Teaneck, NJ – Saturday’s vicious Nor’easter created nightmarish conditions across North Jersey, and led to the deaths of two people in Teaneck after winds knocked a tree down on them, authorities said.
The victims were believed to be walking on the sidewalk along Jefferson Avenue early Saturday evening when wind gusts toppled a large tree, which struck and killed them, Teaneck Police Chief Robert Wilson said.
The tree also knocked down power lines, and police were unable to get close to the scene until crews from Public Service Electric & Gas arrived to shut off electricity.
At the scene Saturday night, police cordoned off portions of Jefferson with yellow caution tape.
The street is located in a heavily Orthodox Jewish neighborhood, residents said they believed the victims could have been walking home from the Shaarei Orah Shul.
VIN News has confirmed that Chesed Shel Emes and Abe Freidman Teaneck Police dep. Chaplain have been dispatched to the scene. The two individuals who were struck have been identified As Mr. Ovadi Musafi age 52, and Mr. Lawrence Krause age 50.
BD”h
Wow what a bizarre way to die. BDE
Bd’e may the families know no more sorrow
oy ve!!!!
i feel just as bad for them as every one else does, but can someone please explain to me the point of writing BDE
just a way to show some sympathy for the situation. BDE.
Obviously, you don’t.
BD”E
Normally in the general culture people would write R.I.P. when they hear such unfortunate news about others dying, but in the orthodox Jewish world, all of the emphasis is on God 24/7 even when you hear of someone dying. So, BDE is a way to express that God is behind all of the circumstances in life.
nothing wrong with an extra blessing!
“Blessed is the true judge” is said for the same reason “gom zoo ltovah” is said. We are blessing Hashem, as being the true judge, who knows best when someone must pass.
It is the Halachically prescribed response when learning of unfortunate news. Boruch Dayan HaEmes.
Was this Ovadia the president of the Sephardic Shul in Teaneck?
life is so unpredictable, scary
Ovadia Mussaffi was president of the sephardic congregation of teaneck. He spent many hours keeping the shul running and he dedicated his life to the community. He leaves behind a wife and 4 kids aged 6 to 12. His hebrew name was ovadia ben anwar.
Anwar is not a hebrew name. It is actually Arabic. *
Why are so many Jews are undereducated and ignorant these days? Anwar may sound Arabic because this individual is from Sephardi background. Do people say “ohh Feinstein is not Jewish because it’s a common last name for the Germans? No, so why do you have to bring up that Ovadia Anwar is “Arabic”?
I was the one that said it was an arabic name. I am Sefardi which makes me thousands of more times educated than you. Anwar doesn’t sound Arabic, it is arabic! I am not putting down my background in the least bit, I just want you to understand our culture. It is not a hebrew name. Anwar came from the name of Anwar El Sadat. I am sure he has a HEBREW name as well!
Ovadia ben anwar is how he was always called to the torah. His mother’s name was sabicha. If his father had a hebrew name he never told anyone.
They were from shaarei orah. Sephardic congregation of teaneck , not CBY. What a tragedy
Oy vey RL we’re should see no more such tragedies. Baruch dayan emes.
hashem is calling us to do teshuva
how many communities have bee hit with people dying in such tragic and untimely deaths RL.
hashem should comfort the familys.
But sadly we don’t truly care enough about each other for some strangers death to profoundly effect us. Maybe when the death of a Jewish stranger will bring us to tears regardless of their age/gender then we will probably be zoche to Moshiach and the cessation of such tragedies.
No jew is a STRANGER, we are all ONE family. And while we may not neccessarily always know anotther jew still we share in their joy and r”l in their tragedy. All of us yidden are united in grief over this unspeakable tragedy. Two families torn apart in matter of seconds. We all know one thing, that H-shem is talking to all of us.
“We are all one family”……really?? Maybe you should go to Isreal and tell that to the Saphardic -VS- Askn…who are not teaching children because of what type of ‘Jew’ they are. One family my foot……you discriminate against your own kind more than any goy EVER….just like to put the blame on everyone else.
No. 9. You try to get it off your chest ,(so to speak )
BDE. [*It stands for Baruch Dayen haEmes, which means “Blessed is the True Judge.” When we hear of someone’s death, we are often shocked by the news and struck speechless, and that is the proper Jewish response.*]
Is this larry kraus the attorney
I know Mr. Krause personally, he was a exceptionally wonderfull man, mesiros nafesh to raise his children frum and a golden heart.
#17, yes this is Mr. Krause the attorney
Hatzolah should warn people not to go outdoors with winds gusting in excess of 50mph.
May Hashem comfort the families of these two fine ehrilecha Jews who died coming back from Maariv.
BDH is a way of stating our belief in the fact that god gives and takes life, and we just have to prepare ourselves for when our number is called!
Bde!
its a tragedy we r lider getting very painful wake up calls.. but we unfortunately forget @ the Mumbai story RL ppl where also so broke & was Tshivah feeling but now no1 leider remembers that Bitter story..
lets fix our behavior
They were walking from the Sfardi shul not from Bnei Yeshuran
cse keep up ur ahvoides hakodesh!!!!
Ad mosai?! BDE
Wow,if you would like to say baruch dayin emes maybe take a few seconds out of your busy life to write it out. Someone was niftar, at least show a little that you care.
I agree with you. The truth is most people don’t care but they know they should so they write BDE. Its fake and empty. I speak for myself when I say I wish it truly pained me when I hear these stories. I’m just so numbed by the onslaught of freak accidents and young children dying that its hard to feel deeply. This story bothers me but all I could muster is a “crechtz” and an “oy Rebbono She’ll. Olam.”
you are the reason there is sin’as chinam in the world. people are trying to be nice and write bde, but since they didnt write it out fully you have to bash them?? maybe you should learn a little kavob for your fellow jews
Mr Larry Krause Z”L a Bal Teshuva many years who was going from strength to strength in Torah Avodah and Chesed a wonderfull husband and father He will be greatly missed by all his many friends and admirers and especially by his family He Should be a Maylitz Yosher for them all. for mishnayos leiluy nishmoso Eliezer Mordechai ben Avrohom Sholom Halevy
Why do you find it necessary to say Mr. Krause Z”L was a Bal Teshuva? He was coming home from Shul after Shabbos so was obviously Shommer Shabbas.
Are you implying that a Ba’al Teshuvah” is NOT Shomer Shabbos? I may going out on a limb here, but I’m going to venture and say that the average Ba’al Teshuvah is probably MORE scrupulous in observing the intracacies of Hilchos Shabbos than the average “Frum From Birth” person.
I think his point was why mentions his past? He’s now a regular frum person…
Maybe because it’s a sh’vach to be a baal teshuva – he was saying something NICE about him – not some veiled insult! In today’s day and age someone who makes the coroageous choice to move to a life of Torah and mitzvos should be applauded and respected with ultimate admiration!
Hey A baal teshuvah is considered to be on the highest level .
I know larry krause personally as we worked together at 40 wall street from 1990 till 1995. I am shocked and saddenned. He stayed in my home in Staten Island for shabbos back in the early 1990’s. Baruch Dayan Emes
It’s been nine years , he left behind a two month old girl who will be nine years old today
They are true karbanos for our sins! I would like to say to the families Hamakom Yinachen Eschem Besoch SHaar Aveiley Tzion Yerushalayim we are with you in your pain. The niftarim should be meilitz yosher on all of us
Karbonos for our sins? I thought that is a goyish concept.
Well, you were wrong. It is a very Jewish concept. Where do you think the goyim copied it from?
I knew Mr. Krause personally, worked for him as my first job out of school, he was a truly kind individual that always tried to help where he could, gave unconditionally to charity, and cared deeply about other people. Hashem should protect his family, and support them in all their needs, and comfort them always… in his merit and the other soul that left this world, we should all increase in our ahavas israel by fighting our selfishness and ego in favor of a fellow jew, and then G-d will no longer be concealed, and Mashiah will come!!! Baruch Dayan Emet!!!
well said alex, very tough news to accept but we all know this is hashems way
Please let us know details of both levayas when u know them. tx
I am so sorry for them , and their Families!!! May help the Klal during these difficult times!
This past year have been so many sudden and strange deaths! Children or young adults, very very painful and frightening!! Hashem please have rachmunes on your children. This is so sad. In a split second life has changed for these two families and I am sure for more.
the winds were really scary. we must have a guideline of range winds not to go outside.
When a Yid dies, we are so pained that yes we CRY! We hurt, because it is our brother, our sister, part of our Yiddishe Family. Hashem gave us all a part of Him. We all share a part of the Neshama from Hashem so we all belong to Hashem and we ARE ALL ONE! That is why when a Yid dies, even if we never knew him and even if he is on the other side of the world, we hurt so badly and we feel the loss! Hashem, look down and see your kinderlech and take us out of this terrible Gulas!
oy gevald, Larry was an exceptional human being, extremely devoted husband and father to ALL his 6 kids, youngest daughter less then 2 months old. Family went through so much hardship but Larry never lost his simcha and generousity. He will be missed by all his friends and lets never forget his wonderfull wife and kids who will need our support to carry on with their lives despite this tragic turn of events.
oy gevald the daughter will never remember her wonderful father…
Hashem yerachem and should send mushiach bb”u
I am deeply saddened. I know him from 40 Wall Street from 1990 till 1995 . I did not know he had 6 kids. I recently heard that he remarried. I was an orphan myself so I know how heart rentching it will be on his family. They need a lot of love and support and they will survive with Hashem’s help.
I just read the News on my Yahoo Front page and rushed to this site.My instinct was right…Please G-d spare us such horrific tragedies. I pray that the Families find their peace in knowing these two fine men were good people who were simply returning to their Families after evening services and G-d in his infinite wisdom decided that was the time. They were True Tzaddikim for they were taken as they were about to perform the mitzvah of Havdalah.. May their memory be for a blessing.
Horrific tragedy for the community of Teaneck hampkom yenachem eschem bsosch shaor avleh Zion vyrushalium
BDE, some years ago here in Baltimore a similar tragedy happened Sukkoth, during hurricane Hazel when a boy walking home from davening with his father. The father’s blew off and the boy went to pick up the hat and a tree fell on him and he lost his life. Ironic circumstances
yes,it was over 53 years ago. his father henry cohn was the president of the bais yaakov school for many years
i too thought of that tragedy yesterday afternoon and davened at home
The boy’s picture has graced the bentshers of Bais Yaakov
I just did tshuva I feel bad for these families.
Boruch Dayan Emes. I do care, I am crying as I type this message. I didn’t know these people, but, we are all brothers and sisters. These kedoshim were doing avodas hakodesh -going to shul in spite of the wild weather. Yehi zichrom boruch.
Why is everyone here arguing about writing BDE, about being Baal Teshuva, or about ANYTHING? We just lost two frumma Yidden. Isn’t that enough?? It is a TERRIBLE thing to lose a member of the family to a freak accident. I know. I lost my husband a little over a year ago and I am STILL grieving over it. Please, please stop arguing about shtuyot. Have some respect. Daven, give Tzedakah, do mitzvot l’zecer nimatechem!
you took the words right out of my mouth. we all need to stop picking at the little things and realize we are all jews. frum, not frum, doesnt matter, the point is, we lost 2 Jews.
wow
credit for CHESED SHEL EMES for working in this weather
a true CHESED SHEL EMES
i heard Rabbi Berger on the Zev Brener show
I have known Larry for many years. We maintained a close friendship and our children are friends. I will miss him terribly, but my heart can’t begin to imagine the grief that his wife and children are experiencing. May they be comforted for all who mourn for Zion and Yerushalayim.
if anyone has details on anything we can do please post
This family has been through so much. We need to mobilize to help
Does anyone know his address or phone number I can get in touch with the family thank you
Does Mr. Krause have a daughter named Rachel?
I was at the shul with both Larry and Ovadia for shiur and mincha/maariv.Ovadia was the most animated person in the shiur, asking questions and being truly involved.The last thing I heard Larry say before this happened was how Hashem’s power is truly evident in a storm like this.And by the way-the shiur’s topic was Korban Pesach.They were truly one of a kind people who will be greatly missed.Please pray for their families to stay strong. BDE
This is very tragic. Larry Krause was a great man. May Hashem comfort his family during this tough time and give them the strengh to keep going. He will be greatly missed. BDE. Everyone please say some tehilim for his family and give some extra Tzedokah, as that is all we can do. Hope to never read anything like this again.
“you took the words right out of my mouth. we all need to stop picking at the little things and realize we are all jews. frum, not frum, doesnt matter, the point is, we lost 2 Jews.”
Oh, by the way, they were also people.
Ok i really don’t get why everyone is going back and forth but stop this fighting! You can all say they are both in a much better place now and God has a plan for every Jew. It was there time. I am sure I am the youngest one posting on this site but I feel the pain. Seeing any Jew go is hard. Both fathers are watching over their precious children and wives now. They are both sitting with our four fathers and Moshe rabbeinu right as we speak. Front row. They came out in the storm to pray and I believe i heard learn as well.
Daven for them. Pray for their families. Even thinking about this happening to me makes me scared. gam zu litova. It happens for the reasons only the One above us can answer.
does anyone know what street ovadias family lives on?
baruch dayin emet. their soul lives on forever…
i doubt ur the youngest im 14
does it make a difference who is the youngest to post. the point is that there is an unfortunate tragedy where to men lost their lives and families lost close relatives.
sorry to the family members
If one follows the Rambam, AH, only the greatest merit Hasgachah pratis. The rest of us, are subject to probabilities where HaShem lets nature take its course. Having said that, it is a terrible tragedy.
Knowing both of these 2 individuals I would say they are both in the category of meriting hashgachah pratit, which is what makes this tragedy all the more uncomprehensible for me. Ovadia was one of my closest friends, he was an esh tam, his heart was absolute pure gold, and anyone knew him would tell you the same. This was not a regular yid to put it plainly. I hope one day I can understand why Hashem took him away from his family, his friends and his community so suddenly and tragically. You are greatly missed my friend.
lawrence krause’s son daniel is in my class.
I can’t stop crying.
The funeral for Lawrence Krause will take place Monday morning at 11AM at Yeshivah Darchei Avoteinu, 630 Avenue S (at East 7th Street), Brooklyn, NY
I just spoke with someone an hour ago, he was on the plane when the family, kids came onto the plane. There wasn’t a dry eye on the plane!
How painful it is for the young wife to face the fact that her husband is no more!
How painful it is for the children to learn that their Father is no more!
Klal Yisroel! Stop and think a minute. How many more Yesomim in just a split of a second!
Let’s all shed at least one tear to the Avi Yesoimim! Hashem we can’t take it anymore!
Can you imagine the Levaya tomorrow in E”Y or in Teaneck!
It’s a reminder to all of us. DO TESHUVAH! DO TESHUVAH! DO TESHUVAH!
Teshuvah means to fix ourselves in any way for the good.
HASHEM SHOULD HAVE RACHMONIS ON HIS CHILDREN.
i feel very bad for the loss of these 2 men i wonder if this is a sign that we need to do te’shuvah
larry was my attorney. he offered advice as a friend and told me i could call him as a friend anytime. this was 5 days ago. RIP my fallin brother.
I had the zechus to drive Ovadia from the bus to the shul several times after work. He was one of the friendliest and happiest person that I have ever met. His death is a terrible tragedy for his family and the entire Jewish community.BDE
I knew Larry since 10th grade at Herricks High School on Long Island. He was truly a unique individual and a very intelligent person. I went to his first wedding and he was at mine. Although I lost touch with him over the years, I would often think about him and repeat his interesting anecdotes to others. My wife and I will miss him. Our condolences to his entire family.
Enough bickering about who said & how. Let’s talk action. There are 10 orphans that need looking after. Which Rov is most familiar with the family and would know their needs? Do they have extended family in the area who can do child care? Who will be helping the families make Pesach after the immediate kvurah and shivah arrangements are made? These are the questions that local people can answer with deeds and those of us further away can answer with funds or goods.
For a Middle Eastern Jew to have the name Anwar, Machlouf, Letifah, by which they are called to the Torah (if one is a man) is like a European Jew having the name Anshel, Fishel, Feivel, Mindl, etc. Ashkenazim should learn this and understand it.
BD’E
I was today at the levaye, it was so heart breaking to see his young wife who left her 6 weeks old daughter at home with family to attend her husbands funeral. No family should go through such tragedy especially a family that has known so many hardships in a relatively short period.
We can’t comprehand hashems ways, we are not perfect humans and live in a non perfect world at a very non perfect time and therefore it is unreasonable for us to expect to understand the perfect ways of hashem.
We can take solace in the fact that we believe and know that hashem our dear father does whats best for us and a time will come when we will all understand how this was all for the better.
Meanwhile we need to remember his widow with her 4 kids, they need all the support we can provide they are at a loss and its time to repay Larry for his great deeds and generousity by being generous and kind to his surviving family and make sure they are well provided until we will be zoche to the geula shleima bb”u.
Further to #95 and 100 – does anyone have information about where to direct donations/support for the families – thanks