Tragedy: Crown Heights medical benefactor dies of heart attack in Bar

September 21, 2020   

Baruch Dayan, the truth teller: In the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, on the first night of Rosh Hashanah, Rabbi Avraham Lider, z"l, chairman of the "Ahavat Chesed" organization - who dedicated his life to helping thousands in medical emergencies and hospitalizations - died of a heart attack at the age of 63. The deceased z"l, born in Jerusalem, came to the United States from Israel at the age of 14, when he accompanied his father for urgent eye surgery. While they were in the United States, when they did not know anyone, volunteers from the Bikur Cholim organization in Flatbush reached out to them for help. Rabbi Lider later said that this is what influenced him to dedicate his life to families facing a serious medical condition for a loved one. After his marriage, the late Rabbi Lider lived in Crown Heights, and founded the Ahavat Chesed organization - a medical aid organization, which offered transportation to medical centers, emergency medical assistance, appropriate medical advice and referrals, and even kosher meals for hospitalized patients. The late Rabbi Lider was known for maintaining strong relationships with a number of specialist doctors over the years, whom he recruited to treat needy families. He helped many people receive the best medical care, and those who could not pay received it free of charge. Over the years, he organized blood donations in the Crown Heights neighborhood for the benefit of the sick. He also purchased an ambulance in which volunteers transported patients to hospitals and clinics. His passing leaves a huge void in the Crown Heights community. He is survived by his wife, Tebdelhat, his children and his brothers - Shlomo of Williamsburg, Yaakov of Melbourne, Nechama Richter of Jerusalem, Malka Kaplan of Jerusalem, and Yehuda of Jerusalem. His brother, Rabbi Zvi of Lod, passed away several years ago.