Leib Gurwicz
Encyclopedia
Aryeh Ze'ev Gurwicz (1906–20 October 1982) was an influential Orthodox
rabbi
and Talmud
ic scholar. He was the son-in-law of Rabbi Elyah Lopian
and best known as Rosh Yeshiva
of the Gateshead Yeshiva
in Gateshead, England
, where he taught for over 30 years.
He studied at various yeshivas in Lithuania
and Poland
before marrying and moving to England
in 1932. This move saved him from the Holocaust
under the Nazis
.
, where his father, Rabbi Moshe Aharon Kushelevsky served as rabbi. His mother was a direct descendant of the Vilna Gaon
. His brother was Rabbi Eliyahu (Elya) Kushelevksy (1910–1992), who later served as av beis din (head of the rabbinical court) of Beersheba
.
At the age of thirteen he left home to learn in yeshiva
. He sneaked across the border into Lithuania
and went to learn at the Vilkomir yeshiva ketana, where he proved himself to be a diligent and capable student. After a year and a half in Vilkomir, he traveled to Vilna
in the hopes of seeing his family, who had moved there. But his father had been called back to Malat. In the meantime, Vilna was the new home of the Mir yeshiva
, which had relocated deep in Russian territory during World War I. Leib decided to join the Mir yeshiva in Vilna, becoming one of its youngest students.
After studying for a few years at the Mir yeshiva, he was forced to change his Polish passport. Due to political tensions between Lithuania and Poland, Polish nationals were liable to be expelled from the country. The nearest passport office was in Baranovitch
, where a student of the Baranovitch yeshiva arranged the forgeries. Forced to choose a new surname, he selected his mother's maiden name, Gurwicz, which he kept for the rest of his life. He stayed on in the Baranovitch yeshiva and paid off his debt to the student who had forged his passport by agreeing to learn the Ketzos Hachoshen
with him for a year.
Altogether, Rabbi Gurwicz learned in the Mir for 8 years, after which he traveled to study under Rabbi Yitzchok Zev Soloveitchik (known as "the Brisker Rov"). The Brisker Rav valued his student highly and said of him: "Reb Leib knows how to learn".
, recommended that he go to the Brisker Rav and ask for "Leibeleh Malater". Father and daughter were favorably impressed with the young genius, and when the marriage terms were written up, it was agreed that Liba would leave London and live in Poland, where Rabbi Gurwicz would continue learning.
During the engagement period, however, Rabbi Lopian's wife, Sarah Leah, died at the age of 49 in England, leaving 13 orphans. Liba, the eldest girl, wrote to her fiancé saying that she could not leave her father with the burden of caring for all the children on his own, and that if Leib wished to break the shidduch
, she would understand. Unsure of how to proceed, Rabbi Gurwicz traveled to the elder sage of the generation, the Chofetz Chaim
, who was then 94 years old and in poor health. Instead of giving a direct response to Gurwicz's question about whether to proceed with the shidduch, the Chofetz Chaim kept repeating a series of verses from the morning prayers, including "Blessed is He Who redeems and rescues". Rabbi Gurwicz understood this as a message that he should go ahead and marry Liba Lopian and move to England.
His bride insisted that they use the presents and money they received for their wedding to pay for a ticket for his father to join them at the wedding in England; it was the first time father and son had met since Rabbi Gurwicz had left home at age 13. A few years after Rabbi Kushelevsky returned to Poland, he was murdered by the Nazis
. As a resident of England, Rabbi Gurwicz was able to help his sister, brothers-in-law, and several friends obtain visas to leave Nazi-occupied Poland
in 1940 by acting as their sponsor.
The Gurwiczes had three sons and a daughter: Avrohom
, who succeeded his father as rosh yeshiva; Yitzchak Dovid, a consulting engineer; Chaim Ozer, a lecturer at Gateshead Yeshiva; and Sarah, who married her cousin (Leib Gurwicz's nephew) Rabbi Zvi Kushelevsky, head of the Heichal HaTorah BeTzion Yeshiva in Jerusalem.
, who received semicha from him. He also served as the Rav of the Great Garden Street Synagogue in the East End
.
headed by Rabbi Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler
, wrote to him in London
suggesting that he join the staff of the budding Gateshead yeshiva. This yeshiva (which included the Gateshead Kollel) had grown to 120 students from the influx of refugees following World War II, and now included immigrant students whose learning skills were much greater than those of boys from the East End, since the former had studied in Europe's leading yeshivas. Rabbi Gurwicz was accepted to the staff and began teaching the highest shiur (class). Under his leadership, the number of students increased many times over, and Gateshead became Europe's primary Torah center. He also served as the chairman of the World Agudath Israel
.
when she had a heart attack and died in Heathrow Airport. She was buried beside her father, Rabbi Elya Lopian, on the Mount of Olives
.
Two years later, a shidduch was suggested for him with Malka (Mollie) Isbee (1917–2001), widow of Jack Isbee of Detroit, who had been widowed at the age of 51. They were married for nearly four years, until his death in 1982.
on Wednesday morning, 20 October 1982 (4 Cheshvan
5743). Although his doctors said that he could remain in that condition indefinitely, his family and a few students remained by his bedside, where he suddenly passed away later that day. At the funeral on Thursday, 13 October, Rabbi Gurwicz's coffin was carried by his past and present pupils through the streets of Gateshead, past the synagogue and kollel. Then the cortege of about 1,000 people made its way to Newcastle
airport, where the coffin was flown to London for further eulogies at the Stamford Hill
beth midrash. The coffin was then flown from Stansted Airport
to Israel, where a gathering of more than 15,000 people heard eulogies by leading Israeli rabbis in the Kiryat Mattersdorf
neighborhood. Interment took place before the onset of Shabbat
.
He was succeeded as rosh yeshiva by his son, Rabbi Avrohom Gurwicz
.
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...
and 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 scholar. He was the son-in-law of Rabbi Elyah Lopian
Elyah Lopian
Eliyahu Lopian , known as Reb Elyah, was among the most prominent rabbis of the Mussar Movement. As a disciple of the Kelm Talmud Torah method, he was known for his strict keeping of order and strong self-control...
and best known as 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 Gateshead Yeshiva
Gateshead Talmudical College
Gateshead Talmudical College , popularly known as Gateshead Yeshiva, is located in the town of Gateshead in England. It is the largest yeshiva in Europe and considered to be one of the most prestigious advanced yeshivas in the Orthodox world. The student body currently numbers 350...
in Gateshead, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where he taught for over 30 years.
He studied at various yeshivas in 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...
and 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...
before marrying and moving to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1932. This move saved him from the Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
under the Nazis
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
.
Early life and education
He was born Aryeh Ze'ev Kushelevsky in the small town of Malat, PolandPoland
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...
, where his father, Rabbi Moshe Aharon Kushelevsky served as rabbi. His mother was a direct descendant of the Vilna Gaon
Vilna Gaon
Elijah ben Shlomo Zalman Kramer, known as the Vilna Gaon or Elijah of Vilna and simply by his Hebrew acronym Gra or Elijah Ben Solomon, , was a Talmudist, halachist, kabbalist, and the foremost leader of non-hasidic Jewry of the past few centuries...
. His brother was Rabbi Eliyahu (Elya) Kushelevksy (1910–1992), who later served as av beis din (head of the rabbinical court) of Beersheba
Beersheba
Beersheba is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it is the seventh-largest city in Israel with a population of 194,300....
.
At the age of thirteen he left home to learn in 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...
. He sneaked across the border into 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...
and went to learn at the Vilkomir yeshiva ketana, where he proved himself to be a diligent and capable student. After a year and a half in Vilkomir, he traveled to 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...
in the hopes of seeing his family, who had moved there. But his father had been called back to Malat. In the meantime, Vilna was the new home of the Mir yeshiva
Mir yeshiva (Poland)
The Mir yeshiva , commonly known as the Mirrer Yeshiva or The Mir, was a Haredi yeshiva located in the town of Mir, Russian Empire...
, which had relocated deep in Russian territory during World War I. Leib decided to join the Mir yeshiva in Vilna, becoming one of its youngest students.
After studying for a few years at the Mir yeshiva, he was forced to change his Polish passport. Due to political tensions between Lithuania and Poland, Polish nationals were liable to be expelled from the country. The nearest passport office was in Baranovitch
Baranovichi
Baranovichi , is a city in the Brest Province of western Belarus with a population of 173,000. It is a significant railway junction and home to a state university.-Overview:...
, where a student of the Baranovitch yeshiva arranged the forgeries. Forced to choose a new surname, he selected his mother's maiden name, Gurwicz, which he kept for the rest of his life. He stayed on in the Baranovitch yeshiva and paid off his debt to the student who had forged his passport by agreeing to learn the Ketzos Hachoshen
Aryeh Leib HaCohen Heller
Aryeh Leib Heller-Kahane was a Rabbi, Talmudist, and Halachist in Galicia. He was known as "the Ketzos" based on his greatest work, Ketzot Hachoshen, קצות החושן.-Biography:...
with him for a year.
Altogether, Rabbi Gurwicz learned in the Mir for 8 years, after which he traveled to study under Rabbi Yitzchok Zev Soloveitchik (known as "the Brisker Rov"). The Brisker Rav valued his student highly and said of him: "Reb Leib knows how to learn".
Marriage and move to England
In 1932 Rabbi Elyah Lopian, then head of the Eitz Chaim yeshiva in London, came to Poland — then the Torah center of the world — with his eldest daughter, Liba, in the hopes of finding a suitable marriage partner for her. Rabbi Lopian's friend, Rabbi Yerucham LevovitzYerucham Levovitz
Rabbi Yeruchom Halevi Levovitz , also known by his hundreds of students simply as The Mashgiach, was a famous mashgiach ruchani and baal mussar at the Mir yeshiva in Poland....
, recommended that he go to the Brisker Rav and ask for "Leibeleh Malater". Father and daughter were favorably impressed with the young genius, and when the marriage terms were written up, it was agreed that Liba would leave London and live in Poland, where Rabbi Gurwicz would continue learning.
During the engagement period, however, Rabbi Lopian's wife, Sarah Leah, died at the age of 49 in England, leaving 13 orphans. Liba, the eldest girl, wrote to her fiancé saying that she could not leave her father with the burden of caring for all the children on his own, and that if Leib wished to break the shidduch
Shidduch
The Shidduch is a system of matchmaking in which Jewish singles are introduced to one another in Orthodox Jewish communities for the purpose of marriage....
, she would understand. Unsure of how to proceed, Rabbi Gurwicz traveled to the elder sage of the generation, the Chofetz Chaim
Yisrael Meir Kagan
Yisrael Meir Poupko , known popularly as The Chofetz Chaim, was an influential Eastern European rabbi, Halakhist, posek, and ethicist whose works continue to be widely influential in Jewish life...
, who was then 94 years old and in poor health. Instead of giving a direct response to Gurwicz's question about whether to proceed with the shidduch, the Chofetz Chaim kept repeating a series of verses from the morning prayers, including "Blessed is He Who redeems and rescues". Rabbi Gurwicz understood this as a message that he should go ahead and marry Liba Lopian and move to England.
His bride insisted that they use the presents and money they received for their wedding to pay for a ticket for his father to join them at the wedding in England; it was the first time father and son had met since Rabbi Gurwicz had left home at age 13. A few years after Rabbi Kushelevsky returned to Poland, he was murdered by the Nazis
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
. As a resident of England, Rabbi Gurwicz was able to help his sister, brothers-in-law, and several friends obtain visas to leave Nazi-occupied Poland
History of Poland (1939–1945)
The history of Poland from 1939 to 1945 encompasses the German invasion of Poland as well as the Soviet invasion of Poland through to the end of World War II. On 1 September 1939, without a formal declaration of war, Germany invaded Poland...
in 1940 by acting as their sponsor.
The Gurwiczes had three sons and a daughter: Avrohom
Avrohom Gurwicz
Avrohom Gurwicz is an English-born Orthodox rabbi and Talmudic scholar. Since 1983 he has been the rosh yeshivah of Gateshead Talmudical College, a yeshiva in Gateshead, England, where he gives the largest shiur in Europe with approximately 350 students attending.Rabbi Gurwicz is the second son of...
, who succeeded his father as rosh yeshiva; Yitzchak Dovid, a consulting engineer; Chaim Ozer, a lecturer at Gateshead Yeshiva; and Sarah, who married her cousin (Leib Gurwicz's nephew) Rabbi Zvi Kushelevsky, head of the Heichal HaTorah BeTzion Yeshiva in Jerusalem.
London
Upon arriving in London, Rabbi Gurwicz gave a shiur at his father-in-law's Eitz Chaim yeshiva; one of his students was Rabbi Immanuel JakobovitsImmanuel Jakobovits
Immanuel Jakobovits, Baron Jakobovits, Kt was the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth from 1967 to 1991. His successor is the present Chief Rabbi, Jonathan Sacks.-Biography:...
, who received semicha from him. He also served as the Rav of the Great Garden Street Synagogue in the East End
East End of London
The East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...
.
Gateshead
In 1948 Rabbi Gurwicz's brother-in-law, Rabbi Leib Lopian, who studied in the Gateshead KollelKollel
A kollel is an institute for full-time, advanced study of the Talmud and rabbinic literature. Like a yeshiva, a kollel features shiurim and learning sedarim ; unlike a yeshiva, the student body of a kollel are all married men...
headed by Rabbi Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler
Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler
Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler was an Orthodox rabbi, Talmudic scholar, and Jewish philosopher of the 20th century. He is known as mashgiach ruchani of the Ponevezh yeshiva in Israel and through collections of his writings published posthumously by his pupils.-Lithuania:Eliyahu Dessler Eliyahu Eliezer...
, wrote to him in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
suggesting that he join the staff of the budding Gateshead yeshiva. This yeshiva (which included the Gateshead Kollel) had grown to 120 students from the influx of refugees following World War II, and now included immigrant students whose learning skills were much greater than those of boys from the East End, since the former had studied in Europe's leading yeshivas. Rabbi Gurwicz was accepted to the staff and began teaching the highest shiur (class). Under his leadership, the number of students increased many times over, and Gateshead became Europe's primary Torah center. He also served as the chairman of the World 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...
.
Second marriage
After Sukkos 1977, Rabbi Gurwicz and his wife were coming back from a visit to their children in IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
when she had a heart attack and died in Heathrow Airport. She was buried beside her father, Rabbi Elya Lopian, on the Mount of Olives
Mount of Olives
The Mount of Olives is a mountain ridge in East Jerusalem with three peaks running from north to south. The highest, at-Tur, rises to 818 meters . It is named for the olive groves that once covered its slopes...
.
Two years later, a shidduch was suggested for him with Malka (Mollie) Isbee (1917–2001), widow of Jack Isbee of Detroit, who had been widowed at the age of 51. They were married for nearly four years, until his death in 1982.
Death and funeral
Rabbi Gurwicz suffered a strokeStroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
on Wednesday morning, 20 October 1982 (4 Cheshvan
Cheshvan
Marcheshvan , sometimes shortened to Cheshvan , is the second month of the civil year and the eighth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew...
5743). Although his doctors said that he could remain in that condition indefinitely, his family and a few students remained by his bedside, where he suddenly passed away later that day. At the funeral on Thursday, 13 October, Rabbi Gurwicz's coffin was carried by his past and present pupils through the streets of Gateshead, past the synagogue and kollel. Then the cortege of about 1,000 people made its way to Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
airport, where the coffin was flown to London for further eulogies at the Stamford Hill
Stamford Hill
Stamford Hill is a place in the north of the London Borough of Hackney, England, near the border with Haringey. It is home to Europe's largest Hasidic Jewish and Adeni Jewish community.Stamford Hill is NNE of Charing Cross.-History:...
beth midrash. The coffin was then flown from Stansted Airport
London Stansted Airport
-Cargo:-Statistics:-Infrastructure:-Terminal and satellite buildings:Stansted is the newest passenger airport of all the main London airports. The terminal is an oblong glass building, and is separated in to three areas: Check-in concourse, arrivals and departures...
to Israel, where a gathering of more than 15,000 people heard eulogies by leading Israeli rabbis in the Kiryat Mattersdorf
Kiryat Mattersdorf
Kiryat Mattersdorf is a Haredi neighborbood in Jerusalem, Israel. It is located on the northern edge of the mountain plateau on which central Jerusalem lies. It is named after Mattersburg , a town in Austria with a long Jewish history. It borders Unsdorf and Romema...
neighborhood. Interment took place before the onset of Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
.
He was succeeded as rosh yeshiva by his son, Rabbi Avrohom Gurwicz
Avrohom Gurwicz
Avrohom Gurwicz is an English-born Orthodox rabbi and Talmudic scholar. Since 1983 he has been the rosh yeshivah of Gateshead Talmudical College, a yeshiva in Gateshead, England, where he gives the largest shiur in Europe with approximately 350 students attending.Rabbi Gurwicz is the second son of...
.
Works
- Rashei Shearim (1971) — a compilation of the main lectures which he delivered in the yeshiva.
- Arza Devei Rav ' onMouseout='HidePop("57043")' href="/topics/Beth_midrash">Beth MidrashBeth midrashBeth Midrash refers to a study hall, whether in a synagogue, yeshiva, kollel, or other building. It is distinct from a synagogue, although many synagogues are also used as batei midrash and vice versa....
") (1979) — Talmudic discourses containing hundreds of original Torah thoughts (chiddushim). The first word of the title is based on his name, אריה זאב (Aryeh Ze'ev).
- Meorei Sheorim , a collection of his mussarMussar movementThe Musar movement is a Jewish ethical, educational and cultural movement that developed in 19th century Eastern Europe, particularly among Orthodox Lithuanian Jews. The Hebrew term Musar , is from the book of Proverbs 1:2 meaning instruction, discipline, or conduct...
and hashkafa (Jewish philosophy) talks, was published posthumously by his students.