YS GOLD 

The Sanz-Klausenberger chassidus was plunged into shock and mourning as they learned of the sudden, shocking, and untimely petirah of Hagaon Rav Tzvi Zev Berger, zt"l, the dayan of the Sanz-Klausenberger kehillah in New York. He was 43 years of age, and did not awake in the morning while on vacation in Switzerland. 

Sanz-Klausenberger chassidim related that Rav Berger was a gaon in Torah and yiras Shomayim, a refined person with sterling middos.

The dayan would deliver shiurim both within the chassidus as well as in other shuls around the community. "It was always a pleasure to listen to his shiurim which were delivered with crystal clarity and with a mastery of so much Torah," recalled one of his Shiur listeners. 

Rav Berger had a unique program for the study of practical halachah in which learners could go through the entire shulchan aruch, deriving the practical implications, in a relatively short time. He was also part of the leadership of a number of kollelim in New York, assisting in the development of the learning material and schedules. In this capacity, he taught many younger dayanim how to pasken halachah. 

One person observed that based on his trajectory, he would surely have become among the great names of hora'ah in our generation. Alas, he was snatched from our midst in the midst of his avodas hakodesh, a bright future snuffed out in its prime. 

His passing brought great anguish to his family, the Sanz-Klausenberger chassidus, and to the dayan's many acquaintances and admirers. 

Yehi zichro baruch.