Rav Mordechai Yaakov Breish Chelkas Yaakov (Kislev 14, 5737 / 1976 - 47th Yahrzeit)
Rav Mordechai Yaakov Breish of Zurich, the Chelkas Yaakov, was born in Skohl, Galicia. His father was a Chassid of Rav Yissochor Dov of Belz. He married in 1920, and the couple lived in Lvov. He became Rav in Alesk, and then in 1928, of Disbourg, Germany. In 1933, he published Tikun Eruvin, a detailed examination of the halochos of eruvin involved in his project of making a community eruv to help his mispallelim (those who davened in his shul), who were otherwise carrying on Shabbos. Following a life-threatening incident with the Nazis, who had just come to power, Rav Mordechai Yaakov and his wife decided to escape Germany. After a brief time in Lance, France, they settled in Zurich, Switzerland, where he nurtured the Jewish community for forty years. In 1967, he established the Kollel Le’Horo’a Chelkas Yaakov in Bnei Brak.
