Klal Yisrael lost a very special and beloved individual just a few weeks ago, on the 25th of Tammuz: Rabbi David Sykes, Rav Dovid Kalman ben Moshe Yehudah.
Rabbi Sykes grew
up in the city of Baltimore, where he absorbed the great love for Torah and
learning that surrounded him. He grew up in a traditional home, steeped in
Jewish scholarship, kindness and concern for others, and pride in Jewish
identity. He had the good fortune of being taught by R’ Meir Steinharter, as he prepared for his bar mitzva. A
deep bond was forged, and he was drawn like a magnet to R’ Steinharter’s
tremendous love of Torah and chesed.
Once Rabbi Sykes
became a bar mitzva, he never looked back. He was always searching for emes, truth, and took any and all
opportunities to imbibe words of Torah. He consistently aspired to grow in
Yiddishkeit and to come closer to Hashem. Many wonderful and distinguished
people in Baltimore gave of their time to learn with him, and they also opened
their homes to him for many Shabbasos and Yomim Tovim. The Sykes family
attended Shearith Israel, the Glen Avenue Shul, and it was there that the
budding Torah scholar thrived. He had the privilege of being the ba’al koreh at the hashkama minyan for many years, and just a couple of years after
his bar mitzva, he gave a class there to other teenagers in the Rambam’s Mishneh Torah. That was the beginning of
his long and successful teaching career.
Later on, Rabbi
Sykes’ family attended Beth Abraham Congregation, also known as “Hertzberg’s,”
where he became very close to Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech Hertzberg, the Rav and Rebbe of the shul. Rabbi
and Rebbetzin Hertzberg warmly welcomed him into their home, and Rabbi
Hertzberg learned with him on a regular basis. During those sessions, Rabbi
Sykes witnessed the couple’s unwavering dedication to all who reached out to
them for help. Although he attended public school through high school, he was
able to amass much Torah knowledge and gained the skills needed to become the
master educator he would later become. During those formative years, he also
attended Ner Israel Rabbinical College part-time, where he continued to grow in
his learning and became very close to Rav Nachum Lansky.
After getting his
college degree at Johns Hopkins University in just two-and-a-half years, he
went off to Eretz Yisrael to learn at the Mirrer Yeshiva in Yerushalayim, under
the Rosh Hayeshiva, Rav Nachum Partzovitz. There, he made further strides in
his quest to become a true talmid chacham.
He also spent a lot of time learning and speaking with colleagues at the Hebrew
University library, and had the privilege of studying Tanach with Nechama
Leibovitz, as well. After living in Eretz Yisrael for approximately three
years, he returned to the States and attended Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood,
N.J., and the Mirrer Yeshiva in Brooklyn. Years later, in 1998, he would return
to Eretz Yisrael to get semicha from
Rav Zalman Nechemiah Goldberg.
While studying at
BMG and the Mir, Rabbi Sykes pursued his master’s degree at the Bernard Revel
Graduate school of Jewish Studies, focusing on an analysis of the piskei halacha of the Rambam. He then
went on to get a Ph.D. in Tanach at Yeshiva University. His doctoral thesis was
entitled “Patterns in Genesis,” which later developed into his sefer, Patterns in Genesis and Beyond (Amazon). He also taught at Yeshiva
University and Stern College for Women for many years, touching the lives and
minds of countless students.
Although he did
make important contributions to the world of Jewish scholarship that continue
to reverberate until today, he did not feel at home in the world of academia. Again,
his soul was searching for truth, and he began a spiritual journey that
introduced him to a whole new world. After marrying his eishes chayil, Cheryl (née Beckman), he made the decision to move
to Monroe in Orange County, New York. There, he sought to pursue kiruv and established himself as private
teacher, studying one-on-one with children and adults. He put his heart and
soul into his teaching, and worked to empower his students by patiently
building their innate skills in his warm and engaging way.
Rabbi Sykes and
his wife became members of the year-round Ahavas Torah community, under the
leadership of Rabbi Nachum Laskin. Ahavas Torah Congregation was located on the
grounds of Camp Monroe, a camp for Jewish children of all backgrounds. He made
deep and meaningful connections with the families living there and contributed
tremendously to the level of Torah knowledge and learning in the area. He leined the weekly sedra at Ahavas Torah Congregation for many years in his melodic,
clear, and accurate way. He also taught the Foundations program at Camp Monroe
for 15 years. There, he imparted a love of Torah and middos to thousands of children and young adults.
In 2014, Rabbi
Sykes published his life’s work, Toras
Hashem Temimah, Patterns in Genesis and Beyond, in which he sought to
emphasize that the holy Torah is just that, Hashem’s perfect Torah, and has no
other source, chas veshalom. In that sefer, he delineates and expounds upon
many significant and intriguing verbal and thematic patterns found throughout
the Chumash. Most recently, he completed a draft of what was to be his next sefer, Patterns in the Prophets. He was also a gifted speaker, and shared
his exquisite words of Torah in lashon kodesh,
Yiddish, or English, whenever he was given the opportunity.
In Monroe, he
became a beloved, close friend to so many in the chasidic community of Kiryas
Yoel. There, he found his true home as he was drawn to the Torah, spirituality,
and chesed that are found there in
abundance. During the week, he davened at the Tosher Beis Midrash in Kiryas
Yoel and formed deep bonds with many of the congregants there. They truly
became like brothers to him. He and his wife traveled regularly to the Tosher
Rebbe, in Montreal, Canada, and gained so much from the Rebbe’s guidance and sefarim.
Rabbi Sykes and
his wife were a team in all areas of life, and merited to be married for 25
years. Although they faced many painful challenges, Rabbi Sykes maintained a
constant positive outlook and demeanor, full of emuna and bitachon at all
times. His faith in Hashem and in tzadikim
could not be broken. He was outwardly focused, patiently and generously giving
counsel to those who reached out to him for guidance. He helped them to
navigate both major and minor life decisions, and gave them strength and
encouragement to face life’s challenges. He was an extremely kindhearted
person, and never fell into the traps of anger, resentment, or jealousy. He
greeted everyone warmly with his wonderful smile, and had a simchas hachayim that was truly
contagious.
Rabbi Sykes will
be sorely missed by his family, friends, students, and all those whose lives he
touched, and his legacy of Torah and his sterling middos will never be forgotten.
Rabbi Sykes was
pre-deceased by his father, Melvin J. Sykes, Esq. (2017) and his sister, Rachel
(1997). He is survived by his mother, Mrs. Judith Sykes, his wife, Cheryl, his
brothers, Daniel and Israel Sykes and their wives, as well as many nieces and
nephews and their children. May his neshama
be bound in the Bond of Life, and may his memory be a blessing for all of Klal Yisrael.
