This past Motza’ei Shabbos, the yeshivah world was thrown into mourning for the third time in a week with the petirah of HaRav HaGaon Yechiel Yitzchak Perr, ztk”l, 89. Rabbi Perr was the founder and Rosh HaYeshivah at Yeshiva Derech Ayson, Yeshiva Far Rockaway, my alma mater. Though our interactions were few over my high school career, each was steeped in deep meaning and lesson, be it in the beis hamesdresh or the yeshivah office where I often found opportunities. Rabbi Perr relied on the wisdom and foresight of his partner at the yeshivah, HaRav Aharon Brafman zt”l, the pioneering menahel. Together, they changed the landscape of Far Rockaway and built a community where hundreds of alumni settled. His loss is incalculable for the Torah community and as the preeminent Torah authority at the helm of the Far Rockaway community, Rabbi Perr made an indelible mark influencing thousands of bnei Yisrael with his unmatched brilliance.
Rabbi Perr was the best of Queens, having lived in the world’s borough his entire illustrious life. Born in 1935 in South Ozone Park, Rav Perr was raised surrounded by Torah. His revered father, Rav Menachem Mendel Perr, served as a pulpit rabbi for over 50 years, alongside Rav Perr’s beloved mother, Leah. As a youth, Rav Perr attended Mesivta Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin, where Rav Avigdor Miller zt”l’s Slabodkan musar became second nature.
This past week, Rav Aharon Kotler ztk”l lost three talmidim: Rav Dov Wolowitz, Rav Avrohom Stefansky, and Rav Perr, who attended Lakewood’s Beth Medrash Gavoha from 1954 until 1962 when Rav Kotler called on Rav Perr to be a founding talmid at Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia. During his time under Rav Kotler, Rav Perr followed his every word, always remaining loyal to his rebbe.
Rav Perr’s wife, Rebbetzin Shoshana Perr nee Nekritz, is the daughter of Rabbi Yehuda Leib Nekritz, granddaughter of Rabbi Avraham Yaffen, and great-granddaughter of the Novardok Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yozel Horwitz, whose influence I often felt through Rav Perr’s musar shiurim that the high school bachurim were privileged to attend.
After their marriage, Rav Perr embraced the Novardok tradition, learning in Brooklyn at Yeshivas Beis Yosef-Novardok until 1969, when his vision for YFR came to fruition.
For 11 summers, the Perrs and Rav Yisroel Reisman’s family enjoyed one another’s company. “He was a genius level person,” and lived like the “simplest person,” rarely ever speaking of personal needs or feelings. During two of the summers, Rav Perr was raising needed funds for the yeshivah’s campus and noted that his learning had taken a slight toll. However, the yeshivah remained his high point, staying vibrant to its cause until his last moment.
Rav Chaim Bressler called Rav Perr “an investor in neshamos” who always paid homage to his parents. Rav Perr had a unique manner of looking at life, and understood topics on a vastly different level than others, which made him an exceptional individual.
Rav Naftali Yeger explained that Rav Perr lived a life of kedushah in a society that pushed the opposite dictum. This enabled the Rosh HaYeshivah to understand how an American boy thinks, allowing his influence to make an impact felt forever. He was known to say that we are children on the edge of a cliff with untold dangers lurking. It would be Rav Perr’s wish for us each to take on small steps to become a better Jew in the eyes of Hashem.
Rav Yaakov Bender spoke of Rav Perr as a person who lived in the ways of his mentors and brought to his students the feelings of our sages from yesteryear despite being American raised. But it was his wife on whom he often relied upon, and it is she who often dispensed life lessons and advice. The Far Rockaway and Five Towns communities will forever be feeling Rav Perr’s lasting influence.
Rav Moshe Brown knew Rav Perr for over 40 years and found a joy for life from watching Rav Perr interact. The yeshivah itself reflects Rav Perr, whose depth of how he perceived world, historical, and current events was seen through a unique sense of perspective and honesty. Rav Perr carried the responsibility of his talmidim in the modern world and enabled each to thrive and strive for higher plateaus.
Sar v’gadol nafal hayom hazeh b’Yisrael. May we find our own ways to emulate Rav Perr’s humility and advance in limud haTorah in his merit.
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By Shabsie Saphirstein
