Rabbi Louis Israel Schechter

Rabbi Louis Israel Schechter, age 80 of San Antonio, Texas, beloved husband, father, and grandfather passed away on November 19, 2010. The youngest of an immigrant family, Rabbi Schechter was the first of his family born on American soil. He grew up in the culturally rich and highly orthodox neighborhood of Boro Park, Brooklyn, New York. Always an outgoing and friendly man, he had a way of always making people feel at ease. A learned scholar, Rabbi Schechter was a spiritual leader, a sought after speaker, a great motivator, and most importantly, a great friend. After completing undergraduate work at Brooklyn College, he received his ordination by the late great Rabbi Moshe Feinstein. Rabbi Schechter was not afraid to take on challenging posts, and held various pulpits throughout North America, including Duluth MN, Denver CO, Calgary Canada, Toronto Canada, and San Antonio TX. As a scholar and educator, he also Founded and Chaired the Religious Studies Department at The University of Calgary. The outpouring of sentiment from all over the world, from both Jewish and non-Jewish circles, is testament to the thousands of lives that he touched during his illustrious career. He is survived by his adoring wife Rivka of 54 years, his sons Jeff and Joshua Schechter, his daughter Jodi, and 8 grandchildren across the United States, Canada and Israel. His final wish was to be buried in Israel, next to his daughter Yemima Lazer, who preceded him in death. His immediate family is escorting the body to the Holy Land, where he will be buried later this week. A memorial service is being planned in San Antonio sometime in December.