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| Rabbi Rapp z"l |
Rabbi Yekutiel Rapp, 66, a beloved and respected Crown Heights rabbi, has been tragically killed in a car accident.
According to an account from an eyewitness on the street, the driver apparently backed over Rabbi Rapp on Empire Boulevard and Balfour Place. and then attempted to drive forward twice, unaware that someone was trapped under his vehicle. The exact details surrounding the accident is under investigation.
The driver remained on the scene and was being questioned by Police.
COL Live reports (http://bit.ly/1IoRPF0). that as a young man, Rabbi Rapp was exposed to Chassidus in the course of his studies at Yeshiva Kol Torah in Jerusalem, and later became an integral part of the Chabad movement where he was stationed at JFK International Airport. There, he developed a close relationship with El Al Airlines personnel, and even brought Israeli government officials to a meeting at 770 Eastern Parkway to discuss the establishment of an organization to fight concessions to Arab nations. His love for Israel, her safety, and the Jewish people was widely-known.
Rabbi Rapp was employed as a mashgiach at the Central Tomchei Tmimim Yeshiva at 770, where he is said to have influenced many generations of bochurim.
The rabbi is survived by his wife Fayge and family.
