and Mr. Shmuel Mendlowitz; his children, Ms. Shifra Mendlowitz, Mrs. Beila Steiner, Mrs. Miriam Reich, Mrs. Bracha Ickovitz, Mrs. Shaindy Hassan, and Mr. Yitzy Mendlowitz; and grandchildren.

Yehei zichro Boruch.

The author can be reached at [email protected]