Jun 24 2017 10:12 pm

It is with great sadness we report the Petirah of Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz Z”L, the founder of ArtScroll, who was Niftar over Shabbos.

Rabbi Zlotowitz Z”L underwent an emergency procedure last week, and began recuperating before relapsing over Shabbos. He was 73.

Rabbi Zlotowitz, father of R’ Ira and R’ Baruch of Lakewood, was a student of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein at Mesivtha Tifereth Yerushalayim.

After graduation, he became director of a high-end graphics studio in New York. The firm, named ArtScroll Studios, produced brochures, 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.

In late 1975, a close friend of Zlotowitz, Rabbi Meir Fogel, was Niftar in his sleep, prompting Rabbi Zlotowitz to want to do something to honor his memory.

As Purim was a few months away, he decided to write an English translation and commentary on Megillas Esther, and asked Rabbi Scherman to write the introduction. The book was completed in honor of the shloshim and sold out its first edition of 20,000 copies within two months.

With the encouragement of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetsky, and other Gedolei Yisrael, 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), and went on to publish translations and commentaries on the Torah, Prophets, Talmud, Passover Haggadah, siddurs and machzors. The name ArtScroll was chosen for the publishing company to emphasize the visual appeal of the books.

In its first 25 years, ArtScroll produced more than 700 books, including novels, history books, children’s books and secular textbooks, and is now one of the largest publishers of Jewish books in the United States.

Zlotowitz is also chairman of the Mesorah Heritage Foundation, ArtScroll’s fundraising arm.

The Levaya will tentatively take place at 2 PM Sunday at Shomrei Hadas in Boro Park, with Kevurah in Eretz Yisroel.

UPDATE: The family has set up an email for those looking to share their stories about Rabbi Zlotowitz Z”L. The address is FamilyofRabbiZlotowitz@gmail.com