Son of Rav Shmuel Teitelbaum of Gorlitz. Born in 1838 (קצ"ח). A scion of Sighet Uhjel dynasties. Son-in-law of his uncle Rav Yekusiel Yehudah Teitelbaum of Sighet.
Rav Yisroel Yaakov Yokel was a chassid of Rav Chaim Halberstam of Sanz, author of Divrei Chaim. The Divrei Chaim loved him very much.
He served as rav in Berbesht תרכ"ב, and in תרמ"ט, he succeeded his father in Gorlitz. When Rav Baruch Halberstam arrived in Gorlitz and claimed the position as rebbe there, a rift developed between the chassidim until each side had their own shul, mosdos, and shochet. Eventually, Rav Baruch’s followers prevailed, and Rav Yisroel Yaakov was left with a minyan in his home. They built him his own beis midrash.
In תרנ"ד, he left Gorlitz and moved to Volova in the Carpathians and became rebbe there. His son Rav Shlomo remained in Gorlitz as Av Beis Din and perished in the Holocaust.
His other sons were: Rav Moshe Dovid A’B’D Lapush, Rav Naphtali of Nirbater, Rav Yitzchok of Reisha, Rav Chaim Yosef of Dynow, and Rav Menachem Mendel of Yerushalayim. His son Rav Aharon succeeded him in Volova.
His sons-in-law were: Rav Raphael Gross, who succeeded him in Berbesht, Rav Aryeh Leibush Mordechai Halberstam, and Rav Yechiel Michel Teomim.
In תשל"ב, his grandchildren published his sefer, Heitiv Aytiv, on Torah and moadim and Volume 2 on chiddushim on Shas and Shu”t (responsa).
He passed away on the 15th Elul, 1924 (תרפ"ד).
