Son-in-law of Rav Dovid Twerski of Zlatipoli.
He was born on the 10th of Kislev, 5629 (1868) and was orphaned from his father at the very young age four in 5633 (1872). Both his father and grandfather, Rav Aharon of Karlin, author of the Beis Aharon, praised him very highly. “A soul such as this only descends once every five hundred years,” said his father, Rav Asher. Rav Aharon said of him: “You won’t ever see him studying or going to the mikvah numerous times (i.e. he will hide his holy deeds), yet he will succeed in surpassing us both!”
In light of such praises, the chassidim accepted him, after his father’s passing, as their rebbe at the age of four-and-a-half! Even as a child, the precocious Rav Yisrael held court, conducting tischen and reading kvitlach, with his mentor and guide, Rav Yisrael Binyamin Gloiberman, by his side. He became known as Der Rebbe Der Yanuka (the child rebbe) or just the Yanuka – the babe. The acceptance of the authority of a child rebbe was met with scorn and derision by some other chassidic groups, and especially by the maskilim.
After his marriage, Rav Yisrael led the chassidus with great force and wisdom. Ever more chassidim joined its ranks, and Karlin returned to its former glory.
Although the Yanuka led Karlin-Stolin with the same traditions as his forebears, he introduced a number of his own nuances as well. His words of Torah were peppered with simple tales of faith and he would go into town dressed in simple merchant’s clothing as opposed to the traditional rabbinical garb. The chassidim in Karlin testified that “he has made some new changes in his outward appearance and dress.”
All Rav Yisrael’s ways were very hidden and secretive, yet he was considered a gadol b’Torah, and Rav Yitzchak Elchanan of Kovno called him a gaon. His level of knowledge of Kabbalah was purportedly unique in his generation.
He was a man of great wisdom; he understood music, both how to play various instruments and compose original songs; he understood mechanics and machinery; he was well versed in languages and literature as well as an expert in foreign affairs and matters of the world. All of this helped him to dispense well-balanced and proper guidance and offer high caliber, very beneficial advice.
Rav Yisrael said little public divrei Torah. During the Yamim Noraim thousands of chassidim arrived in Stolin, some from considerable distances. As opposed to the customary Karlin-Stolin style of loud davening, his own tefillos were quiet or completely silent.
His melaveh malkah was conducted with an accompanying band of musicians as he and three of his sons sang as a quartet for various songs. The Yanuka saw music as a form of avodas Hashem and would wash his hands netilas yadayim before playing or composing a niggun. Among the holy composers who served him were Rav Yaakov Tilasyaner and Rav Yosseleh Tolner. The Yanuka himself listened to fine concerts and composers whenever the opportunity presented itself.
He was fastidious in maintaining traditional daily customs and refused to compromise or change anything. Nor would he bend in matters of chinuch. He directed in his final will and testament that his children and the chassidim be educated in the traditional manner of chinuch, with no compromises whatsoever.
He was an opponent of the histadrut ha’zionit; even the religious factions of the histadrut were his adversaries. On the other hand, he acquired domiciles in Eretz Yisrael and sent shluchim (agents) to gather money to fund kollelim and charities of Karlin there which, under his influence, grew in Teveria.
He personally knew the goings on in the lives of all his chassidim and displayed loving, fatherly affection to each one. He visited the chassidim wherever they lived, and his primary request from them all was ahavas chaverim – brotherly love.
After the first World War, he contracted what would prove to be his final and fatal illness. In 5681 (1920-21), he went to Hamburg to recuperate and he passed away there on the second day of Rosh Hashanah 5682 (1921). He was buried in Frankfurt am Main, and some chassidim referred to him as Der Frankfurter. In his will, he instructed his heirs not to bring his aron from where he passed away to either Karlin or Stolin. He ordered them explicitly, “as soon as my soul departs do not hesitate to fulfill my honorable wishes, and even if I die during travel do not return my body home unless it be very close to either Malinow, Karlin or Derhobitsh.”
His sons included Rav Moshe of Stolin, Rav Avraham Elimelech of Karlin, Rav Yochanan of Lutsk and Rav Yaakov of Detroit, USA. Both his fifth son, Rav Asher of Stolin, who was renowned for his musical talents, and his sixth son, Rav Ahreleh, refused to be rebbes. Rav Ahreleh lived in Warsaw and was beloved by multitudes. He lived frugally and devoted his life to helping others.
His sons-in-law were Rav Shalom Safrin of Komarna and Rav Shalom Rokeach of Apta. The only son to survive the war was Rav Yochanon of Lutzk.
