YAHRZEITS FOR THE 27TH OF AV ~ BEGINS FRIDAY NIGHT (08-31-2024)
Rav Yehoshua Heschel Charif of Krakow - Maginei Shlomo (5408 / 1648 - 376th Yahrzeit)
Rav Yehoshua was a talmid of the Maharam of Lublin and a talmid of Rav Yehoshua Falk, the mechaber of the Sem”a. He served as the head of the rabbinical court of Lvov outside the city. Rav Yehoshua Heschel served in Grodno, Premisla, Lvov and finally in Cracow. Later in his life, he accepted the position of Rosh Yeshiva in Cracow alongside Rav YomTov Lipman Heller, the mechaber of Tosfos YomTov, who served as the Av Bais Din. He was laid to rest in the ancient Bais HaChaim adjacent to the Rema shul, near such Tzaddikim as the Rebbe Reb Heschel and the Bach.
Rav Avrohom Mordechai Alter (5615 / 1855 - 169th Yahrzeit)
Son of the Chidushei Harim and father of the Sfas Emes, he was niftar when his son was only 7 years old.
Rav Yaakov Tzvi of Borsha (5643 / 1883 - 141st Yahrzeit)
Rav Menachem Nachum Dov Ber Friedman of Sadigur (5643 / 1883 - 141st Yahrzeit)
Rav Yehuda Fattiah - Beis Lechem Yehuda (5702 / 1942 - 82nd Yahrzeit)
Rabbi Yehuda Fatiyah (1859-1942) was a leading Mekubal and scholar, a disciple of the Ben Ish Chai. After moving to Jerusalem in 1934, he studied at Rabbi Sadeh's Yeshiva for Kabbalists together with his friend Rabbi Ya'akov Chaim Sofer. During World War II, he wrote Kabbalistic prayers and Tikunim and organized prayer ceremonies of leading Kabbalists to save those who dwelled in Eretz Israel from the Nazi enemy.
Rav Shmuel Tzvi Horowitz of Spinka - Tiferes Tzvi (5757 / 1997 - 27th Yahrzeit)
Rebbe Shmuel Tzvi Horowitz (1921-1997), grandson of the Chakal Yitzchak of Spinka. After the Holocaust, he led the Spinka chassidim in the East Side and later in Williamsburg, and became close to Rebbe Yoel of Satmar.
Rav Menachem Kohn (5766 / 2006 - 18th Yahrzeit)
Rav Menachem Kohn (1964-2006). Born to Mr. and Mrs. Yosef Yitzchak Eizik Kohn, both Holocaust survivors who had moved to Los Angeles after the war. A watershed in his life was his entry into the Telshe Yeshiva at the age of 14. For the next 28 years, his neshama became bound to the yeshiva of Telshe, its Roshei Yeshiva and talmidei chachomim. The day before the accident which took his life, Reb Menachem went to Monroe to daven at the tziyun of the Satmar Rebbe on his yahrtzeit. He also went to visit the current Satmar Rebbe.
Rav Meshulem Feish Segal Lowy - Av Beis Din of Tosh, Avodas Avodah (5775 / 2015 - 9th Yahrzeit)
The Rebbe was born in 5682/1922 in the village of Nirtosh, known as Tosh to the Jewish population. His parents were Rav Mordechai Segal Lowy, the eldest son of Rav Elimelech of Tosh. He was appointed by the survivors of Tosher Chassidus to serve as the Rebbe in Nirgehaze, where he stayed for two and a half years. He served there as a Dayan on the special Bais Din that helped agunos remarry after the war. After two years in Austria, in Adar 5711/1951 the Rebbe arrived in America. In 5723/1963, the Rebbe established a Chassidic neighborhood named Kiryas Tosh in the Boisbriand suburb. The Torah world was plunged into mourning on the 27th of Menachem Av 5775 with the petira of the Tosher Rebbe, Rav Meshulom Feish Lowy, at the age of ninety-three.
Rav Chaim Dov Keller - Sefer Chidekel, Rosh Yeshiva, Yeshivas Telshe Chicago (5780 / 2020 - 4th Yahrzeit)
Rav Chaim Dov Keller was born in 1930 in New York City and attended Yeshiva Rabeinu Yitzchak Elchanan (RIETS). When the Telshe Yeshiva was established by Harav Eliya Meir Bloch and Harav Mottel Katz, zichronam levrachah, in Cleveland in 1940, Rav Keller joined the yeshiva and became a close talmid of Rav Elya Meir. In 1960, Harav Avraham Chaim Levin and Harav Chaim Schmelczer, zichronam levrachah, founded the Telshe Yeshiva in Chicago, and Rav Keller joined the yeshiva the following year. Over many decades, he taught Torah to thousands of talmidim, and was one of the premier roshei yeshiva of his time. Rav Keller’s last address was given in Telshe Yeshiva on Purim of this year, and shortly after he was stricken with COVID-19. After being hospitalized for an extended period of time, his home was converted to a quasi-hospital room.
YAHRZEITS FOR THE 28TH OF AV ~ BEGINS SATURDAY NIGHT (09-01-2024)
Rav Noach Chaim Eisenstadt - Av Beis Din of Shtetzin Litta (5634 / 1874 - 150th Yahrzeit)
Rav Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin of Volozhin - the Netziv (5653 / 1893 - 131st Yahrzeit)
(Some say the Yahrzeit is on the 1st of Av) 1 Av (others say: 28 Av) Rav Naphtali Tzvi Yehudah Berlin, the “Netziv of Volozhin”. Son of Rav Yaakov. Born in Mir תקע''ז. After his father- in- law’s passing, his brother- in- law, Rav Eliezer Yitzchok, became Rosh yeshiva and three years later, with his passing, the Netziv became Rosh yeshivah. The Netziv was Rosh Yeshiva of the famed Volozhin Yeshiva for almost 40 Years until it was closed by the Russian government in 1892. The Netziv passed away at age 78 in Warsaw on Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av.תרנ''ג
Rav Avrohom Chaim Adess (5685 / 1925 - 99th Yahrzeit)
Rav Yaakov Chaim Zelig Goldshlag - Yoraiach L'Moadim (5686 / 1926 - 98th Yahrzeit)
Rav Avrohom Yaakov HaKohen Pam - Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Torah Vodaas (5761 / 2001 - 23rd Yahrzeit)
Harav Avraham Yaakov Hakohen Pam was born in Tammuz 5673 to Harav Meir, a noted talmid chacham, who was a former talmid of Slabodka and Radin. After his marriage to Rebbetzin Sara, he was asked to serve as R”M in the yeshivah ketanah of Torah Vodaath, and later he went on to become Rosh Yeshivah of the yeshivah gedolah. For more than 60 years he delivered shiurim and mussar shmuessen, making a tremendous, lifelong impact on his talmidim. He was niftar on Thursday night, 28 Av, and was buried at Mount Judah Cemetery in Queens, N.Y.
Rav Moshe Finkel (5764 / 2004 - 20th Yahrzeit)
Rav Moshe Finkel, born in Mir to Rav Eliezer Yehuda Finkel. He gew up with his great-grandfather, Rav Baruch Kamai, the Rav of Mir. He learned at Slobodka under his grandfather, Rav Nosson Zvi Finkel, the Alter of Slobodka, then at Kelm, where he learned bechavrusa with Rav Povarsky, then at Baranovitch, under Rav Elchanan Wasserman and Rav Shlomo Heiman. Shortly before WW2, he immigrated to Yerushalyim and married the daughter of Rav Mordechai Dovid Levin, author of Darchei Dovid. There, he worked diligently under his father for the Mir Yeshiva (1909-2004).
Rav Shalom Ulman - of Yerushalayim Author Daas Elokim (5773 / 2013 - 11th Yahrzeit)
Born on 27 Cheshvanתר"ץ in Romania. He studied under Rav Eliyahu Dessler and was one of the Michtav meEliyahu's favorite pupils. He served as a dayan in Tel Aviv. He was best known as a mekubal who studied and taught the teachings of the Ramchal. He passed away on 28 Av 5773 at age 83 in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City and was laid to rest on Har HaZeisim.
Rebbetzin Sheila (Chava Sarah) Feinstein (5778 / 2018 - 6th Yahrzeit)
At the levayah, held at the Yeshivah of Staten Island, Rav Reuven spoke of his late Rebbetzin’s great dedication in her essential role in enabling his own growth and decades of harbotzas haTorah. With a commanding and regal presence, joined with exceptional intelligence and wit, Rebbetzin Feinstein’s dynamic personality propelled her to be one of the pillars upon which her husband’s yeshivah stood, and to be among the most trusted and loyal assistants to her revered father-in-law, Harav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l. At the same, she was a highly respected educator for many years in New York City’s Public School system and later in several mosdos haTorah.
YAHRZEITS FOR THE 29TH OF AV ~ BEGINS SUNDAY NIGHT (09-02-2024)
Rav Chaim Farchi of Akko (5579 / 1819 - 205th Yahrzeit)
Born around 1760 in Damascus. On the 29th of Av, 5579, a fast day (erev Rosh Chodesh Elul), an officer along with soldiers, suddenly entered the rav’s apartment. Rav Farhi’s death-warrant was read to him in which he was condemned on account of treason. His sentence was instantly carried out, and he was hung. On 29 Av, Erev Rosh Chodesh Elul he was brutally murdered and executed.
Rav Dovid Mugdan - Magen Dovid (5588 / 1828 - 196th Yahrzeit)
Rav Shmuel Salant - Rav of Yerushalayim (5669 / 1909 - 115th Yahrzeit)
Rav Shmuel Salant zt”l, who lived from January 2, 1816 to August 16, 1909, served as the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Yerushalayim and was a renowned gaon and tzaddik. Rav Shmuel was born in Białystok, then part of Russia. After marrying the eldest daughter of Rav Yosef Zundel of Salant, he adopted his father-in-law’s surname. At an early age, his lungs became damaged, and he was advised to seek a warm climate. This induced him in 1840 to go with his rebbetzin and son Binyomin Beinish to Yerushalayim. Rav Shmuel was regarded as one of the gedolei Torah and manhigim of his time. Many of his pesokim and chiddushim are known through the prodigious writing of his talmid, Rav Yechiel Michel Tukichinsky.
Rav Yosef Meir Twersky of Machnovka (5677 / 1917 - 107th Yahrzeit)
Rav Yosef Meir Twersky was born in 5620/1860 in Skver. He was the son of Rav Avrohom Yehoshua Heschel of Skver. After the petira of his father in 5246/1886, Rav Yosef Meir was appointed Rebbe in the village of Machnovka in Ukraine. Rav Yosef Meir was niftar on Erev Rosh Chodesh Elul 5677/1917 in Machnovka. He was fifty-seven.
Eliyohu Betzalel of Tetch (5678 / 1918 - 106th Yahrzeit)
Rav Menachem Mendel Alter of Pavinitz (5702 / 1942 - 82nd Yahrzeit)
Rav Avrohom Dov of Rachmastrivka (5705 / 1945 - 79th Yahrzeit)
Rav Eliezer Zusia Portugal of Skulen - Noam Eliezer (5742 / 1982 - 42nd Yahrzeit)
Rebbe Eliezer Zusia Portugal [1 Cheshvan, 1898 - 29 Av 1982], the Skulener Rebbe, immigrated to the USA in 1960, after imprisonment in Rumania and international efforts to secure his release. He is the author of Noam Eliezer and Kedushas Eliezer, and was a prominent follower of the Shtefaneshter Rebbe, but is best known for his superhuman efforts to rescue Jewish orphans and refugees in Eastern Europe before, during and after WWII and his continuing support of them, and his Chessed L'Avraham network of schools for children that continue until today.
Rav Shmuel Sperber (5745 / 1985 - 39th Yahrzeit)
Rav Shmuel Sperber (1905-1985). Born in Brasov, Transylvania, where his father, Rav Dovid, was the rabbi. As a youth, Shmuel studied in the yeshivos of Oyber-Visheve, Hungary under the tutelage of Rav Eliezer Dovid Gruenwald and Rav Mendel Hager. After receiving semichah and marrying, Rav Sperber lived in Iasi, Romania. In 1931, after being attacked by anti-Semites, he decided to leave Romania and settle in England.
YAHRZEITS FOR THE 30TH OF AV ~ BEGINS MONDAY NIGHT (09-03-2024)
Rav Menachem Mendel Rubin of Glagov (5633 / 1873 - 151st Yahrzeit)
Son of Rav Asher Yeshaya Rubin of Ropshitz (son-in-law of Rav Naphtali Ropshitzer). He was appointed rebbe and his chassidim grew in number especially after his father’s passing. He passed away on 1 Rosh Chodesh Elul .תרלג 1873
Rav Isser Prostitz - Mikveh Yisroel (5637 / 1877 - 147th Yahrzeit)
Rav Mordechai Segal Lowy - Av Beis Din of Demecser (5704 / 1944 - 80th Yahrzeit)
Rav Yisroel Friedman of Boyan-Leipzig (5711 / 1951 - 73rd Yahrzeit)
Rav Yisrael was the son of Rav Yitzchok (the Pachad Yitzchok), founder of the Boyan dynasty. He was born on the twenty-fourth of Elul 5638/1878, coinciding with the first day of Selichos. After the petira of his father, he, along with his brothers, Rav Menachem Nachum, Rav Avrohom Yaakov, and Rav Mordechai Shlomo, began leading Chassidic courts. Rav Yisrael eventually moved to Leipzig, Germany, where his court served the many Ruzhiner Chassidim who had fled there during World War I. In 5699/1939, he escaped the Nazi barbarity by fleeing to Switzerland, where he stayed for a short while before continuing his journey to Eretz Yisrael. Rav Yisrael re-established his Bais Medrash in Tel Aviv. He was niftar on the first day of Rosh Chodesh Elul, (thirtieth of Av) and was buried in Tzefas.
YAHRZEITS FOR THE 1ST OF ELUL ~ BEGINS TUESDAY NIGHT (09-04-2024)
Rav Yehuda Liva Epstein (5391 / 1631 - 393rd Yahrzeit)
Rav Yehuda Liva Epstein was the Rosh Yeshiva of Lvov outside the city. He served as Rav and Dayan in the Beis Din outside the city. He passed away on 1 Elul in the year .שצא/5391
Rav Shmuel Abuhav (5404 / 1644 - 380th Yahrzeit)
Rav Shmuel was born in Hamburg in the year 5370/שע. In his youth, he gained renown as a child prodigy, and he was well-versed in Shas and derashos. At the age of eighteen, he married the daughter of Rav Dovid Franco and was appointed Reish Mesivta in Verona. Later, he was appointed Chief Rav of Venice and given the honorary title “Rashba Ohr HaGola”. Rav Shmuel passed away at the age of 84 on 1 Elul in the year 5404/תד.
Rav Zev Wolf (5425 / 1665 - 359th Yahrzeit)
Rav Zev Wolf was the Chief Dayan of Lvov under Rav Dovid HaLevi Segal (the “Taz”). He was a deep thinker and a tremendous gaon who taught many disciples and talmidim. He passed away 1 Elul in the year 5425/תכ''ה.
Rav Shmuel Shmelke HaLevi Horowitz - 'Der Hoicher' (5456 / 1696 - 328th Yahrzeit)
Rav Shmuel Shmelka was a grandson of Rav Pinchos HaLevi, the brother-in-law of the Rema. He served as Av Beis Din of Shendishov and afterwards of Trani. He was an awesome G-dly man, a gaon ha-gaonim (a great genius), and such a pious individual that he was known as Der Hoicher (“the high”) Reb Shmelka. He passed away on 1 Elul 5456/תנ''ו (other sources say 2 Elul or 4 Elul).
Rav Yehoshua Zeitlein of Shklov (5582 / 1822 - 202nd Yahrzeit)
Rav Yehoshua was born in the year 5502/תק''ב in Charson. He was a talmid of the Vilna Gaon and the Shaagas Aryeh, and a great gaon in his own right. Rav Yehoshua was a wealthy individual, and he served as an official minister and a royal adviser to the king. He had many great disciples and talmidim, and he himself supported many Torah giants. He passed away at the age of 80 on 1 Elul .תקפ''ב/5582
Rav Yeshaya Weltfried of Pshedburzh - Dibros Chaim (5591 / 1831 - 193rd Yahrzeit)
Rav Yeshaya was orphaned at a young age and grew up in Lask, in the kehilla of his father and grandfather. Rav Yeshaya’s desire to grow in Torah eventually led him to the yeshiva in Lisa, where he studied under Rav Dovid Tebel. There he met another young genius named Rav Akiva Eiger, and the two became study partners and fast friends. He served as the Rav and Av Beis Din of Pshedurzh for 42 years. When the Chozeh of Lublin passed away, the Chassidim crowned Rav Yeshaya as one of his successors. He refused the title of rebbe for as long as possible.
Rav Zev Wolf Tenenbaum - Av Beis Din of Verpeleter, Rechovos Hanahar (5633 / 1873 - 151st Yahrzeit)
(Some say the Yahrzeit is on the 2nd of Elul) Rav Zev Wolf, the son of Rav Tzvi, was born in Badala. He spent nine years as a talmid of Rav Amram Chasida, and taught Torah in Sendra for 27 years. He was appointed Av Beis Din of Verpelet in 5607 תר"ז. Rav Zev Wolf passed away on 2 Elul in the year 5633 .תרל"ג
Rav Pinchos Yosef of Kasov (5634 / 1874 - 150th Yahrzeit)
