Baruch Dayan HaEmes 💔
The CBN team is saddened to report the petirah of Rebbetzin Esther Leiba Zaks a”h, the almanah of HaGaon Reb Hillel Zaks zt”l, Rosh Yeshivas “Knesses Hagedolah,” was niftar at the age of 91.
The levayah will take place tonight (Monday) at 7:30 p.m., departing from Yeshivas Knesses Hagedolah, 19 Meshech Chochmah Street, Modiin Illit, en route to Shamgar st in Jerusalem, and from there to Har HaZeisim.
The Rebbetzin a”h was born in Jerusalem on 17 Iyar 5695 (1935) to her father, HaGaon Reb Avraham Moshe Chevroni zt”l, Rosh Yeshivas Chevron and author of Masaas Moshe, and to her mother Rebbetzin Rochel a”h, daughter of the gaon Rabbi Moshe Mordechai Epstein zt”l.
In the 1950s she married HaGaon Rabbi Hillel Zaks zt”l, who later served as Rosh Yeshivas Chevron and Knesses Hagedolah. The shidduch was suggested by Rav Aharon Kotler zt”l, during one of his visits to Eretz Yisrael. After their marriage, they lived in the United States.
They later made aliyah to Israel, where Rav Hillel served as a maggid shiur in Yeshivas Chevron. Following the passing of his father-in-law, Rav Avraham Moshe Chevroni zt”l, he was appointed Rosh Yeshiva.
With the founding of Ma’ale Amos, Rav Hillel became its first Rav, alongside other founding members who were alumni of Yeshivas Chevron. The family later lived in the Geula neighborhood of Jerusalem, near the yeshiva.
In 1996, Rav Hillel founded Yeshivas Knesses Hagedolah in Modiin Illit, with the Rebbetzin supporting him throughout the years in his Torah work and the daily running of the institution.
She is survived by a distinguished family, including her son, HaGaon Reb Yitzchak Zev Zaks, Rosh Yeshivas Knesses Hagedolah, as well as her sons Reb Yisrael Meir, Reb Aharon, Reb Tzvi Hirsch, Reb David, Reb Menachem Mendel Yosef, and her sons-in-law, Reb Chaim Man and Reb Tzvi Wilensky.
