Rabbi Nachman Plonchak, Slobodka Yeshiva Leader, passes away at 91

Rabbi Nachman Plonchak, a prominent leader of Slobodka Yeshiva and a revered figure in the haredi world, passed away suddenly at 91 this morning (Shabbat) during Shacharit prayers. The scholar, who served the Bnei Brak-based institution for decades and was the son-in-law of the famed mashgiach Rabbi Moshe Tukachinsky, suffered a cardiac arrest at his home minyan on Chazon Ish Street, leaving the Torah community in mourning.

The funeral will take place tonight (Motzaei Shabbat) at 9:30 PM, with a procession from Slobodka Yeshiva to the Ponovezh Cemetery, where he will be buried beside his late wife, Rebbetzin Dina Plonchak.

Born in Poland in 1933 to Rabbi Moshe Zvi HaKohen Plonchak and Pearl, Rabbi Nachman survived the Holocaust and later immersed himself in Torah study at Slobodka Yeshiva. There, his intellect and dedication won the admiration of the yeshiva’s heads. He married Dina, daughter of Rabbi Tikochinsky, the influential Slobodka mashgiach, and together they built a life rooted in Jewish learning and piety.

Rabbi Nachman rose to become a key educator at Slobodka, known for his profound shiurim that drew generations of students. Nicknamed the “Rosh Yeshiva of the Americans,” he crafted classes for English-speaking students and Hasidic youth, earning a reputation for bridging diverse Jewish communities. Despite his stature, he remained humble, quietly supporting the yeshiva through fundraising and maintaining close ties with its leaders past and present.

“He was a symbol of Slobodka’s nobility,” a former student told Behadrey Haredim years ago. “His Motzei Shabbat talks connected us to the giving of the Torah through the legacy of Rabbi Yitzchak Sher and the Slobodka Saba.”

Rabbi Nachman’s influence extended to his family, with sons Rabbi Zvi Plonchak of Or Elchanan Yeshiva, Rabbi Yitzchak Aizik of Grodno Yeshiva in Be’er Yaakov, and Rabbi Yosef Plonchak, mashgiach at Rina Shel Torah in Karmiel and Knesset Chizkiyahu, carrying forward his Torah legacy.

May his memory be a blessing.

Behadrei Haredim contributed to this article.