Hartford, MD – A well known fixture in the kiruv community and a beloved Staten Island resident died this morning in a head on collision on icy roads in Maryland.
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Dovid Winiarz was on his way to the Association for Jewish Outreach Professionals convention in Hunt Valley, Maryland when the fatal accident occurred early this morning near the intersection of Route 23 and High Point Road in Harford County, Maryland.
Chief Rudy Walter of the Jarrettsville Volunteer Fire Company in Harford County said that several others besides Winiarz were injured in the collision which was due to slick road conditions.
“We thought the precipitation would hold off until things got a little warmer but it came in sooner and everything iced up very quickly,” Walter told VIN News, who added that everyone involved in the accident was wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash.
According to Maryland State Police who responded to the accident at 8:10 AM, Winiarz was in the rear seat of a Honda CR-V traveling westbound on Route 23.
The operator of the CR-V lost control of his vehicle, crossed the center line and struck a Honda Pilot heading eastbound west of Grafton Shop Road. State Police have confirmed that neither drugs nor alcohol were a factor in the collision. Both other passengers of the CR-V as well as the occupants of the Pilot, a Maryland woman and her juvenile passenger, were transported to Upper Chesapeake Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries and are reported to be in stable condition.
According to Walters, everyone was wearing seatbelts when the collision occurred.
Route 23, also known as the East West Expressway was closed for several hours and the Maryland State Police are continuing to investigate the accident scene. The Harford Fire Blog’s Facebook page listed numerous accidents in the area this morning and warned of exceptionally slippery roads.
Winiarz and the other occupants of the CR-V were on their way to the AJOP convention.
The father of ten, Winiarz, also went by the moniker “Facebuker Rebbe” in his efforts to reach unaffiliated Jews. His final Facebook post shows a video taken last night at Avos U’Bonim with the words “Before I leave on my road trip I came to learn Torah with my son and his friend…” The founder of Survival Through Education Foundation, a means of reaching unaffiliated Jews, Winiarz also ran a food pantry in Staten Island and was closely involved in numerous communal organizations.
The levaya for Dovid Winiarz will take place Monday morning at 9:30 AM at the Young Israel of Staten Island, 835 Forest Hill Road., according to Yanky Meyer of Misaskim.
“We are very thankful to the coroner and the chevra kadisha in Baltimore for all their assistance in moving things along on a Sunday and a legal holiday and we thank them for their sensitivity,” said Meyer.
Rabbi Avi Shafran, director of public affairs for Agudath Israel of America, shared his thoughts on Winiarz.
“Dovid was a one-man dynamo, an unstoppable force, when it came to reaching out to fellow Jews far from Yiddishkeit, and he was just as committed and energetic when it came to helping any Jew in need,” said Rabbi Shafran. “He was indefatigable, always full of joy and caring. It sounds trite, but I really can’t imagine a world without him, without his constant smile and contagiously happy demeanor, without all the wonderful things he did for Klal Yisrael on a daily basis.
“His eishes chayil is a partner in all he did, and his children and children-in-law all realized always what a gift they had in Dovid. May they all have the strength and fortitude to carry on his life through their own good works, and may they, and all who knew and loved Dovid, somehow achieve a nechama.
“Before I heard the terrible news, I noticed how bleak the day was, bleaker, darker, somehow, than other cold, rainy days. It just seemed so… sad a day. Now I feel I know why.”
Yossi Yurowitz of Our Place, who recalled Winiarz’s efforts for the community, described Winiarz’s death as “tragic.”
“Dovid organized several meetings with Our Place and askanim in his Staten Island office.” said Yurowitz.
Winiarz was an employee of Fidelity Payment Services for the past eight years.
“R’ Dovid Winiarz a’h was larger than life,” said Fidelity CEO Binyumin Weiser. “It was a zechus to have him as part of the Fidelity family. His smile, good cheer, ahavas yosroel, yiras shomayim and ahavas Torah were exemplary and contagious. He left an indelible mark on all who knew him. All who came in contact with him were invariably changed for the better. He will be sorely missed and we pray that Hashem heals the hearts of his beautiful family and all of klal yisroel.”
While journalists are supposed to remain impartial and report just the facts, I cannot do that in this case.
Dovid Winiarz was a close personal friend who literally lived to help others. Passionate about Torah, kiruv and sharing the beauty of Yiddishkeit with everyone, Dovid lived to make the world a better place and to make sure that the light of Torah shined a little brighter on a daily basis. A proud father and grandfather, his Facebook page was routinely filled with pictures of his children and grandchildren in the hopes that he could inspire others to understand the beauty of what it meant to raise a family in the ways of the Torah.
“If there’s one reason why G-d had Facebook be created, it was so that Rabbi Winiarz could reach out to and help thousands of people across the world,” wrote one poster on Facebook.
His cheerful emails were frequent guests in my inbox and not a Friday afternoon went by that he didn’t wish me, and I am sure, countless others, a good Shabbos. He asked me on more than one occasion to send him a picture of my Shabbos table to share on his Facebook wall to inspire the 12,243 people who liked his Facebook page in their own shemiras Shabbos.
Always with a perpetual smile, Dovid lived to spread simcha throughout the world. In one of his last emails to me, he shared his joy about having the opportunity to attend the AJOP convention. His warmth, his simcha and his genuine love for every Jew will be lasting legacies of a life cut all too short.
Just one week ago I was asked to write about Dovid’s efforts as the Facebuker Rebbe. I was elated to be able to write about Dovid. I just never thought this would be the article that I would be writing.
Yehei zichro baruch.
Good friend. Thats a pic of his kids. Very shocked and broken up. Hes got a big chailek in oilam haba waiting for him. TNZBH. BDE.
BDE. He was a very fine person. My heart breaks for his wonderful family.
Boruch Dayan Emes.
He was one of the finest people I have ever had the good fortune to know. He just showed so much joy in being able to help both his fellow Jews and all others. I can not understand why bad things happen to such good people. Boruch Dayan Ha’Emes!
BDE. All of Klal Yisroel should be mourning today. The heavy rains we have today is as if the Malochim are crying too, not just we. Reb Dovid was a very special person. I davened with him for many years. He truly had a heart of gold. He was involved with reaching out to all Yidden, always with a smile and a good word. I don’t think you can find even one person in the S.I. community who had anything negative to say about him. May Hashem give his Aishes Chayil his 10 children and grandchildren the strength to bear this terrible tragedy. May Reb Dovid be a Meletz Yosher for us all and help to bring us out of our dark and long Golus.
BD”E
Wow. What a loss in so many ways to so many people. Unfathomable.
BDE – I’m stunned. He was my friend and a great inspiration. He touched the lives of thousands. His care and love were unlimited. So many questions. Why would shomayim take such a neshomah now? May his torch not fall to the ground; rather may we take up his chesed both ruchni and gashmi – and may Reb Dovid be a melitz yosher for each of us ad bo HaGoel vhageulah. We will miss him greatly.
Baruch Dayan Haemes! Reb Dovid was an ehrlich caring person. May Hakadosh Baruch Hu bring a nechama to his family. He has left a wonderful legacy for his family and Klal Yisroel to follow.
This is crazy. . Just saw him yesterday by avos ubanim.. waved to me saying hello. .
bde .. ma nomar uma nedaber..oy to heavy on the heart. . 7 kindelach not married yet. . Ad mosai..
You ask why!! Because roads were icy. Keep your feet home when icy. If you are on road pull over and wait. Very sad heartbreaking loss.
Baruch Dayan Emes. We are all diminished with the Parrish of Rabbi Winiarz. Olam HaBa is brighter with the acceptance of his holy Nechama. Nechama to his family and Klal Yisroel.
I am utterly saddened by this news! The Rebbe was truly an a phenominal human being who touched the lives of many people everywhere! He will be missed! May his family, (HaShem, please take care of his children) and all those who knew and loved him find peace in the Rebbe’s desire for their happiness and Torah learning. Honor his memory by continuing his work to whatever capacity that we are able! He was a light and inspiration that can never be replaced! Be comforted in the beautiful memories that were shared with him. HaShem has work for him to do now that is beyond our grasp…and I am thankful to have had the short time and opportunities to communicate, learn and grow because he took the time to be a teacher on Facebook. I knew there had to be a greater meaning for FB, and I know he is at the top of the list! He was kind and made time for everyone, Jew and non-Jew alike. I hope that many will learn and follow his example and be a light to the nations as he was and will always be! Bringing light into dark places is truly a gift & barucha. He did a great work and service to us all, and His reward is great! (May you rest in peace Rebbe, & daven for us!) Shalom al Yisrael!
Sandy thank you for a beautiful remembrance that must have been incredibly difficult to write. All of us who had the zchus to know him were inspired by Reb Dovid’s ahavas Yisroel. A huge, huge loss to our community and klal Yisroel.
I am devastated right now. Reb Dovid was a diamond. He was one in a Million. He touched the lives of so many people. I can’t believe he passed away. He worked so hard for klall Yisrael. BDE.
Reb Dovid was a true tzadik. He gave unconditionally and loved all Jews. He was always willing to do for another Yid and helping those in Kiruv rechokim was a special love of his. He was a baal mechadesh and a great listener who encouraged other people in their avodas Hashem. This is devastating news and he will be incredibly missed. May Hashem comfort his spectacular family.
To #16 of course if all his children were married that means he left no orphans no yesomim .. still a tragedy but much different. . if you can’t understand the difference between leaving children which are young and not married as opposed to married ..then I don’t think I can explain this to you. .
I didn’t know him. But I am so sorry. I just had to say my deep condolences.
Thats exactly what I meant…. just said in short. If Its disrespectful then you are also disrespecting by comenting about black ice too. Never mind…
enough……….
let’s stop the bickering
I am sure this nifter would not be at all happy to know there was bickering as a result of his death.
Let’s all try to allow another to voice their opinion and if they expressed themselves in a way we found a bit off…….nu……………so we need to work on ourselves to let it pass. All the comments were made with true ahavas yisroel……..
let’s keep it that way…
then we can and will be able to greet Moshiach now!!
Folks, please… PLEASE. The very last thing Dovid would want is people arguing about which of his kids hurt more. Of course all of his children, and grandchildren, and wife, and mother are hurting. And of course his absence will be magnified when each of his single kids are walked down the aisle without him. There is plenty of hurt to go around so let’s not get caught up in that. I knew Dovid for 30+ years and of the few things I know with certainty, I know that Dovid would want us to help ourselves, each other, and keep his legacy of achdut alive. On behalf of the 30+ years I knew him and with truly humble intentions, I ask that we fight for truth, not against each other. That’s the legacy Dovid would want.
Rest in Peace Reb Dovid. You opened whole worlds for me and my progeny are a testament to all you taught me…
Just to add my two cents. Many of the comments on Vos Iz Neias begin with people expressing their sympathy and concerns over a particular situation. Then, for some reason the comments deteriorate into arguing or even worse. WHAT IS GOING ON? Is this necessary? PLEASE, have some dignity and show some sensitivity. Please keep in mind the situation you are commenting about. Reb Dovid was a person who loved everyone he met. He very much avoided “machlokes”; and people are arguing on this site. Shame on you all. In the future, just say something positive and stop analyzing each others posts as if it were a Blatt of Gemorah.
The niftar was truly an incredible Yid and it is incumbent on us to fill in the void that he left,each of us in his/her own. way,to perpetuate his memory ,and be a zchus for his Neshama.
TNZB’H
I apologize if I contributed to the bickering starting, and ask Mechila,