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(27 Nissan 5695 / April 30, 1935 – 15 Tammuz 5777 / July 9, 2017)
Scholar • Author • Chassid • Public Servant
Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Gottlieb was a prolific Chassidic author, editor, and public figure whose impact on Chabad literature and Jewish communal life continues to resonate. With deep humility and tireless energy, he dedicated himself to preserving the legacy of Chabad leaders, telling the stories of Jewish heroism, and guiding others through the teachings of Torah and Chassidus.
Born in Jerusalem on 27 Nissan 5695 (1935) to Chaim Yosef, Rabbi Gottlieb developed a strong connection to Chabad-Lubavitch in his youth and studied at Yeshivas Toras Emes. This formative period anchored his life in the values of Torah study, Chassidic depth, and communal responsibility.
Following his marriage, Rabbi Gottlieb took on numerous leadership roles. In 5732 (1972), he became a member and secretary of Kollel Chabad in the Holy Land. He served as gabbai of the Chabad synagogue in Meah Shearim and helped found Agudat Anshei Kiyov, an organization for alumni of the Kisiniev Yeshiva. For a period, he also directed Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim in Kiryat Gat.
Rabbi Gottlieb’s writing career began in 5735 (1975) with the blessing and guidance of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, who instructed him to compile a comprehensive biography of his father, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson. The Rebbe provided detailed input throughout the project, which led to a three-volume masterpiece and opened the path for many more works.
He was a regular contributor to the Kfar Chabad weekly throughout the 1980s and authored or edited dozens of volumes that captured the richness of Chassidic life, teachings, and historical memory.
Toldot Levi Yitzchak – Biography of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson (3 vols., Brooklyn, 1977)
Yahadut HaD’mamah – Heroic accounts of Soviet Jewry (2 vols., Jerusalem, 1984–1987)
Pninei HaKeter – Stories and teachings from Chabad Rebbes (3 vols., Kfar Chabad, 1987)
Adirei HaTorah – Stories of the Sages in Hebrew and Yiddish (7 vols., Jerusalem, 1985–1990)
Amudei Chesed – On charity and kindness (Jerusalem, 1984)
Amudei Torah – On Torah study (2 vols., Jerusalem, 1989)
Rosh Bnei Yisrael – Stories about the Rebbe (Kfar Chabad, 1994)
Rabboteinu Nesi’einu – About the Rebbe and the Chabad leadership (Kfar Chabad, 1992)
HaIsh SheLo Nichna – Memoirs of Rabbi Eliezer Nannes (2 vols., Jerusalem, 1997)
Zichronotai – Memories of Rabbi Nachum Shmaryahu Shashonkin (Jerusalem, 1988)
Likutei Sippurim – Collected stories by Rabbi Chaim Mordechai Perlov
Atzato Emunah – Practical guidance from the Rebbe’s letters (2 vols., Jerusalem, 2000)
Sefer Zikaron – On the work of Rabbi Binyamin Eliyahu Gorodetsky in Russia