The Jewish world is mourning the loss of Rabbi Berel Wein, zt"l (1934–2025), a rav, mechanech, historian, and master storyteller who gave klal Yisrael a sense of its past and a vision for its future. His passing in Yerushalayim leaves a void in the hearts of those who sat at his feet — and in the lives of thousands more who grew up on his tapes, books, and shiurim.
Rabbi Wein didn’t just teach history; he made it live. His wit, his seichel hayashar, and his ability to connect Torah with the sweep of Jewish destiny transformed the way generations of Jews understood who they are.
“In our kehillah, Rabbi Wein was the gold standard for teaching Torah with seichel, warmth, and history,” reflected Rabbi Moshe Sokoloff, mara d’asra of Agudath Israel of Kew Gardens Hills. “He gave us not only knowledge, but a sense of who we are and where we come from.”
Though he famously asked for short hespeidim, his own words could hold an oilam spellbound. Bnei Torah and baalei batim alike felt like his talmidim.
Queens had its share in his influence. Our parent publication, the Queens Jewish Link often noted how his shiurim in Yerushalayim, such as at Beit Knesset HaNasi in 2023, were eagerly followed here. “Mitzvot are only effective in a society of trust and goodness,” he told that crowd — a line that reverberated through our local batei midrash.
Chazaq CEO Rabbi Yaniv Meirov called him “one of the greatest Jewish historians and Torah educators of our generation — so many in Queens grew up on his voice.” Rabbi Yonoson Hirtz, mara d’asra of the Torah Center of Hillcrest who looked to Rabbi Wein as his rebbe muvhak added, “He gave us perspective: history is not random but Hashem’s guiding hand.” Columnist Rabbi Dani Staum who lived by the word of Rabbi Wein once wrote, “Listening to Rabbi Wein was like hearing our Zeide tell us where we came from.”
His embrace of Jewish history extended across all streams. Ashkenaz and Sepharad both found a home in his teaching. His retelling of the Rambam, the sages of Spain, and the grandeur of Ottoman Jewry gave Sephardic history its rightful place in the unfolding story of am Yisrael, and Sephardic rabbanim often expressed hakaras hatov for how he amplified their legacy.
Political and communal leaders in both Israel and the U.S. recognized his passing. Israeli President Isaac Herzog at the shiv'ah described him as “a teacher of teachers, who gave his people not only knowledge but perspective and hope.” American rabbanim likewise remembered him as a voice that bridged Torah and daily life with integrity.
Rabbi Wein is survived by children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, along with talmidim across continents. His shiv’ah in Yerushalayim drew Jews from every part of klal Yisrael, all testifying to the reach of his Torah and the love he inspired.
His beloved “History Series,” his sefarim, his derashot — all remain with us. Rabbi Berel Wein’s voice continues to echo in our homes, our batei midrash, and our hearts.
Rabbi Berel Wein, zt"l: Klal Yisrael’s Master Storyteller
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