His yeshivah in Galanta, Slovakia, which flourished between the two world wars, was a place that meshed together two worlds: the Hungarian yeshivas--a product of the Pressburg spirit; and the chassidishe world which included the tischen, tefillos, and rikkudim (spirited dancing which was a form of tefilla) that characterized the chassidic courts of Eastern Europe. At the helm, stood Rav Yehoshua, himself a figure that merged the dual characteristics of Rosh Yeshiva during the week--teaching, guiding and honing his talmidim in the manner of his spiritual forebears, the Chasam Sofer and his son the Kesav Sofer, and then on Shabbos, energizing the chassidim as a chassidic rebbe.
It was said that the Daas Sofer of Pressburg once remarked jokingly to him: “Galanta Rav, how will you survive? The roshei yeshivos work hard all week and rest on Shabbos; whereas, the chassidishe rebbes chief exertion is Shabbos and Yom Tov, and at least during the week he has some respite. But you have taken on both roles. When will you rest and recover your strength if all week long you pour your energies into the yeshiva in your role as rosh yeshiva, and then as a chassidishe rebbe on Shabbos and Yom Tov?!”
Rav Yehoshua was martyred on 26 Sivan תש"ד in Auschwitz along with his family and the entire kehillah of Galanta HY”D.
