Memories of my father

Rabbi Philip (Pesach) Kaplan was born in 1918 (the youngest of six children) to Avraham Moshe Kaplan, a shochet and Chana Dina Wepner Kaplan in Albany, N.Y. The family soon moved to Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. When my father was almost 3 years old, tragedy struck when his mother was killed by a hit-and-run driver. This, of course, affected him deeply throughout his entire life, and he very often mentioned it. He always remained extremely close to his father and all of his siblings.

My father was a kind, gentle and sensitive child with a passion for learning. He graduated from Yeshiva University High School and then Yeshiva College, where he received many awards for his academic and extra-curricular accomplishments. In 1942, he received semikhah from Rav Joseph Baer Soloveitchik at Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary at Yeshiva University. He later received a master’s in education from Ferkauf Graduate School. After he died, we appropriately dedicated both a study room and a student scholarship in his memory at Yeshiva College.

In 1944, my father went to Providence, Rhode Island, to visit his oldest sister, Libbie Chill, and her husband, Rabbi Abraham Chill, who later became a well-known author. They introduced my father to my mother, Esther Koffler, who was from a prominent Providence family. She was the president of the Young Woman’s Sisterhood in their shul, Congregation Sons of Abraham. My parents were soon married, and after my brother and I were born, my family lived in small communities, first in Ontario and then in New England. My father was the only rabbi in each of these communities. He taught countless children in Hebrew School, as well as adults. At one time he had his own radio program. My parents were proud to have been chosen to be presented to Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip when they visited our town in Ontario. After my father’s death, we heard from many people from those communities where we had lived, and many mentioned the huge influence he had on them, that he had changed their lives and they would never forget him.

In 1965, my parents returned to the Rhode Island area, and my father was active in the Rabbinical Council of New England – Vaad Harabonim for 40 years, serving as its president for eight years. He also served as a dayan on the Bet Din in Boston as well as a chaplain for the Veterans Administration of Rhode Island. He was a lifelong member of the Rabbinical Council of America.  After he retired from the pulpit, my parents were active members of Congregation Ohawe Shalom in Pawtucket.

My father had a youthful vigor and walk, even in his later years, and was very friendly to everyone, including strangers. Everyone who knew him respected him. His favorite things in life were praising my mother, being with family, davening and learning Torah. He also loved chocolate, baseball and classical music, as well as telling stories and jokes. He told one of his favorite jokes to a nurse in the hospital four days before he died.

Three of his great-grandsons have since been named Pesach in his honor.

It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since my father died at the age of 87 – a few minutes after the end of Hanukkah. He was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and brother, and a kind and loving man. We all miss him very much. We especially remember him on his yahrzeit, 3 Tevet.