Pesach Krishevsky, a beloved fixture of Jerusalem's haredi community who spent decades bringing joy to weddings and celebrations, died Thursday morning at age 90.
For generations, he was known throughout Israel's capital simply as "the Jerusalem drummer." With his signature drum, he became an inseparable part of the city's landscape, performing at countless weddings and community events with what friends described as pure joy and extraordinary love for his fellow Jews.
He was married to the late Chaya Bracha, daughter of Rabbi Chaim Rubinstein, who passed away in 2021.
Those who knew him described a deeply pious man of exceptional humility and simplicity, always greeting everyone with a smile. Throughout his life, he maintained close ties to leading rabbinic figures, serving as an attendant to Rabbi Yitzchak Yaakov Weiss, head of the Edah HaChareidis rabbinical court and author of the "Minchas Yitzchak" responsa. He was also devoted to the head of the Sha'arei Toviah court, visiting his home in the Geula neighborhood weekly.
His name became etched in public memory during the wave of terror attacks in fall 2015. On the morning of October 13, 2015, he stood at a bus stop on Malchei Yisrael Street in Jerusalem's Geula neighborhood alongside his cousin, Rabbi Yeshayahu Akiva Krishevsky. A terrorist deliberately rammed them with his car at high speed, then emerged wielding a butcher's knife and attacked them brutally. His cousin was murdered at the scene, while Pesach sustained critical injuries and was rushed to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in life-threatening condition.
What followed defied medical expectations. Against all prognoses, and sustained by widespread public prayer, he survived his severe injuries and made a remarkable recovery. Even while hospitalized, he made headlines by publicly protesting Sabbath desecration at the hospital, declaring that Sabbath observance protects the Jewish people.
After his release, Krishevsky returned to the attack site on Malchei Yisrael Street, accompanied by family and friends, where he tearfully recited 'Shehecheyanu'. Following his miraculous rehabilitation, he returned to his drum and to the stage, continuing to bring joy to brides and grooms.
His life was marked by profound tragedy: he lost two of his children. His daughter, Chava Sarel Yehudit Stern, was married to Rabbi Chaim Stern, a prominent rabbi in the Masmidim community. His son, Rabbi Chaim Shalom Krishevsky, was a respected member of the Rachmastrivka Hasidic community. He accepted these painful losses with burning faith and silence, continuing his sacred work.
He is survived by generations of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren who continue his path in Torah study and Hasidic tradition.
