By Dr. Sidney Ulreich

-The historical account of Rabbi Avigdor’s illustrious life was well documented by the Ledger (“Rabbi Isaac Avigdor was spiritual leader of United Synagogue,” Dec. 3, 2010).

My family was fortunate to have Rabbi Dr. Avigdor as our neighbor. Almost every Shabbat we were together either for a meal or to spend part of the day together. We did this for many years. We were in the presence of a Torah giant. His capacity to learn Torah, to cite scripture and then to incorporate it into practical terms was unique and amazing.

Rabbi Avigdor was a renowned author. His books on the Holocaust were respected, but his almost weekly contributions to the Jewish Press and the Yiddish weekly papers about the weekly parsha and the holidays made him world renowned. On our travels, when we indicated we were from West Hartford we were always asked whether we knew Rabbi Avigdor.We proudly answered in the affirmative.

His devotion to his family was most impressive. His sons were always at their father’s table learning Torah from him and learning his specific melodies. Three of the sons became ordained rabbis. All the sons and Esther, his wife, sang with him his very specific tunes. These were recorded and distributed for the world to share. The sheer volume of his creativity in Judaic writing, composition of song and involvement in all phases of Jewish life made him a legend.

Lastly, my family and I will miss a friend with whom we shared many life experiences and who enhanced the level of Jewish life for all of us in greater Hartford.

Dr. Sidney Ulreich, West Hartford