Biographies for the 1st of Kislev
Rav Sholom Shachna (Kislev 1, 5319 / 1558 - 466th Yahrzeit)
Rav Sholom Shachna of Lublin was the teacher and father-in-law of the Rema. His grandfather and namesake was the Rav of Neustadt and the Godol HaDor (spiritual leader of that generation) in Austria, who, along with the Maharil, founded the minhagei Ashkenaz that are still prevalent until today. He established the Lublin Yeshiva in 1515 and was succeeded by Rav Shlomo Luria, the Maharshal.
Rav Dovid Ashkenazi (Kislev 1, 5405 / 1644 - 380th Yahrzeit)
Rav Dovid was the son of Rav Mordechai, and served as Rav of Manistrizhik. He later became a Dayan in Rav Shabsi Sheftel Horowitz’s Bais Din (mechaber of Vovei Ho’amudim) in Poznan, and then became Dayan and Rosh Yeshiva in Lwow. He exchanged halachic responsa with other Gedolim of his generation, such as Maharam Lublin, Rav Avrohom Shrentzel and others. Besides scattered teshuvos extant in his colleagues’ and contemporaries’ collections, nothing else of his Torah writings has reached us. He was niftar on Rosh Chodesh Kislevת''ה in Lvov.
Rav Yosef Shmuel (Kislev 1, 5464 / 1703 - 321st Yahrzeit)
Rav Yosef Shmuel of Cracow is the mechaber of Mesores HaShas. The Chida, in his biography of Rav Yosef Shmuel, wrote that he learned all of Shas forty-two times, fulfilling the mitzva of Vedibarta ‘bom’, (the numerical value of bom being forty-two). He also added that for twenty-five years he learned standing on his feet and all his learning was Torah lishmah (for the sake of Heaven).
Rav Yisroel Yosef Shmuel (Kislev 1, 5464 / 1703 - 321st Yahrzeit)
Rav Yisrael Yosef Shmuel was the son of Tzvi Hirsch, and was known as Rav Shmuel Reb Chaim Yeshaya’s. (See end of Kelilas Yofi Vol. 2 end p. 144b and Kiryas Melech Rav, both by Nosson Chaim Dembitzer.) He was born in Kremenitz, Volhynia, and served as Av Bais Din of Cracow for twenty-six years, and later as Rav of Frankfurt. He was niftar on Erev Shabbos Kodesh Rosh Chodesh Kislev and was laid to rest in Frankfurt in the middle of the Bais HaChaim next to the northern wall, to the left of Rav Yosef Yaakov Reisher. His son was Rav Arye Leib, Av Bais Din of Mattersdorf.
Rav Chaim Nosson Dembitzer (Kislev 1, 5653 / 1892 - 132nd Yahrzeit)
Rav Chaim Nosson Dembitzer was born in Cracow. He did historical research and critical work in the field of Talmudic and Rabbinic literature, and wrote about its leading personalities. His sefer, Klilas Yofi, included biographies of Rabbonim of Lvov, Cracow and other cities in Poland and Lithuania. His student, Feivel Hirsch Wettstein, wrote his biography, Toldos Maharchan.
Rav Moshe Hager of Radovitz, mechaber of Vayikach Moshe (Kislev 1, 5665 / 1904 - 120th Yahrzeit)
Rebbe of Radovitz, mechaber of Vayikach Moshe
Rav Naftoli Hertz Krezmer Hertzel (Kislev 1, 5673 / 1912 - 112th Yahrzeit)
Rav Naftoli Hertz (Hertzel) Krezmer was born in Bialystok to Rav Avrohom, a textile merchant, and was a grandson of Rav Osher ben Tzvi HaKohen, who wrote the Birkas Rosh on Berachos and Nozir. He married in Ponevezh and remained there, serving as the Rav of Yanova and other places. He wrote Noam HaMitzvos.
Rav Shlomo Eiger Shevet MiYehuda (Kislev 1, 5675 / 1914 - 110th Yahrzeit)
Rav Avrohom Eiger of Posen was the son of Rav Yehuda Leib Eiger, the first Lubliner Rebbe, grandson of Rav Shlomo Eiger and great-grandson of Rav Akiva Eiger. He succeeded his father as leader of his Chassidim from 1882 to 1914. He was the mechaber of a work on Chassidus, Shevet Mi’Yehuda. He was also a member of the Vaad HaRuchani of the Yeshivas Chachmei Lublin.
Rav Yaakov Kasirer (Kislev 1, 5766 / 2005 - 19th Yahrzeit)
Rav Yaakov Kasirer was the founder and long-time president of Bais Yaakov of Los Angeles. Born in Bistra, Hungary, he lost his parents and many siblings during World War II. In 1946, he married Reizi, a childhood friend of the family, and moved to Bregenz, Austria, on the Swiss border. Two of their three children, Robert and Gabi, were born there. In 1954, they moved to Los Angeles, where their youngest child, Hindy, was born. They were involved in the creation of Yeshiva Rav Isacsohn (Toras Emes), and founded Bais Yaakov in 1968, in order to assure that their daughters received a local Torah education. Even after both daughters graduated, however, Rav Kasirer and his wife
