Baruch Dayan Emes, Rabbi Abraham Avrech, z”l[1]

I regret to inform you of the passing of Rabbi Abraham Avrech.

Rabbi Avrech served YeshivaUniversity for over thirty years as Director of Alumni Affairs and Director of the Community Service Division, the forerunner of and model for today’s Center for the Jewish Future.  What many people may not know is that Rabbi Avrech, along with his life-long friend Rabbi Irving Koslowe z”l, was a key player in starting and sustaining the YU basketball team.  He served as the President of the YU Athletic Association and along with Rabbi Koslowe and Sam Hartstein was instrumental in recruiting Red Sarachek z”l to YU in 1942.  It was Rabbi Avrech who helped build the glory years of the 50’s by assisting Red in bringing to YU such all time greats as Marvin Hershkowitz, Abe Sodden, Allen Gewirtz, Elihu Levine, Herb Schlussel, Red Blumenreich z”l, Sandy Ader, Irv Bader, Willie Goldstein, Stu Badian and Sam Grossman z”l.

Rabbi Avrech was also an outstanding athlete who played short stop on Brooklyn’s sandlot fields against the best players of the 30’s and who, from 1936-40[2], led the YU team for four consecutive winning records, compiling a 39 and 22 record.

The YU community has lost a devoted communal leader and the YU basketball community has lost one of its founders.

May the family be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.