Rabbi Yosef Yehuda Loschak, director of Chabad of S. Barbara, Calif., who worked tirelessly to spread Jewish observance and awareness in Southern California since 1979, passed away on July 1. He was 62 years old.
A native of Melbourne, Australia, he was the only son of Holocaust survivors, a fact that very much colored his life. Grateful to eventually have such a large family of his own, he was extremely dedicated to his wife and 12 children, and cherished by his many grandchildren.
As emissaries of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Loschak and his wife, Devorah, founded Chabad of S. Barbara, which caters to local families and students at the nearby University of California, S. Barbara. Eleven years ago, their oldest son—Rabbi Mendel Loschak and his wife, Rochel—started a campus Chabad there.
“My parents always had an open home and would have students at our home all the time, so we grew accustomed to them and the funny hours they keep,” recalls Rabbi Hersh Loschak, the sixth of their 12 children, who now directs a Chabad on Campus center in Glassboro, N.J.
The Loschaks were well-known for the mitzvah of hachnasat orchim—the welcoming of guests—with a full table and full bedrooms; never did they turn a visitor away.
The rabbi served his local community in myriad ways, patiently sowing the seeds of Jewish life that would eventually sprout into a shul, mikvah, day school, Hebrew school, Torah-study and adult-education classes, Camp Gan Israel and more. He was assisted by his son-in-law, Rabbi Zalman Kudan, and his wife, Shterna, who joined Chabad of S. Barbara nine years ago.
Rabbi Loschak also directed a chaplaincy program for Jewish inmates in California, offering counseling, direction and encouragement. In the past few years, he headed Chabad prison chaplaincy all over the state of California.
Beyond S. Barbara, he directed Chabad activities in outlying communities, such as S. Luis Obispo and others. He also served on the editorial board of the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute.
The rabbi was a pioneering force on the Web. He taught Torah and shared advice on the website AskMoses.com, where Jewish scholars respond to queries via live chat. Over the years, he touched thousands of anonymous lives online with his counsel. In addition to answering questions, the rabbi oversaw the team of scholars and rabbis, and helped guide them as well.
With his signature warmth, joie de vivre and love of Judaism, he inspired individuals and families too numerous to count to increase their dedication to Jewish observance and their appreciation for Jewish identity.
A lifelong student with a passion for Torah study, he recently completed his shimmush—his practical internship for an advanced rabbinic degree. He was also known as a great lover of sefarim, of sacred books, and covered every space of wall he could find with bookshelves brimming over with their contents.
Rabbi Loschak was recently diagnosed with an illness. At the central gathering honoring the third of Tammuz—the 20th anniversary of passing of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory—psalms were recited in his merit. But in the waning moments of the day, his soul departed.
In addition to his wife, the rabbi is survived by his children: Rabbi Mendel Loschak (S. Barbara, Calif.), Shterna Kudan (S. Barbara, Calif.), Ella Potash (Redwood City, Calif.), Nechama Dena Dinerman (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Rabbi Ahrele Loschak (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Rabbi Hersh Loschak (Glassboro, N.J.), Mushky Rabin (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Yochi Lipinski (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Estee Steinmetz (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Avi Loschak, Miri Loschak and Chaim Loschak.
A memorial service took place in S. Barbara on Wednesday, attended by hundreds. The funeral will pass by 770 Eastern Parkway in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y., on Thursday, July 3. Burial will be in the Old Montefiore Cemetery in Queens, N.Y.
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