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Sunday, July 17, 2011

Famed Hasidic singer Lipa Schmeltzer writing song to honor slain Brooklyn boy Leiby Kletzky

Lipa Schmeltzer, a Hasidic pop star, visited the family of Leiby Kletzky and said he was writing a song about the tragedy called 'The Story of Leiby.'















A famed Hasidic singer beloved by little Leiby Kletzky paid a visit to the slain's boy's relatives Sunday and said he was hard at work writing a song about the tragedy.

Lipa Schmeltzer, 33 - revered by many as the "Jewish Elvis" - said he was moved to tears by the boy's death and was writing a song about him for an upcoming album.

"I wanted to write a song about this little boy," Schmeltzer said. "This was a special holy boy."

Schmeltzer said he would call the song "The Story of Leiby."

"So pure this little sheep. A poor soul. This little bird. he went home from school to the school which is in heaven," Schmeltzer sang for reporters outside the Kletzky family home in Borough Park after paying a shiva call.

"They invited me," he said. "Their son liked my songs very much."

Inside, Schmeltzer said he had recited the lyrics to Leiby's favorite song "As Long As You Are Alive" - a song about not stressing over small problems in life - after being asked by one of Leiby's sisters.

He spoke the lyrics, rather than sang them, as singing is barred during the mourning period.

"His story came to an end because of this black day that we had," he said. "Future generations of Leiby have vanished."

He said he had poured glasses of orange juice for the family and brought them cookies because they hadn't eaten all morning.

"The father is very broken from this, but he is keeping very strong," he said. "He said he had the honor to have this soul for nine years."

"There are no words I can tell him," he added.

Schmeltzer said he first heard about Leiby upon returning from a European tour on Tuesday and received word the boy was missing.

Instead of heading home to Monsey, N.Y., he said he immediately joined the search.

"I went straight from the airport and went to search for the child," he said.

When his wife asked him why, he said he told her, "This kid didn't come home yet."

"Our kids are home. We can kiss them tomorrow."

Leiby, 8, was found found dead early the next morning - allegedly smothered to death and dismembered by Levi Aron, a 35-year-old hardware store clerk from Borough Park.

Scores of other neighbors also visited the Kletzky family Sunday to pay their respects.

"This is all of our tragedy," said Leib Glanz, 54. "This is not just a loss for the parents, this is a loss for the entire Jewish community."

A source familiar with the police investigation said detectives had found no sign that Aron had molested Leiby or any other children.

The source said cops don't think Aron is crazy although he seems to have "slightly diminished" mental capacity.

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