Rabbi Leib Kramer was a beloved, pioneering figure of the Montreal Jewish community. He devoted his entire life to spreading Torah and caring for others, and inspired many people’s lives across the globe.

The goal of this project is to document Rabbi Kramer’s inspiring life and celebrate his legacy. All who were touched by him are encouraged to share their personal experiences, encounters or stories by emailing encounters@23.20.14.108 or using the contacts form.

This project culminated with the dedication of a Sefer Torah written in Rabbi Kramer’s memory. The dedication ceremony will take place in Melbourne, Australia on the auspicious day of 11th of Shvat 5771 – January 16, 2011.

For more than sixty years, Rabbi Aryeh Leib Kramer was a chossid and shliach of both the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yoseph Yitzchak Schneerson, and his successor, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson.

Born in 1918, in Chelm Poland, Rabbi Kramer escaped war-torn Europe as a young man, traveling through Japan and China to arrive in Montreal Canada in September 1941. He immediately set up a Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitcher Yeshiva and was appointed its director by the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe.

In 1956, under the auspices of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Kramer established the Beth Rivkah Academy for girls, followed by Camp Pardas Chana. His impact on the Montreal Jewish community and beyond continues on after his passing on 27 Cheshvan, November 5, 1999