Meir Zlotowitz

A native of Brooklyn,{{cite magazine|last=Gantz|first=Nesanel|date=Sep 15, 2013|title=Lunch Break with Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz|magazine=Ami|issue=136|page=90}} Meir attended Yeshivas Rabbi Jacob Joseph (RJJ){{cite web |website=AMImagazine.org|url=http://www.amimagazine.org/2017/09/18/father-visionary-gedaliah-zlotowitz-reflects-father-rabbi-meir-zlotowitz-zl|title=My father, the visionary |date=18 September 2017}} on the Lower East Side of New York. He went on to attend Mesivtha Tifereth Jerusalem and was a student of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein,{{cite book |url=http://www.jewishbktown.com/st/Jewish_inspirational_books_Reb_Moshe_the_life_and_ideals_of_Hagaon_Reb_Moshe_Feinstein.htm |chapter= In the Rosh Yeshtvah's Presence - as His Talmidim Saw Him |last1=Finkelman |first1=Rabbi Shimon |last2=Scherman |first2=Rabbi Nosson |year=1986 |publisher=Mesorah Publications, Ltd. |isbn= 0-89906-480-9|title= Reb Moshe: The Life and Ideals of Hagaon Rabbi Moshe Feinstein}} from whom he received semikhah (rabbinic ordination).

After graduation, Zlotowitz, who as a youth used his talent in art to overcome his stuttering,{{cite magazine |magazine=Jewish Action |publisher=Orthodox Union |url=https://jewishaction.com/religion/jewish-thought/the-blessing-of-failure-7-steps-to-building-spiritual-resilience |title=The Blessing of Failure: 7 Steps to Building Spiritual Resilience |author=Leah R. Lightman |date=Spring 2019 |page=48}} became director of a high-end graphics studio in New York.{{cite web |url=http://www.jewishaz.com/jewishnews/010713/artscroll.shtml |title=In 25 Years of Publishing, Artscroll captures Zeitgeist |last=Ephross |first=Peter |work=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |date=13 July 2001 |accessdate=23 December 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609111257/http://www.jewishaz.com/jewishnews/010713/artscroll.shtml |archivedate=9 June 2011 }} The firm, named ArtScroll Studios, produced brochures,{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/10/books/an-english-talmud-for-daily-readers-and-debaters.html |title=An English Talmud for Daily Readers and Debaters |author=Joseph Berger |date=10 February 2005 |work=The New York Times |accessdate=23 December 2010}} invitations, awards and ketubahs. Rabbi Nosson Scherman, then principal of Yeshiva Karlin Stolin Boro Park, was recommended to Zlotowitz as someone who could write copy, and they collaborated on a few projects.{{cite web |url=http://matzav.com/the-artscroll-revolution-5tjt-interviews-rabbi-nosson-scherman |title=The ArtScroll Revolution: 5TJT interviews Rabbi Nosson Scherman |last=Hoffman |first=Rabbi Yair |date=3 December 2009 |accessdate=23 December 2010 |work=Five Towns Jewish Times}}

In late 1975, he wrote an English translation and commentary on the Book of Esther in memory of a young married friend,Rabbi Meir Fogel a rebbe in Yeshiva Torah Emes{{cite news |newspaper=The Jewish Press|url=https://www.jewishpress.com/indepth/interviews-and-profiles/meir-zlotowitzs-legacy-the-spiritual-engine-of-american-orthodoxys-renaissance/2018/07/18|date=18 July 201 |accessdate=10 January 2019 |title=Meir Zlotowitz's Legacy: The Spiritual Engine Of American Orthodoxy's Renaissance |author=Yaakov Kornreich}} who died childless,{{cite news |newspaper=Five Towns Jewish Times |url=http://www.5tjt.com/the-mesorah-of-rabbi-meir-zlotowitz |title=The Mesorah Of Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz

|date=29 June 2017 |author=Rabbi Yair Hoffman}} and asked Schermanwhose writings in The Jewish Observer Zlotowitz admired to write the introduction.Rabbi Scherman's 24 page work was titled "Overview" The manuscript was completed in honor of the shloshim (the 30-day commemoration of a death){{cite news |newspaper=The Jewish Press |url=http://elucidation-not-translation.blogspot.com/2007/06/interview-with-nosson-scherman.html |last=Resnick |first=Eliot |title='Our Goal is to Increase Torah Learning' |date=6 June 2007 |accessdate=23 December 2010 |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20110131201437/http://elucidation-not-translation.blogspot.com/2007/06/interview-with-nosson-scherman.html |archivedate=31 January 2011}} and "was published in February 1976, just in time to market it for Purim that year." Its first edition of 20,000 copies sold out within two months.{{cite web |url=http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/new_york/feminists_object_artscroll_rolls |title=Feminists Object, But ArtScroll Rolls On |last=Nussbaum Cohen |first=Debra |date=11 October 2007 |work=The Jewish Week |accessdate=23 December 2010 |archive-date=3 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303165315/http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/new_york/feminists_object_artscroll_rolls |url-status=dead }} With the encouragement of Rabbi Moses Feinstein, Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetsky and other Rabbis considered Gedolei Yisrael or eminent rabbis, the two continued producing commentaries, beginning with a translation and commentary on the rest of the Five Megillot (Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations and Ruth),{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SsbYAAAAMAAJ&q=meir+zlotowitz |title=The Five Megillos: A new translation with overviews and annotations anthologized from the classical commentators |last=Zlotowitz |first=Meir |year=1986 |publisher=Mesorah Publications Ltd.|isbn=9780899062259 }} and went on to publish translations and commentaries on the Torah, Prophets, Talmud, Passover Haggadah, siddurs and machzors. By 1990 ArtScroll had produced more than 700 books, including novels, history books, children's books and secular textbooks, and became one of the largest publishers of Jewish books in the United States.

Zlotowitz was also chairman of the Mesorah Heritage Foundation,{{cite web |title=Edmond J. Safra Synagogue Values Timeless Heritage: Torah teachers honored at Mesorah Heritage Foundation community event |date=2 April 2004 |url=http://www.mesorah.org/yolc_ejss.html |accessdate=23 December 2010 |publisher=mesorah.org}} ArtScroll's fundraising arm.

Zlotowitz died in Brooklyn on June 24, 2017 at the age of 73.{{cite web |url=https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/featured/1303240/petira-rabbi-meir-zlotowitz-zl-founder-artscroll.html |title=Petira Of Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz Z'L; Founder Of Artscroll|date=24 June 2017|accessdate=27 June 2014 |work=Yeshiva World News}}

By the end of the year of mourning for a parent, Zlotowitz's son Gedaliah was listed in newly released ArtScroll publications, alongside his late father's partner Nosson Scherman, as general editor.{{cite book|title=Moved by a Maggid |author=Paysach J. Krohn |author-link=Paysach Krohn |date=2018 |isbn=978-1-4226-2222-3 |quote=... son, R'Gedaliah, ... at the helm ... |page=14|publisher=ArtScroll Mesorah Publications, Limited }}

With his first wife, Miriam, Zlotowitz had two daughters and one son; Estie Dicker, Mrs. Faigie Perlowitz, and Gedalia. With his second wife, Rochel Zlotowitz, Zlotowitz had three sons and two daughters; Ira, Boruch, Chaim, Mrs. Devorah Morgenstern, and Mrs. Tzivi Munk.

Ira is founder and president of Eastern Union Funding, a commercial real estate mortgage brokerage in New York City.{{cite web |url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Eastern+Union+Commercial+Outpaces+Projected+Revenues,+Expands...-a0135890886 |title= Eastern Union Commercial Outpaces Projected Revenues, Expands Operations; Average Deal Size Grew by 50%, Growth Attributed to Technology, Relationships |date=7 September 2005 |accessdate=23 December 2010 |work=Business Wire}}
- {{cite web |url=http://matzav.com/masmid-govoha-kicks-off-15th-year |title=Masmid Govoha Kicks Off 15th Year |last=Bernstein |first=Dovid |date=11 January 2010 |accessdate=23 December 2010}}

Chaim is a real estate attorney based in New York.{{Cite web|title=Real Estate Attorney {{!}} Chaim C Zlotowitz, Esq.{{!}} Cedarhurst, NY|url=https://www.zlotowitzlaw.com/|access-date=2020-10-22|website=zlotowitzlaw|language=en}}

His older brother Bernard (1925-2015) was a leading rabbi in the Reform Jewish movement in the USA and had originally attended Yeshiva Torah Vodaas.https://networks.h-net.org/node/28655/discussions/73574/obituary-bernard-zlotowitz
- https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/zlotowitz-bernard-m Their father, Aron Zlotowitz, led Congregation Etz Chaim,{{cite news |newspaper=The Jewish Press |url=https://www.jewishpress.com/in-print/from-the-paper/artscroll-founder-rabbi-meir-zlotowitz-passes-away-his-publishing-company-revolutionized-torah-study-in-the-modern-world/2017/06/28 |title=ArtScroll Founder Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz Passes Away|date=28 June 2017}} a Brooklyn congregation, for 60 years.

Until the death of Meir, Zlotowitz and Scherman were the general editors of ArtScroll's Talmud, Chumash, Tanakh, Siddur and Machzor series. They co-authored Megillas Esther: Illustrated Youth Edition (1988), a pocket-size Mincha/Maariv prayerbook (1991), and Selichos: First Night (1992). They have also produced a host of titles of which Scherman is author and Zlotowitz is editor. Newly released publications list Scherman first, followed by Gedaliah Zlotowitz as general editors.

Zlotowitz is the author of:{{cite web |url= http://www.artscroll.com/Authors/Rabbi_Meir_Zlotowitz.html |title=Titles by Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz |publisher=ArtScroll |accessdate=23 December 2010 |year=2008}}

• Esther: The Megillah: A new translation with a commentary anthologized from Talmudic, Midrashic, and rabbinic sources, 1976
• Eichah (Lamentations): A new translation with a commentary anthologized from Talmudic, Midrashic, and rabbinic sources, 1976
• Koheles (Ecclesiastes): A new translation with a commentary anthologized from Talmudic, Midrashic, and rabbinic sources, 1976
• Ruth: A new translation with a commentary anthologized from Talmudic, Midrashic, and rabbinic sources, 1976
• Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs): A new translation with a commentary anthologized from Talmudic, Midrashic, and rabbinic sources, 1976
• Yonah (Jonah): A new translation with a commentary anthologized from Talmudic, Midrashic and Rabbinic sources, 1978
• Chanukah: Its history, observance and significance (co-author: Rabbi Hersh Goldwurm), 1981
• Succos: Its significance, laws and prayers: A presentation anthologized from Talmudic and Midrashic sources, 1982
• Shema Yisrael: A new translation with a commentary anthologized from Talmudic, Midrashic, and rabbinic sources, 1982
• Pirkei Avos, 1984
• Bereishis: A new translation with a commentary anthologized from Talmudic, Midrashic, and rabbinic sources (2-volume set), 1986

A biography, authored by Rabbi Yisroel Besser (Montreal), was written by the time of the first Yartzeit.{{cite book |title=Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz |date=30 May 2018 |url=https://zbermanbooks.com/rabbi-meir-zlotowitz-rabbi-yisroel-besser}}

Rabbi Gedaliah Zlotowitz is Rabbi Meir's oldest son{{cite magazine |magazine=Ami |url=https://www.amimagazine.org/2017/09/18/father-visionary-gedaliah-zlotowitz-reflects-father-rabbi-meir-zlotowitz-zl |title=My Father, The Visionary - Gedaliah Zlotowitz Reflects On His Father, Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz, Z"L

|date=18 September 2017 |accessdate=10 January 2019}} and successor.

Arscroll's Titles by Rabbi Gedaliah Zlotowitz had nine entries as of August 2024.{{cite web |title=Titles by Rabbi Gedaliah Zlotowitz |url=https://www.artscroll.com/Authors/Rabbi_Gedaliah_Zlotowitz.html |accessdate=20 August 2020}}

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Category:1943 births

Category:2017 deaths

Category:Writers from Brooklyn

Category:American Haredi rabbis

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