Rabbi Chaim Kreiswirth was an Orthodox

Orthodox Judaism

Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...

 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...

 who served as the longtime Chief Rabbi

Chief Rabbi

Chief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities...

 of Congregation Machzikei Hadass Antwerp, Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

. He was the founder and rosh yeshiva

Rosh yeshiva

Rosh yeshiva, , , is the title given to the dean of a Talmudical academy . It is made up of the Hebrew words rosh — meaning head, and yeshiva — a school of religious Jewish education...

 of the Mercaz HaTorah

Mercaz Hatorah

Mercaz Hatorah is a Lithuanian Charedi yeshiva located in Talpiot, Jerusalem. Founded by Rabbi Aryeh Rottman and Rabbi Chaim Kreiswirth zt"l in 1970, it primarily caters to students from the English speaking diaspora....

 yeshiva

Yeshiva

Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...

 in Jerusalem, and was a highly regarded Torah

Torah

Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...

 scholar.

Early years

Kreiswirth was born in Wojnicz

Wojnicz

Wojnicz is a town in Tarnów County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship.The Battle of Wojnicz took place here on September 23, 1655, against Sweden.- People :* Sebastian Lubomirski* Jan Wielopolski the elder* Jan Krzysztof Tarnowski* Chaim Kreiswirth, rabbi...

, Poland

Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

 in 1918, the son of Rabbi Avrohom Yosef Schermann and Perla Kreiswirth. In his youth, he was well-known for his brilliance, excellent character traits and geniality, dubbed the "Cracower Illui

Illui

Illui is a noun derived from the Hebrew and Yiddish, meaning a young Torah and Talmudic prodigy or genius....

" at age 15 in recognition of his prodigious powers of Talmud

Talmud

The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....

ic analysis.

Kreiswirth studied for many years in the famous Torah centers of Poland and Lithuania

Lithuania

Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...

. Upon application the Chachmei Lublin Yeshiva

Chachmei Lublin Yeshiva

Founded by Rabbi Meir Shapiro, the Chachmei Lublin Yeshiva, , was an important centre for Torah study in Poland.-History:On May 22–28, 1924, the cornerstone laying ceremony took place for the construction of the yeshiva building. Approximately 20,000 people participated in the event.The opening...

, he was tested by the Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Meir Shapiro

Meir Shapiro

Yehuda Meir Shapiro , , was a prominent Hasidic rabbi and rosh yeshiva, also known as the Lubliner Rav...

. Rabbi Shapiro was impressed by Kreiswirth's proficiency in all aspects of Torah. Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski

Chaim Ozer Grodzinski

Chaim Ozer Grodzinski was a pre-eminent Av beis din , posek , and Talmudic scholar in Vilnius, Lithuania in the late 19th and early 20th centuries...

 was very fond of him and gave his sefer on Tractate Zevachim a warm recommendation (the manuscript was lost during the World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

).

Kreiswirth received Semicha

Semicha

, also , or is derived from a Hebrew word which means to "rely on" or "to be authorized". It generally refers to the ordination of a rabbi within Judaism. In this sense it is the "transmission" of rabbinic authority to give advice or judgment in Jewish law...

 from Rabbi Chanoch Henich Eigess.

Second World War

With the 1939 German invasion of Poland

Invasion of Poland (1939)

The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...

, Kreiswirth fled to Lithuania.

In Lithuania, he married the daughter of the Slabodka

Slabodka yeshiva

Hebron Yeshiva, also known as Yeshivas Hevron, or Knesses Yisroel, and originally as Slabodka Yeshiva, is known colloquially as the "mother of yeshivas" and was devoted to high=level study of the Talmud. The yeshiva was located in the Lithuanian town of Slabodka, adjacent to Kovno , now...

 Mashgiach

Mashgiach ruchani

Mashgiach ruchani or mashgiach for short, means a spiritual supervisor or guide. It is a title which usually refers to a rabbi who has an official position within a yeshiva and is responsible for the non-academic areas of yeshiva students' lives.The position of mashgiach ruchani arose with the...

, Rabbi Avrohom Grodzinski. The couple then left via Vilna

Vilnius

Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...

 to Palestine

Palestine

Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....

, where he met many famous personalities, including the Brisker Rav, the Chazon Ish, the Steipler, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach

Shlomo Zalman Auerbach

Shlomo Zalman Auerbach , was a renowned Orthodox Jewish rabbi, posek, and rosh yeshiva of the Kol Torah yeshiva in Jerusalem, Israel...

 and Rabbi Yosef Sholom Eliashiv

Yosef Sholom Eliashiv

Yosef Shalom Elyashiv is a Haredi rabbi and posek who lives in Jerusalem, Israel.At the age of , Elyashiv is active and remains the paramount leader of both Israel and the Diaspora Lithuanian-Haredi community, and many Ashkenazi Jews regard him as the posek ha-dor, the contemporary leading...

.

Post-World War II

At the end of World War II, Kreiswirth returned to Poland in an attempt to rescue Jewish children who had been sheltered by the Catholic Church for the war's duration.

In 1947, he moved to the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and from 1947 to 1953 served as Rosh Yeshiva at the Hebrew Theological College

Hebrew Theological College

The Hebrew Theological College, known as "Skokie Yeshiva," is a Yeshiva in Skokie, Illinois which also functions as a private university on campus. The primary focus of the Yeshiva is to teach Torah and Jewish traditions...

 in Skokie

Skokie, Illinois

Skokie is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Its name comes from a Native American word for "fire". A Chicago suburb, for many years Skokie promoted itself as "The World's Largest Village". Its population, per the 2000 census, was 63,348...

, Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

.

In 1953 he moved to Antwerp in an effort to rebuild the Jewish community there. This move was against the counsel of the Chazon Ish, and the Amshinover

Amshinov (Hasidic dynasty)

Amshinov is the name of a Hasidic dynasty founded by Rabbi Yaakov Dovid Kalish. It is an offshoot of Vurka dynasty. It takes its name from the Yiddish name of Mszczonów, a town in Poland.-History:...

 Rebbe.

Kreiswirth devoted the rest of his life to the Belgian community, became the Av Beth Din and Posek

Posek

Posek is the term in Jewish law for "decider"—a legal scholar who decides the Halakha in cases of law where previous authorities are inconclusive or in those situations where no halakhic precedent exists....

 in Antwerp and was active in Agudath Israel

World Agudath Israel

World Agudath Israel , usually known as the Aguda, was established in the early twentieth century as the political arm of Ashkenazi Torah Judaism, in succession to Agudas Shlumei Emunei Yisroel...

.

Final days

Kreiswirth died on Sunday 30 December 2001 (16 Tevet

Tevet

Tebet is the fourth month of the civil year and the tenth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It follows Kislev and precedes Shevat. It is a winter month of 29 days...

 5762 on the Hebrew calendar

Hebrew calendar

The Hebrew calendar , or Jewish calendar, is a lunisolar calendar used today predominantly for Jewish religious observances. It determines the dates for Jewish holidays and the appropriate public reading of Torah portions, yahrzeits , and daily Psalm reading, among many ceremonial uses...

) shortly before midnight, aged 82, after suffering from an illness.

Thousands of people came from all over 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...

 to participate in the funeral in Antwerp. Among the eulogizers were Dayan Yitzchok Tuvia Weiss

Yitzchok Tuvia Weiss

Rabbi Yitzchok Tuvia Weiss is the Chief Rabbi or Gavad of Jerusalem for the Edah HaChareidis. He was appointed to this post in 2003, after having served as the av beis din of the Machzike Hadass community of Antwerp, Belgium. Rabbi Weiss is a British national.-External links:*...

 and Dayan Elya Sternbuch of Antwerp. The main funeral and burial was held in Jerusalem, where, among many, Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel

Nosson Tzvi Finkel (Mir)

Nosson Tzvi Finkel was an American-born Haredi Litvish rabbi and rosh yeshiva of the Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem, Israel. During his tenure from 1990 until his death in 2011, he built the Mir into the largest yeshiva in Israel with nearly 6,000 undergraduate students and over 1,600 avreichim...

 and Rabbi Kreiswirth's son Rabbi Dov Kreiswirth of Lakewood

Lakewood Township, New Jersey

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 60,352 people, 19,876 households, and 13,356 families residing in the township. The population density was 2,431.8 people per square mile . There were 21,214 housing units at an average density of 854.8 per square mile...

gave eulogies.