The body of Rabbi Dovid Zalman Traube, z”l, a 38-year-old father of seven from Monsey, New York, was found in Greenwood Lake in Orange County, New York.
Rabbi Traube had gone missing after attempting to rescue his 10-year-old son, who had fallen into the lake during a boating outing.
The child, who was wearing a life jacket, was brought to land, as was the rest of the family, but Rav Dovid went missing.
His body was found after a joint effort by the Greenwood Lake Fire Department, Hatzolah of Kiryas Yoel, the NY State Police, CommSAR and others.
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Rav Dovid served as rosh kollel of Kollel Ruach Chaim, located at Bais Medrash Elyon in Monsey.
He was a talmid of Yeshiva Tiferes Boruch of Springfield, under Rav Elya Meir Sorotzkin, and Yeshivas Brisk in Yerushalayim. He later also learned in a kollel under the auspices of Rav Shmulik Shapiro.
His father, R’ Chaim, passed away several years ago at the age of 67. R’ Chaim was born in a DP camp in Switzerland shortly after the end of World War II to his parents, Moshe Zev and Pessel Traube. Pessel came from a family of 11 children; she was the sole survivor. R’ Moshe Zev also came from a large family; only he and one brother survived the war.
Shortly after the birth of R’ Chaim, the Traubes were able to travel to the United States, where they settled in Omaha, Nebraska. Two more daughters were born there. The Traubes raised their children with a strong sense of identity regarding their European roots, primarily as close adherents of the admorim of Ger. Indeed, R’ Chaim lived his entire life as a European-type Jew, although he was raised in America.
They took great pride in their newly built family, as it was virtually all they had left after the war. They sent their children at the tender age of nine across the country to receive proper chinuch in New York. Young Chaim went to Mesivta Torah Vodaas, where his only relative, his uncle Rav Shmuel Yaakov Traube, was a rebbe for close to 50 years. When he reached beit medrash age, Chaim returned to the Midwest, where he attended a relatively new institution, Telshe Yeshiva in Chicago. After his marriage, Reb Chaim settled in Cleveland, where he raised his family.
Rav Dovid, from a young age, was recognized for his unique capabilities. He loved learning and grew in Torah, becoming a young ben Torah and then a bonafide talmid chochom.
His wife, Hadassah, is a daughter of Rav Mordechai Wolmark, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Shaarei Torah of Monsey. She is a granddaughter of noted baal tzedakah R’ Zev Wolfson, zt”l.
Rav Dovid is survived by his wife, Hadassah Traube, and their seven children. Rav Dovid also leaves behind his mother, Bina Traube, and his siblings, Reb Sender, Reb Yisroel, Reb Yehuda, Reb Yosef Yitzchok (Itchy), Reb Ephraim, Tamar, Tzippora Greenspoon and Aliza Inzelbuch.
The funeral was held at Bais Medrash Elyon. The aron was flown to Eretz Yisroel for burial.
By Matzvav.com
