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Boston (Hasidic dynasty)
Encyclopedia
Boston is a Hasidic
sect, originally established in 1915 by Grand Rabbi Pinchas Duvid Horowitz. Following the custom of European Chassidic Courts, where the Rebbe
was called after the name of his city, Bostoner Chassidus was named after Boston
, Massachusetts
. The most senior and well-known of the Bostoner Rebbes in contemporary times was Grand Rabbi
Levi Yitzchok Horowitz
, who died in December 2009.
Amid a spectrum of notable accomplishments and "firsts in America
," the Bostoner Chassidim are known for acts of kindness, the ability to apply ancient Jewish values in modern society, outreach to students, and tangible help for the sick and their families during crucial times of need. The Bostoner Chassidim also have a rich musical tradition with many unique songs sung in the Chassidic Courts of Boston in various locations around the world. In August 2010, the publishing house of the Bostoner Chassidim, Mechon Zichron Baruch, produced a four CD set of the Boston melodies of the Yomim Noraim (High Holy Days) as sung by the late Bostoner Rebbe.
The worldwide community of Bostoner Chassidim continues to be headquartered in Brookline, Massachusetts
, with branches in Jerusalem, Beitar Illit, Monsey, New York
and Highland Park, New Jersey
.
In the spiritual will of Grand Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Horowitz, the title of Grand Rabbi of Boston was bestowed upon all three surviving sons.
and the Lelov
dynasty, first arrived in Boston in 1915 from the Land of Israel
via Europe
. Shortly after his arrival, Rabbi Pinchas David was accepted as Rebbe by the Jewish community of Boston. In 1939, the Bostoner Rebbe moved to Brooklyn
, and opened the Bostoner Beis Medrash of Williamsburg
. After his death in 1941, his son Rav Moshe succeeded him. In 1943, Rav Levi Yitzchok became another Bostoner Rebbe and built the New England Chassidic Center.
Reb Moshe later founded the Bostoner Bais Medrash of Crown Heights
and the Bostoner Bais Medrash of Borough Park
. In 1985, upon the passing of Reb Moshe, his sons Reb Avrohom Horowitz and Reb Pinchas Dovid succeeded their father. In 2006 the Bostoner Rebbe of Borough Park moved to Beit Shemesh in Israel to lead his sizeable community in that growing city. Reb Avrohom's younger brother Reb Pinchas Dovid, moved to the Flatbush
section of Brooklyn in 1989 and founded Yeshiva Darchei Noam and brought Bostoner Chassidus to his new Bais Medrash there.
There are Bostoner communities in the Borough Park and Flatbush sections of Brooklyn, Lawrence, New York
, Monsey, New York
, Highland Park
/Edison, New Jersey
and Beitar Illit in Israel.
On Saturday December 5, 2009 the Bostoner Rebbe zt"l died in Jerusalem, Israel.
The three sons of the late Bostoner Rebbe, Rav Levi Yitzchok Horowitz zt”l, succeeding their venerated father in leading the Bostoner chassidus. Rav Pinchos Dovid Horowitz, the Chuster Rov of Boro Park, serves as Bostoner Rebbe in New York; Rav Mayer Alter Horowitz serves as Bostoner Rebbe in Har Nof, Yerushalayim; and Rav Naftuli Horowitz
is widely known as The Bostoner Rebbe. The great majority of the Chassidim of the late Bostoner Rebbe Levi Yitzchok Horowitz
have become followers of Grand Rabbi Naftuli Horowitz
.
Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
sect, originally established in 1915 by Grand Rabbi Pinchas Duvid Horowitz. Following the custom of European Chassidic Courts, where the Rebbe
Rebbe
Rebbe , which means master, teacher, or mentor, is a Yiddish word derived from the Hebrew word Rabbi. It often refers to the leader of a Hasidic Jewish movement...
was called after the name of his city, Bostoner Chassidus was named after Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. The most senior and well-known of the Bostoner Rebbes in contemporary times was Grand Rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
Levi Yitzchok Horowitz
Levi Yitzchak Horowitz
Levi Yitzchak HeLevi Horowitz was a rabbi and the second Rebbe of the Boston Hasidic dynasty founded by his father, Rabbi Pinchas Horowitz...
, who died in December 2009.
Amid a spectrum of notable accomplishments and "firsts in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
," the Bostoner Chassidim are known for acts of kindness, the ability to apply ancient Jewish values in modern society, outreach to students, and tangible help for the sick and their families during crucial times of need. The Bostoner Chassidim also have a rich musical tradition with many unique songs sung in the Chassidic Courts of Boston in various locations around the world. In August 2010, the publishing house of the Bostoner Chassidim, Mechon Zichron Baruch, produced a four CD set of the Boston melodies of the Yomim Noraim (High Holy Days) as sung by the late Bostoner Rebbe.
The worldwide community of Bostoner Chassidim continues to be headquartered in Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, which borders on the cities of Boston and Newton. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 58,732.-Etymology:...
, with branches in Jerusalem, Beitar Illit, Monsey, New York
Monsey, New York
Monsey is a hamlet , in the Town of Ramapo, Rockland County, New York, United States located north of the state of New Jersey; east of Suffern; south of Airmont and west of Nanuet...
and Highland Park, New Jersey
Highland Park, New Jersey
Highland Park is a borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 13,982....
.
In the spiritual will of Grand Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Horowitz, the title of Grand Rabbi of Boston was bestowed upon all three surviving sons.
Origins
Grand Rabbi Pinchas Duvid Horowitz, the first Bostoner Rebbe, a scion of the Rebbe Reb Shmelke of NikolsburgShmelke of Nikolsburg
Shmelke of Nikolsburg was one of the great early Chasidic Rebbes. Born Shmuel Horowitz Shmelke of Nikolsburg (1726 Chortkiv, Galicia - 1778 Nikolsburg, Moravia) was one of the great early Chasidic Rebbes. Born Shmuel Horowitz Shmelke of Nikolsburg (1726 Chortkiv, Galicia - 1778 Nikolsburg,...
and the Lelov
Lelov (Hasidic dynasty)
Lelov is the name of a Hasidic dynasty which traces its origins to Rabbi Dovid of Lelów, Poland.The Lelover dynasty migrated from Poland to Jerusalem when Rabbi Dovid's son, Rabbi Moshe Biderman , moved there in the last year of his life. Rabbi Moshe Biderman of Lelov was the son-in-law of Rabbi...
dynasty, first arrived in Boston in 1915 from the Land of Israel
Land of Israel
The Land of Israel is the Biblical name for the territory roughly corresponding to the area encompassed by the Southern Levant, also known as Canaan and Palestine, Promised Land and Holy Land. The belief that the area is a God-given homeland of the Jewish people is based on the narrative of the...
via Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Shortly after his arrival, Rabbi Pinchas David was accepted as Rebbe by the Jewish community of Boston. In 1939, the Bostoner Rebbe moved to Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, and opened the Bostoner Beis Medrash of Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Williamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordering Greenpoint to the north, Bedford-Stuyvesant to the south, Bushwick to the east and the East River to the west. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 1. The neighborhood is served by the NYPD's 90th ...
. After his death in 1941, his son Rav Moshe succeeded him. In 1943, Rav Levi Yitzchok became another Bostoner Rebbe and built the New England Chassidic Center.
Reb Moshe later founded the Bostoner Bais Medrash of Crown Heights
Crown Heights, Brooklyn
Crown Heights is a neighborhood in the central portion of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The main thoroughfare through this neighborhood is Eastern Parkway, a tree-lined boulevard designed by Frederick Law Olmsted extending two miles east-west.Originally, the area was known as Crow Hill....
and the Bostoner Bais Medrash of Borough Park
Borough Park, Brooklyn
Borough Park , is a neighborhood in the southwestern part of the borough of Brooklyn, in New York City in the United States....
. In 1985, upon the passing of Reb Moshe, his sons Reb Avrohom Horowitz and Reb Pinchas Dovid succeeded their father. In 2006 the Bostoner Rebbe of Borough Park moved to Beit Shemesh in Israel to lead his sizeable community in that growing city. Reb Avrohom's younger brother Reb Pinchas Dovid, moved to the Flatbush
Flatbush, Brooklyn
Flatbush is a community of the Borough of Brooklyn, a part of New York City, consisting of several neighborhoods.The name Flatbush is an Anglicization of the Dutch language Vlacke bos ....
section of Brooklyn in 1989 and founded Yeshiva Darchei Noam and brought Bostoner Chassidus to his new Bais Medrash there.
There are Bostoner communities in the Borough Park and Flatbush sections of Brooklyn, Lawrence, New York
Lawrence, Nassau County, New York
Lawrence is a village in Nassau County, New York in the USA. As of the United States 2010 Census, the village population was 6,483.The Village of Lawrence is in the southwest corner of the Town of Hempstead, adjoining the border with the New York City borough of Queens to the west and near the...
, Monsey, New York
Monsey, New York
Monsey is a hamlet , in the Town of Ramapo, Rockland County, New York, United States located north of the state of New Jersey; east of Suffern; south of Airmont and west of Nanuet...
, Highland Park
Highland Park, New Jersey
Highland Park is a borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 13,982....
/Edison, New Jersey
Edison, New Jersey
Edison Township is a township in Middlesex County, New Jersey. What is now Edison Township was originally incorporated as Raritan Township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1870, from portions of both Piscataway Township and Woodbridge Township...
and Beitar Illit in Israel.
On Saturday December 5, 2009 the Bostoner Rebbe zt"l died in Jerusalem, Israel.
The three sons of the late Bostoner Rebbe, Rav Levi Yitzchok Horowitz zt”l, succeeding their venerated father in leading the Bostoner chassidus. Rav Pinchos Dovid Horowitz, the Chuster Rov of Boro Park, serves as Bostoner Rebbe in New York; Rav Mayer Alter Horowitz serves as Bostoner Rebbe in Har Nof, Yerushalayim; and Rav Naftuli Horowitz
Naftali Yehuda Horowitz
Naftali Yehuda Halevi Horowitz is the Bostoner Rebbe of Boston, having succeeded his father, Grand Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Horowitz, the second Bostoner Rebbe, upon the latter's death in December 2009...
is widely known as The Bostoner Rebbe. The great majority of the Chassidim of the late Bostoner Rebbe Levi Yitzchok Horowitz
Levi Yitzchak Horowitz
Levi Yitzchak HeLevi Horowitz was a rabbi and the second Rebbe of the Boston Hasidic dynasty founded by his father, Rabbi Pinchas Horowitz...
have become followers of Grand Rabbi Naftuli Horowitz
Naftali Yehuda Horowitz
Naftali Yehuda Halevi Horowitz is the Bostoner Rebbe of Boston, having succeeded his father, Grand Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Horowitz, the second Bostoner Rebbe, upon the latter's death in December 2009...
.
Lineage of the Boston dynasty
- Grand Rabbi Pinchos Duvid Horowitz (1876–1941) first Bostoner Rebbe
- Grand Rabbi Levi Yitzchok HorowitzLevi Yitzchak HorowitzLevi Yitzchak HeLevi Horowitz was a rabbi and the second Rebbe of the Boston Hasidic dynasty founded by his father, Rabbi Pinchas Horowitz...
, (1921–2009) the Bostoner Rebbe in Brookline and Har Nof – son of Rabbi Pinchas David Horowitz- Rabbi Pinchas Duvid Horowitz – Chuster Ruv - eldest son of Grand Rabbi Leivi Yitzchok - successor to his father as Bostoner-Chuster Rebbe of New York, and Chuster-Bostoner Rebbe of Betar IllitBetar IllitBeitar Illit is an Israeli settlement and city west of Gush Etzion, south of Jerusalem, in the Judean Mountains of the West Bank. At the end of 2007, it had a total population of 38,800 consisting of over 6000 families. By 2020, the population is expected to reach 100,000...
- Rabbi Moshe Shimon Horowitz, Bostoner Ruv of Betar IllitBetar IllitBeitar Illit is an Israeli settlement and city west of Gush Etzion, south of Jerusalem, in the Judean Mountains of the West Bank. At the end of 2007, it had a total population of 38,800 consisting of over 6000 families. By 2020, the population is expected to reach 100,000...
- eldest son of the Chuster-Bostoner Rebbe - Rabbi Yisroel Aharon Horowitz - son of the Chuster-Bostoner Rebbe and son-in-law of Rabbi Yitzchok Arie Weiss, Horodonka Rebbe of ManchesterManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England - Reb Shia'le Horowitz, Bostoner Ruv of MonseyMonsey, New YorkMonsey is a hamlet , in the Town of Ramapo, Rockland County, New York, United States located north of the state of New Jersey; east of Suffern; south of Airmont and west of Nanuet...
- son of the Chuster-Bostoner Rebbe - Rabbi Yechiel Mechel Horowitz, Bostoner Ruv of Highland ParkHighland Park, New JerseyHighland Park is a borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 13,982....
, New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
- son of the Chuster-Bostoner Rebbe
- Rabbi Moshe Shimon Horowitz, Bostoner Ruv of Betar Illit
- Rabbi Mayer HorowitzMayer Alter HorowitzGrand Rabbi Mayer Alter Horowitz is an American chassidic rabbi, son of Grand Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Horowitz, the previous Bostoner Rebbe, a scion of the Boston Hasidic dynasty. Horowitz is the rebbe of the Jerusalem branch of the Bostoner Hasidic dynasty...
, of Jerusalem - middle son of Grand Rabbi Levi Yitzchok, successor to his father as Bostoner Rebbe in the Har Nof section of Jerusalem. - Rabbi Naftuli HorowitzNaftali Yehuda HorowitzNaftali Yehuda Halevi Horowitz is the Bostoner Rebbe of Boston, having succeeded his father, Grand Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Horowitz, the second Bostoner Rebbe, upon the latter's death in December 2009...
, The Bostoner Rebbe (Boston, MA) – youngest son of Grand Rabbi Levi Yitzchok, successor to his father as The Bostoner Rebbe- Rabbi Alter Weinberger of New York - son-in-law of the Bostoner Rebbe and son of the Turka Rov of New York
- Rabbi Mordechai Berezovski of Jerusalem - son-in-law of the Bostoner Rebbe and son of the Slonimer Rebbe of Jerusalem
- Rabbi Mordechai Shulem Yoisef Friedman of Jerusalem - son-in-law of the Bostoner Rebbe and grandson of the Sadigura Rebbe
- Rabbi Avrohom Horowitz of New York, - son-in-law of the Bostoner Rebbe and grandson of the Unsdorfer and Mattesdorfer Rebbes
- Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech Horowitz - son of the Bostoner Rebbe
- Pinchos Dovid Horowitz - son of the Bostoner Rebbe
- Rabbi Yosef Frankel Vyelipoler Rov of Flatbush, New York – son-in-law of Grand Rabbi Levi Yitzchok
- Rabbi Moshe Chaim Geldzahler of Har Nof, Rabbi of Cong. Beis Shlomo and Dayan – son-in-law of Grand Rabbi Levi Yitzchok
- Rabbi Pinchas Duvid Horowitz – Chuster Ruv - eldest son of Grand Rabbi Leivi Yitzchok - successor to his father as Bostoner-Chuster Rebbe of New York, and Chuster-Bostoner Rebbe of Betar Illit
- Grand Rabbi Moshe Horowitz (died 1985) Bostoner Rebbe of New YorkNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
– son of Rabbi Pinchas Duvid Horowitz.- Grand Rabbi Chaim Avrohom Horowitz, present Bostoner Rebbe of Borough Park and Ramat Beit Shemesh – son of Grand Rabbi Moshe
- Rabbi Yankel HorowitzYaakov Yitzchak HorowitzRabbi Yaakov Yitzchak Horowitz is one of North America’s foremost experts on the intricate art of kosher food production and a key part of Manischewitz, the continent’s leading kosher brand . He serves as chief supervising rabbi of the Manischewitz group of companies on behalf of the Orthodox Union...
of Lawrence, NY – son of Grand Rabbi Chaim Avrohom - Rabbi Yisroel Yona Horowitz of Boro Park – son of Grand Rabbi Chaim Avrohom
- Rabbi Yankel Horowitz
- Grand Rabbi Pinchas Duvid Horowitz, present Bostoner Rebbe of Flatbush – son of Grand Rabbi Moshe Horowitz
- Rabbi Mordechai Horowitz R"M of Darchei Noam - son of Grand Rabbi Pinchos Dovid of Flatbush
- Rabbi Chaim Avrohom Horowitz of Monsey – son of Grand Rabbi Pinchos Duvid of Flatbush
- Grand Rabbi Chaim Avrohom Horowitz, present Bostoner Rebbe of Borough Park and Ramat Beit Shemesh – son of Grand Rabbi Moshe
- Grand Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Horowitz
External links
- Bostoner Rebbes
- Moshe D. Sherman Orthodox Judaism in America: A Biographical Dictionary and Sourcebook pp 94–96