The Information Channel Felist.Com -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Do not Reply this message! Please send messages to address on bottom of the message or to kehilasmy@yahoo.com Cortesy of [ http://anshe.org ] Congregation Anshe Emes, Los Angeles The update of Jewish History of this week YAHRTZEITS Sunday, 4 Adar * Rav Achai bar Rav Huna of Rabanan Soverai, 506 CE * Rav Mordechai Leib Mann, Rosh Yeshiva of Beis Hillel in Bnei Brak * Rav Aryeh Leib Sarah's (Soros) (1730-1796). A talmid of the Mezritcher Maggid, he was considered one of the hidden tzadikim by the Baal Shem Tov, he spent his life wandering to raise money for the ransoming of imprisoned. * Rav Avraham Blumenkrantz (1944-2007). Born in Palestine four years before the founding of the state of Israel, Reb Avraham and his family were abroad at the outset of the War of Independence. In the early 1950s the family settled in Bogot, Colombia. His father, Rav Chaim Menachem Bentzion, became chief rabbi. Reb Avraham came to New York as a teenager to study at Mesivta Tiferes Yerushalayim under Rav Moshe Feinstein, with whom Rabbi Blumenkrantz maintained a close relationship until Rabbi Feinstein's death in 1986. Under the guidance of Rav Moshe, Rav Avraham took positions at Staten Island and Brooklyn. He also became Rav in Far Rockaway. He also became well-known for his Pesach guide. Monday, 5 Adar * Rav Zeev Wolf (Velvele) of Ostracha (also known as Tcharni-Ostraa) (1823). He was a close talmid of Rav Dov Ber (the Maggid) of Mezritch and Rav Pinchas of Koritz. Thereafter, he became a follower of Rav Meshulam Feivish of Zhebariza, the Yosher Divrei Emes. He married the daughter of Reb Zushe of Hanipoli. Three years after the petira of the Yosher Divrei Emes, he made aliya (in 1798) and settled in Teveriya. * Rav Shmuel Abba Shapira of Slavita (Slavuta, Ukraine) (1864). Printer of the famous "Slavita Talmud"; grandson of Rav Pinchas of Koretz. * Rav Avraham Landau of Tchechenov (1875). Born in Prantzav, he married at 16 and had 4 children. Lodz and Lublin fought for the honor of hiring Rav Avraham as their rav, but he instead chose to lead the small rural community of Tchechenov. Only after the Kotzker Rebbe and Rav Yitzchak Meir had passed away, and hundreds of their followers turned to Rav Avraham for blessings and advice, did he finally agree to became a Rebbe. * Rav Eliezer ("Lazer") Gordon (1841-1910). Born in Chernian, Lithuania, to Rav Avraham Shmuel Gordon, a talmid of Rav Chaim of Volozhin. He learned at Rav Yisrael Salanters yeshiva in Kovno with Rav Yitzchak Blazer, Rav Simcha Zissel Ziv, and Rav Naftali Amsterdam. He succeeded his father-in-law as rav of Kovno, but left after three months to become Rav of Kelm, where he opened a yeshiva. Then he went to Slobodka and stayed for 6 months, then he went to Telshe, which had been started in 1877 by Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel and Rav Eliezer Chavas. In 1897, he hired Rav Leib Chasman as mashgiach to fight off the influences of haskala. Rav Lazer was nifter in London on a fun-raising mission after a fire destroyed the yeshiva in Telshe. [According to Yated 2006 and 2008, his yahrtzeit falls on 4 Adar] * Rav Mordechai Shlomo Friedman (1891-1971), Boyaner Rebbe in New York. He was the son of the first Boyaner Rebbe, Rav Yitzchak Friedman, the Pachad Yitzchak, and the brother of Rav Menahem Nahum Friedman (1869-1936), Boyanaer Rebbe of Chernovitz, Rav Yisrael Friedman (1878-1951), Boyaner Rebbe of Leipzig and Tel-Aviv, and Rav Abraham Yaakov Friedman (1884-1941), Boyaner Rebbe of Lemberg. His grandson, Rav Nachum Dov Brayer, is the present Boyaner Rebbe of Yerushalayim. * Rav Yosef Farbstein (1947-2006). Grandson of Rav Yechezkel Sarna, he became Rosh Kollel of Beis Shmuel under Rav Horowitz, the Av Beis Din of Ungar. In 1970 he married Rebbetzin Gittel, daughter of Rav Akiva Ehrenfeld, founder of Yerushalayim's Mattersdorf neighborhood and nasi of its institutions, and the granddaughter of Rav Shmuel Ehrenfeld, the Gavad of Mattersdorf, Austria. In 1988, he was appointed Ram in Yeshivas Ohr Elchanan under Rav Moshe Chodosh. Tuesday, 6 Adar * Rav Shmuel ben Natronai, one of the Baalei Tosafos, was tortured and martyred (1197). * Rav Daniel Prostitz (1759-1846). Rav of Pressburg and colleague of the Chasam Sofer. * Rav Naftali Amsterdam, disciple of Rav Yisrael Salanter (1916). He immigrated to Eretz Yisrael in 1902. * Rav Chanoch Tzvi HaKohen Levin, the Bendiner Rav (1935). He was the son in-law of the Sfas Emes * Rav Yosef Baumgarten, Av Bais Din Schiffschule in Vienna (1936) * Rav Dovid Povarsky, Rosh Yeshiva of Ponovezh (1902-1999). When he was twelve years old, he learned with Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer in Slutzk. Afterward, he transferred to Poltova, where he became deeply attached to his rav muvhak, R' Yeruchom Levovitz, whom he followed to Kelm and Ponovezh. From Ponovezh, he transferred to Mir yeshiva and became very close to Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz. One of his chavrusas in Shulchan Oruch was Rav Aharon Kotler. A while after his marriage, he transferred to the yeshiva in Baranowitz, where he studied under Rav Elchonon Wassermann. Later, Reb Yeruchom sent Rav Dovid to be a ram in Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin headed by Rav Meir Shapira of Lublin. Rav Dovid merited to form a special bond with Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzinsky. Wednesday, 7 Adar * Birthday of Moshe Rabbeinu [1393 BCE (Sotah 12b)] and his yahrtzeit [1273 BCE] (Kiddushin 38a) * Rav Shlomo Ephraim of Lunshitz, author of Kli Yakar (1550-1619). After serving as rosh yeshiva in Lemberg, he became the Rav of Prague. He was well-known as an inspiring speaker. In addition to Kli Yakar, Rav Shlomo Ephraim also wrote special selichos to be said in memory of the Jews of Prague who suffered horribly during the pogroms of 1611. * Rav Yitzchak Eizik Taub of Kalev, founder of Kaliver Chassidic line in Hungary (1744 (or 1751)-1821). Born to Rav Yechezkel, in Szerencs, Hungary. According to stories of Hungarian Chassidim, Rav Leib Sarahs received permission from the boys widowed mother to raise him and took him directly to Rav Shmelke of Nikolsburg. Rav Yitzchak Eizik also learned Chassidus from Rav Elimelech of Lizhensk. After his marriage to Feige, Rav Yitzchak Eizik's wife remained in her hometown of Tertzel while Rav Yitzchak Eizik continued away from home for many years. His wife's financial needs were supplied by a wealthy Kaliv Jew, Yaakov Fisch. In gratitude, Rav Yitzchak Eizik blessed Yaakov with good health and he lived for over a hundred years. When Rav Yitzchak Eizik returned home 1781, the Jews of Szabolcs county appointed him as their leader, and he moved to Nagykll, or Kaliv as it known to Jews. For the next forty years, Rav Yitzchak Eizik pioneered the spread of Chassidus throughout Hungary from Kaliv, and he is regarded as the first Admor to take up permanent residence in Hungary. Rav Yitzchak Eizik is remembered as "the sweet singer of Yisrael" and is famed for his niggunim. Thursday, 8 Adar * Rav Gershon of Lotzk, a talmid of the Mezritcher Maggid (1788). * Rav Aryeh Leib Hanover (1715-1789). Son of the Pnei Yehoshua, he married the daughter of Rav Yechiel Michel Haplerin, Rav of Berzhan. After posts at Skohl and Sevirz, he was asked to serve as Rav at Hanover at the age of 41. He was a fierce opponent of the supporters of Shabtai Tzvi. His chidushei Torah are printed in the sefer Pnei Aryeh on Maseches Bava Kamma. * Rav Yosef Yedid, author of Yemei Yosef (1930). * Rav Avraham Noach Paley of Shklov-Yerushalayim (1932). * Rav Moshe Aharon Stern (1926-1998). Born in New York, he was a grandson of the famed tzaddik, Reb Yaakov Yosef Herman (subject of the book All for the Boss). In his youth, Rav Moshe Aharon studied at Yeshiva Torah Vodaas. At age 18, he traveled to Eretz Yisrael and enrolled in the Kamenitz Yeshiva, where he remained for the rest of his life, serving as Mashgiach for the last 20 years of his life. Friday, 9 Adar * Rav Mordechai Meisel, the parnes of Prague, a great Jewish philanthropist who saved many Jewish lives in pogroms. (1601) * Rav Shlomo Zalman of Volozhin, brother of Rav Chaim Volozhin (1756-1788) * Rav Menachem Mendel Stern (1759-1834). He was a talmid of Rav Yaakov Lorberbaum of Lissa (author of Nesivos Hamishpat, Chavas Da'as, and Derech Chaim). He succeeded Rav Yehuda Hakohen Heller (author of Kuntres Hasefeikos and brother of the Ketzos Hachoshen) as Rav of Sighet, Hungary. Rav Stern was a chassid of Rav Moshe Leib of Sassov and of Rav Mendel of Kossov. Among his works is Derech Emunah. * Rav Aharon Menachem Mendel of Radzimin (1934) * Rav Shmuel Dovid Ungar, Rav and Rosh Yeshiva of Nitra (1945) * Rav Yechiel Schlesinger, rav and poseik for Kehal Adas Yeshurun (1948). In his youth, he learned at Slobodka and Mir Yeshivos. After his marriage in 1930, he set off for Ponevezh, Lithuania. During his time in Ponevezh, Rav Yechiel Michel also trained to become a dayan, doing shimush in the beis din of the Ponevezher Rov. He was called to serve as a dayan on the Frankfurt beis din, and as the head of Rav Breuer's Yeshiva there. In 1938, he decided that life as a Jew in Germany was becoming too intolerable. Although he was offered the prestigious position of rosh yeshiva of Torah Vodaas Yeshiva in New York, he preferred to move to Eretz Yisroel. Once he reached Yerushalayim, a few days after Pesach (1939), he founded Kol Torah Yeshiva, setting a clear Torah path for German Jewry. * Rav Chaim Ephraim Zeitchek, Mashgiach of Novardok, Yerushalayim and Rosh Yeshiva, Ohr Chodosh (1989) Shabbos, 10 Adar * Rav Pinchas of Voldova, author of Bris Shalom (1663). * Rav Gershon Ashkenazi (1625-1693). Born to Rav Yitzchak Ashkenazi in Holtz, Germany, he left home to learn in the yeshiva of Rav Yoel Sirkes, the Bach, in Krakow, Poland. He was also a close talmid of Rav Yehoshua, the Maginei Shlomo. Rav Gershon lost his first wife in 1649, and married the daughter of Rav Menachem Mendel Kruchmal, the Tzemach Tzedek. But she too was niftar young, in 1654. His third wife, Rebbetzin Raizel, was zocheh to arichas yamim, outliving her husband by 30 years. Rav Gershon served as dayan in Krakow, and in 1650 served the kehilla of Prussnitz, Moravia. With the petira of his father-in-law, the Tzemach Tzedek in 1661, he became Rav in Nicholsburg and a year later of the entire province of Moravia. He served as chief Rabbi of Austria until the expulsion of 1670. At that point, he became Rav of Metz, Germany, where he remained until his petira. He is the author of Avodas HaGershuni, which deals with a wide range of Halachah. Much of what we know abou t the Chmielnicki massacres are based on this work. A prolific writer, he also composed Tiferes HaGershuni comprising his drashos on the Torah, and Chidushei HaGershuni on Halacha. * Rav Yosef Baruch haLevi Epstein, the Gutteh Yid of Neustadt (1867). He was the son of the Maor Vashemesh. * Rav Alexander Moshe Lapidus (1819-1906). A talmid of Rav Yisrael Salanter, he authored Divrei Emes. * Rav Shalom Goldstein (1923-1984). Born in 1923 in Romania to Reb Yechezkel Shraga Goldstein, a Deizher chossid and a descendant of Rav Yaakov Koppel Chossid. R' Yechezkel Goldstein immigrated to the U.S. and settled in Williamsburg when his son was eight. The youth was a popular activist of Zeirei Agudas Yisrael, who did kiruv work with children from less religious homes. In 1944 Shalom married Leah Necha Scheiner of Pittsburgh, and a year later he moved to Detroit in 1945, where he remained to build Torah for the following 40 years. * Rav Yosef Halevi Epstein, the "Gutter Yid" from Neustadt JEWISH HISTORY Sunday, 4 Adar * The body of R. Meir (MaHaRaM) of Rotenburg's was released for burial in 1307, fourteen years after his death in the fortress of Ensisheim. He was buried in the old Jewish cemetery of Worms. Next to him was buried R. Alexander Susskind Wimpfen, who gave away his entire fortune to ransom the body. Both graves miraculously escaped Nazi ravaging of the cemetery (born 1215). * Alfonso X of Castille was persuaded by the apostate Alfonso of Valladolid to ban the tefillah Aleinu because it was "anti-Christian", 1336. Monday, 5 Adar * Synod of Breslau ordered Jews of Silesia to wear special caps, 1267. * First massacre of marranos - in Cordova - 1473. All told, the number of victims of the Inquisition in Spain alone is estimated at 39,912, many of whom were burned alive. Approximately 340,000 people, most of them Jews, suffered at the hands of the Inquisition, although the vast majority were given lesser punishments. The last auto-da-fe was held in 1790. * Jews of Rome declared free citizens by the French army, 1798. * The Russian Revolution broke out in Petrograd after the old regime had become weakened after three years of fighting World War I, 1917. It is estimated that over 2,000 pogroms took place, especially in the Ukraine, leading to the death of 100,000-200,000 Jews within the next 3 years. Tuesday, 6 Adar * First auto-da-fe in Seville , Spain , where 12 Jews were burned alive for allegedly practicing Judaism, 1481. * The first printed edition of the whole Chumash with Onkelos and Rashi was published in Bologna, 1482. * Expulsion of the Jews of the Free City of Lubeck, Germany, 1816, 117 years (almost to the day) after they were expelled the first time. Wednesday, 7 Adar * All copies of the Gemara were seized from the Jews of France, 1240. * The Spanish Inquisition begins burning Jews at the stake, 1481 * Jews expelled from Austria, 1670 * Elector Max Emanuel ordered the expulsion of the few Jews still living in Bavaria , 1715. * The Soviet Union decided to set up a Jewish district in Birobidzhan, Eastern Siberia, 1928, although most of it was uninhabitable due to floods. It was to be used as a buffer zone against China . * The Struma with its 748 passengers was torpedoed, 1942. The old cargo barge set sail from Constanza in Rumania with 769 passengers aboard on December 12, 1941, arriving in Istanbul before the engine died. However, the Turkish authorities prevented the disembarkation of the passengers for fear that the British would not give them certificates and Turkey would be forced to give them refuge. The ship remained in Istanbul for 70 days. The British refused to grant permission for them to enter Palestine and the Turks would not let them repair the engine, disembark or remain in Turkey. Despite the despairing appeals of the captain that the ship was unable to continue on its way, the Turkish authorities sent the ship back to the Black Sea on February 23, 1942. On the following day a mighty explosion was heard and the ship went down. Much later it was determined the ship had been sunk by a torpedo from a Russian submarine. Only one passenger, David Stoliar, survived and eventually reached Palestine. Among the dead were 103 children. * The final liquidation of the Krakow ghetto, 1943 Thursday, 8 Adar * Jews of Barbados were granted permission to take an oath on the "Old Testament," 1674. This was a first for the New World. 151 years later, in 1825, also on 8 Adar, Jews of Maryland were allowed to take a non-Christian oath. A declaration of belief in Schar vOnesh in Olam Haba was part of their oath. * Yeshiva Eitz Chaim, the first elementary school with secular studies in the U.S., established 1886. It was the first American yeshiva to include the learning of Gemara. * The Treaty of Riga established Polands post World War I borders, 1921. Poland received almost one-third of the Ukraine along with Galicia , Pozania, Pomerania, and parts of Silesia, bringing the Jewish population to between 11-15% of the entire Polish population. * Deportation of the Jews from Thrace (Greece), 1943. Friday, 9 Adar * First controversy of Beis Hillel and Beis Shamai, once a fast day (Megillas Taanis). * Joseph Saralbo was burnt at the stake in Rome at the command of Pope Gregory XIII, 1538. Saralbo was accused of returning to Judaism and of trying to convince other Marranos in Ferrara join him. * Governor James Wright ordered the Jews of Georgia to leave, accusing them of being disloyal to his majesty by supporting the revolution, 1781. The order was never carried out. * Hitler entered Austria to the greetings of the Church and Cardinal Innitzer, 1938. Seys-Inquert, who later achieved infamy as a mass murderer of Jews, was appointed Chancellor, and the following day Austria was annexed to Germany. Shabbos, 10 Adar * Byzantine Emperor Justinian ordered the public reading of the Greek translation to the parshas hashavua on Shabbos and prohibited rabbonim from giving drashos on the sedra, 553. * In 1090 Henry IV grants an extension to the charter of protection to life and property that had been issued by Rudiger, Bishop of Speyer, in 1084, to the Jews of Speyer. Sadly, the charter didnt save the Jews when the Crusades began just nine years later. * Massacre of the Jews of Freiburg, Germany, 1349, in the Black Death riots. * The first complete Hebrew sefer (Torah with Rashi) was printed by Abraham ben Garton, in Reggio de Calabria, Italy, 1475. It was soon followed in Piovo di Sacco near Padua by a printing of the Arbah Turim of Rav Yaakov ben HaRosh. * Upon the death of Maximillian in 1519, the Jewish community of Regensburg was expelled. The shul was destroyed and a chapel built in its place. About 5,000 matzeivos were taken from the bais hakevaros and used for building. * Jews of the Austrian Empire were granted equal civil and political rights, 1849. * In the eastern German town of Konitz (today Chojnice, Poland), an eighteen-year-old boy named Ernst Winter was killed. His unsolved murder led to the most severe outbreak of anti-Semitic violence in the empire of Kaiser Wilhelm II. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Please visit our web page http://www.kehilasmy.org ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SHIDDUCHIM for RUSSIAN BAALEY TESHUVAH Worldwide in Russian http://www.toldot.ru/shiduchim ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Buy books with 10% off from Artscroll and Artscroll will donate us 5% of your purchase: http://artscroll.com/linker/kehilasmy/home -*-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: http://felist.com/member/unsub?grp=lit.kmymembers&email=e@mail http://felist.com/ mailto:ask@felist.com