London: Rosh Yeshivas Mesivta Hagr"c Breish zt"l drowned to death

A terrible tragedy in the Hareidi Kehilla in Stamford Hill, London:
Two Hareidi people from the important families in the kehilla, went out on Monday to swim in the sea, and drowned.

The older, Hagaon R' Chaim Breish zt"l, one of the Roshei Yeshiva of Mesivta in London, 65 years old, drowned to death. The second, an avreich of his Talmidim, R' Yitzchok Beigel, in his thirties, was slightly wounded and was evacuated to hospital.

Hagr"c Breish is the son of the elderly Gaon R' Shimon Breish from Zurich, and the brother-in-law of Hagaon R' Avrohom Yehoshua Soloveichik, Rosh Yeshivas Brisk, and Hagaon R' chaim Feinstein, Rosh Yeshivas Beis Yehuda. He is a Satmer Chossid, and served for many years as the Rosh Yeshiva of Mesivta in London, where he left behind hundreds of heartbroken Talmidim.

Hagr"c who hasn’t been feeling well lately, went out for a short vacation on Monday at the home of his brother-in-law, R' Shmili Berger in Kent, England. Yesterday morning, he went out with his Talmid R' Yitzchok Beigel to swim in the sea. R' Chaim decided to go into the sea despite the stormy waves. His Talmid tried to dissuade him, but it was too late, and Hagr"c started drowning. The Talmid tried to go into the sea to try save the Rosh Yeshiva, and was then slightly wounded as a result of scratches on his body.

The avreich R' Yitzchok Beigel was at the local police for investigation which lasted a few hours following the event, at the end of which he was released home. The body is still in the hands of the Chevra Kadisha, who are awaiting for the results of the investigation, and the release of the body.

The members of the families received the news with shock and mourning.

Helped with preparing the article: Beni Rosenbaum, London

Photograph: Dudi Brown, London

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