article_title birth_date death_date
elya svei
 march 19 , 1924 26 march 2009
elya svei

rabbi elya svei -lrb- march 19 , 1924 -lrb- `` taanis esther 5684 '' -rrb- -- march 26 , 2009 -lrb- `` rosh chodesh nisan 5769 '' -rrb- -rrb- was the rosh yeshiva of the talmudical yeshiva of philadelphia together with rabbi shmuel kamenetsky , and was internationally known for his incisive , brilliant and clear `` shiurim '' -lrb- lectures -rrb- , and his ability to offer sage advice to thousands of jews worldwide .
he was a primary student of rabbi aharon kotler .
until his illness in the period before his death , he was regarded as one of the leaders of charedi jewry , and was a member of the moetzes gedolei hatorah and chairman of the rabbinic administrative board of torah umesorah .
rabbi svei 's father was a member of the kovno kollel in slabodka and spent his early years there .
rabbi svei was a son-in-law of rabbi avraham kalmanovitz , the founder of the brooklyn branch of the mir yeshiva , and was the brother-in-law of rabbi shmuel berenbaum .
his advice was sought after by the leading `` roshei yeshiva '' in america - including the deans of his own `` alma mater '' - bais medrash govoha in lakewood .
he was the leading force behind the establishment of sinai academy in brooklyn , a middle school and high school catering to the children of primarily non-observant russian jewish immigrants .
