By Motti Wilhelm
The Lubavitcher Rebbe showed Charlie special warmth and attention. Almost every time Charlie passed by the Rebbe, he was greeted with a broad smile and an encouraging wave of the hand.
For decades, at nearly every engagement party in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y., children would gather near the door, waiting with anticipation. At some point during the celebration, the door would swing open, and the children would shout with glee, “He’s here! He’s here!”
The man who inspired such excitement was Charlie Nassofer—better known as “Charlie Buttons” due to the dozens of colorful pins bearing Jewish messages adorning his cap and overalls. Where he lived remained a mystery to most, with few even knowing his real last name. But one thing was certain: He could always be counted on to show up carrying a stack of uninflated balloons. Charlie would blow up and shape the balloons, handing them out to the children. His signature gesture at engagement parties was crafting a red balloon heart for the bride and groom.
A colorful figure who brought joy wherever he went, he became a fixture at countless simchas. He was also famously present at every shalom zachar—the traditional Friday-night celebration after a baby boy is born. With thousands of Jewish families in Crown Heights, there were often several such gatherings each week, yet Charlie would make his rounds, trudging along in his untied work boots.
At the time of his passing on Thursday, May 8—the eve of 11 Iyar—Charlie had been in poor health for well over a decade, spending most of his time in a nearby Brooklyn Jewish nursing home. Yet his passing was still met with a sense of visceral sadness. Charlie was a fixture—an icon, really—and his death felt like the end of an era.
Social media quickly filled with photos of Charlie at engagement parties, bar mitzvahs and other community events. Even more poignant were his dozens of memorable moments with the Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory—to whom he often brought a smile.
For someone so unconventional, Charlie left behind a surprisingly large paper trail, documenting many facets of his life and escapades. But most of these details only surfaced in the days following his passing. Because for so many in Crown Heights and around the world, their affection for Charlie wasn’t rooted in his past. They loved him simply because he was the irreplaceable Charlie Buttons.
Young Charlie and with Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut
Charles Nassofer was born on July 9, 1944, to Irving and Marcia Nassofer in Kearney, Neb., where his father was stationed at the U.S. Air Force Base, working as an airplane repairman.
Eight days later, his brit milah—the ritual circumcision—was officiated by a rabbi from Omaha. A small headline in the local newspaper the following day reported: “Rabbi Katz Officiates at Christening [sic] Ceremony.”
The sages of Kabbalah teach that when parents give their child a Jewish name, it’s not just coincidence or personal preference—G-d inspires them to choose the name that aligns with the child’s soul.
Charlie’s parents gave him the name “Tzadik”—a familiar word but a rare name. In hindsight, it seems like a Divinely-inspired glimpse into the future.
Sometime over the following years, the family moved to Brooklyn, settling in the East Flatbush neighborhood. The 1950 U.S. Federal Census lists them as living on E. 48th St. Charlie attended the local public school and Hebrew school at nearby Congregation Beth Judah. According to Charlie’s recollection in several interviews, his father once brought him to see the Rebbe at 770 when he was a young child.
In 1954, Irving Nassofer passed away at the age of 40, leaving behind his wife, son and two daughters. Charlie’s mother, who worked as a bookkeeper at Beth Judah, continued in her position while raising the family. For high school, Charlie attended Brooklyn Technical High School, then began college studies but eventually dropped out. His sister Elaine remembers him as “very good-looking and very smart.”
In 1964, while on a visit to Florida, Charlie and his sister Lottie were involved in a serious car accident, in which Charlie sustained brain damage.
