Shlomo Chanoch Rabinowicz
Encyclopedia
Shlomo Chanoch Hakohen Rabinowicz (also spelled Rabinowitz, Rabinowich, Rabinovitch) (1882 – 1 August 1942) was the fourth and last Rebbe
of the Radomsk Hasidic
dynasty. He was the eldest son of the third Radomsker Rebbe, Rabbi Yechezkel Hakohen Rabinowicz
and great-grandson of the founder of the dynasty, Rabbi Shlomo Hakohen Rabinowicz
, the Tiferes Shlomo. Under his leadership, Radomsk grew to be the third largest Hasidut in Poland, after Ger
and Alexander. Rabinowicz built a network of 36 yeshivas across Poland and Galicia that enrolled over 4,000 students by 1939. He was murdered in the Warsaw Ghetto
together with his entire family, ending the Radomsker dynasty.
, Poland, the eldest of two sons of the third Radomsker Rebbe, Rabbi Yechezkel Hakohen Rabinowicz. He married the daughter of Rabbi Ahrele Twerski of Kras and had one daughter, Reizel. Reizel married her father's first cousin, Rabbi David Moshe Rabinowicz (1906-1942), in 1929. Rabbi David Moshe was the son of Rabbi Nosson Nachum Hakohen Rabinowicz, Rav of Krimilow, and grandson of the second Radomsker Rebbe, Rabbi Avraham Yissachar Dov Hakohen Rabinowicz.
Shlomo Chanoch Rabinowicz succeeded his father as Rebbe upon the latter's death in 1910. He was a dynamic and charismatic leader. Thousands of Hasidim attended his court on Shabbat and Jewish holiday
s. On the eve of World War II, Radomsk was the third largest Hasidut in Poland, after Ger
and Alexander. In Kraków
, there were more Radomsker shtieblach
(small houses of prayer and study) than Gerrer shtieblach. The Rebbe considered himself a Hasid of the Chortkover
Rebbe.
The Rebbe was quite wealthy. He owned a glass factory and homes in Berlin
, Warsaw
, and Sosnowice
, where he lived after World War I. He also amassed a huge personal library of old manuscripts and prints, which was said to be the second-largest private library in Poland after that of the Gerrer Rebbe.
ach of Poland and Galicia. Now the Radomsker Rebbe proposed a new method of Hasidic education. On Lag B'Omer 1926, he announced his plan to establish a network of yeshivas called Kesser Torah (Crown of Torah). Soon after, eight yeshivas were opened in Będzin
, Podgórz
, Kshanov
, Valbaram, Ushpazin, Czanstechav, Łódź and Kraków
. Though Hasidic in nature, the yeshivas did not promote Radomsker Hasidut, nor did they staff only Radomsker Hasidim. Each yeshiva had its own rosh yeshiva
and initially studied its own Talmud
ic tractate; later, all the yeshivas studied the same tractate at the same time. The Rebbe paid for the entire operation, including staff salaries, food, and student lodging, out of his own pocket.
At the same time, Rabinowicz established Kibbutz Govoha in the city of Sosnowiece exclusively for elite students and appointed his son-in-law, Rabbi David Moshe Rabinowicz, a brilliant Torah scholar, to head it. Rabbi David Moshe also served as rosh yeshiva of the entire Kesser Torah network, monitoring students' progress, delivering shiurim, and administering the end of the semester tests. By 1930, nine yeshivas and the kibbutz were functioning. Over the following decade, more yeshivas were added. On the eve of World War II, there were 36 Keser Torah yeshivas enrolling 3,000 to 4,000 students in Poland and Galicia. The yeshivas were disbanded after the German invasion of Poland in 1939, and most of their students were murdered in the Holocaust.
.
The Radomsker Rebbe was one of the prominent Hasidic Rebbes incarcerated in the Warsaw Ghetto; others included the Piaseczner Rebbe; the Alexander Rebbe, the Sochatchover Rebbe
, the Krimilover Rebbe, and the Strickover Rebbe. Rabinowicz was registered as a worker in the Shultz factory. Notwithstanding the danger, he refused to shave off his beard.
The Rebbe's son-in-law, Rabbi David Moshe Rabinowicz, gave regular shiurim in the Warsaw Ghetto, and also composed many chiddushim (novel Torah thoughts) which his students recorded. All of these chiddushim as well as the sefarim
he had written previously were lost in the war.
, the Rebbe refused to leave, saying, "I know you've come to kill me. I prefer to die here in my house and not in a car filled with poison gas". He then recited the Shema Yisrael
and was shot in the head when he reached the last word, Echad (One). His family members were shot together with him. They were buried in a mass grave in Warsaw's main cemetery.
With the Rebbe's death, the father-to-son lineage of Radomsker rebbes came to an end. The Rebbe's brother, Rabbi Elimelech Aryeh Hakohen Rabinowicz, died in the Mauthausen concentration camp
.
After the war, a Polish-born American rabbi named Chaskel Besser
, whose father had been an advisor to the Radomsker Rebbe, compiled the Torah teachings of Rabbi Shlomo Chanoch Rabinowicz and his son-in-law, Rabbi David Moshe Rabinowicz, into the sefer Shivchei Kohen ("Praise of the Priest").
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...
of the Radomsk Hasidic
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...
dynasty. He was the eldest son of the third Radomsker Rebbe, Rabbi Yechezkel Hakohen Rabinowicz
Yechezkel Rabinowicz
Yechezkel Hakohen Rabinowicz was the third Rebbe of the Radomsk Hasidic dynasty. He was the grandson of the founder of the dynasty, Rabbi Shlomo Rabinowicz, the Tiferes Shlomo, and the second son of the second Radomsker Rebbe, Rabbi Avraham Yissachar Dov Rabinowicz...
and great-grandson of the founder of the dynasty, Rabbi Shlomo Hakohen Rabinowicz
Shlomo Rabinowicz
Shlomo Hakohen Rabinowicz was the first Rebbe of the Radomsk Hasidic dynasty and one of the great Hasidic masters of 19th-century Poland...
, the Tiferes Shlomo. Under his leadership, Radomsk grew to be the third largest Hasidut in Poland, after Ger
Ger (Hasidic dynasty)
Ger, or Gur is a Hasidic dynasty originating from Ger, the Yiddish name of Góra Kalwaria, a small town in Poland....
and Alexander. Rabinowicz built a network of 36 yeshivas across Poland and Galicia that enrolled over 4,000 students by 1939. He was murdered in the Warsaw Ghetto
Warsaw Ghetto
The Warsaw Ghetto was the largest of all Jewish Ghettos in Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II. It was established in the Polish capital between October and November 15, 1940, in the territory of General Government of the German-occupied Poland, with over 400,000 Jews from the vicinity...
together with his entire family, ending the Radomsker dynasty.
Biography
Rabinowicz was born in RadomskoRadomsko
Radomsko is a town in central Poland with 50,618 inhabitants . It is situated on the Radomka river in the Łódź Voivodeship , having previously been in Piotrków Trybunalski Voivodeship . It is the capital of Radomsko County....
, Poland, the eldest of two sons of the third Radomsker Rebbe, Rabbi Yechezkel Hakohen Rabinowicz. He married the daughter of Rabbi Ahrele Twerski of Kras and had one daughter, Reizel. Reizel married her father's first cousin, Rabbi David Moshe Rabinowicz (1906-1942), in 1929. Rabbi David Moshe was the son of Rabbi Nosson Nachum Hakohen Rabinowicz, Rav of Krimilow, and grandson of the second Radomsker Rebbe, Rabbi Avraham Yissachar Dov Hakohen Rabinowicz.
Shlomo Chanoch Rabinowicz succeeded his father as Rebbe upon the latter's death in 1910. He was a dynamic and charismatic leader. Thousands of Hasidim attended his court on Shabbat and Jewish holiday
Jewish holiday
Jewish holidays are days observed by Jews as holy or secular commemorations of important events in Jewish history. In Hebrew, Jewish holidays and festivals, depending on their nature, may be called yom tov or chag or ta'anit...
s. On the eve of World War II, Radomsk was the third largest Hasidut in Poland, after Ger
Ger (Hasidic dynasty)
Ger, or Gur is a Hasidic dynasty originating from Ger, the Yiddish name of Góra Kalwaria, a small town in Poland....
and Alexander. In Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, there were more Radomsker shtieblach
Shtiebel
A shtiebel is a place used for communal Jewish prayer. In contrast to a formal synagogue, a shtiebel is far smaller and approached more casually. It is typically as small as a room in a private home or a place of business which is set aside for the express purpose of prayer, or it may be as large...
(small houses of prayer and study) than Gerrer shtieblach. The Rebbe considered himself a Hasid of the Chortkover
Chortkov (Hasidic dynasty)
Chortkov is a Hasidic dynasty that originated in Chortkov, present-day Ukraine. It had a large following before the Second World War, but most of its adherents perished in the Holocaust....
Rebbe.
The Rebbe was quite wealthy. He owned a glass factory and homes in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, and Sosnowice
Sosnowice
Sosnowice may refer to the following places:*Sosnowice, Lesser Poland Voivodeship *Sosnowice, Masovian Voivodeship *Sosnowice, Goleniów County in West Pomeranian Voivodeship...
, where he lived after World War I. He also amassed a huge personal library of old manuscripts and prints, which was said to be the second-largest private library in Poland after that of the Gerrer Rebbe.
Kesser Torah yeshivas
World War I uprooted hundreds of thousands of Jews and decimated established communities. Traditionally, Hasidic youth had learned Torah from their elders and picked up the customs and lore of their Hasidic groups in the shtiebelShtiebel
A shtiebel is a place used for communal Jewish prayer. In contrast to a formal synagogue, a shtiebel is far smaller and approached more casually. It is typically as small as a room in a private home or a place of business which is set aside for the express purpose of prayer, or it may be as large...
ach of Poland and Galicia. Now the Radomsker Rebbe proposed a new method of Hasidic education. On Lag B'Omer 1926, he announced his plan to establish a network of yeshivas called Kesser Torah (Crown of Torah). Soon after, eight yeshivas were opened in Będzin
Bedzin
Będzin is a city in Zagłębie Dąbrowskie in southern Poland. Located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Czarna Przemsza river , the city borders the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union - a metro area with a population of about 2 million.It has been situated in the Silesian Voivodeship since its...
, Podgórz
Podgórz
Podgórz may refer to the following places:*Podgórz, Brodnica County in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship *Podgórz, Nakło County in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship *Podgórz, Lublin Voivodeship...
, Kshanov
Chrzanów
Chrzanów is a town in south Poland with 39,704 inhabitants . It is situated in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship and is the capital of Chrzanów County.- To 1809:...
, Valbaram, Ushpazin, Czanstechav, Łódź and Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
. Though Hasidic in nature, the yeshivas did not promote Radomsker Hasidut, nor did they staff only Radomsker Hasidim. Each yeshiva had its own 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...
and initially studied its own 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 tractate; later, all the yeshivas studied the same tractate at the same time. The Rebbe paid for the entire operation, including staff salaries, food, and student lodging, out of his own pocket.
At the same time, Rabinowicz established Kibbutz Govoha in the city of Sosnowiece exclusively for elite students and appointed his son-in-law, Rabbi David Moshe Rabinowicz, a brilliant Torah scholar, to head it. Rabbi David Moshe also served as rosh yeshiva of the entire Kesser Torah network, monitoring students' progress, delivering shiurim, and administering the end of the semester tests. By 1930, nine yeshivas and the kibbutz were functioning. Over the following decade, more yeshivas were added. On the eve of World War II, there were 36 Keser Torah yeshivas enrolling 3,000 to 4,000 students in Poland and Galicia. The yeshivas were disbanded after the German invasion of Poland in 1939, and most of their students were murdered in the Holocaust.
World War II
When war broke out, the Rebbe was in Lódź. His Hasidim completed arrangements to fly him to Italy by mid-1940, but he refused, saying, "I want to be with all the Jews". The Rebbe eventually escaped to Alexander, but from there was most likely sent by the Nazis into the Warsaw GhettoWarsaw Ghetto
The Warsaw Ghetto was the largest of all Jewish Ghettos in Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II. It was established in the Polish capital between October and November 15, 1940, in the territory of General Government of the German-occupied Poland, with over 400,000 Jews from the vicinity...
.
The Radomsker Rebbe was one of the prominent Hasidic Rebbes incarcerated in the Warsaw Ghetto; others included the Piaseczner Rebbe; the Alexander Rebbe, the Sochatchover Rebbe
Dovid Bornsztain
Dovid Bornsztain , also spelled Borenstein, Bornstein and Bernstein, was the third Rebbe of the Sochatchov Hasidic dynasty. He succeeded his father, Rabbi Shmuel Bornsztain , as Rebbe upon the latter's death in 1926.-Early life:Bornsztain was born in the Hebrew month of Elul 5636 in Nasielsk, Poland...
, the Krimilover Rebbe, and the Strickover Rebbe. Rabinowicz was registered as a worker in the Shultz factory. Notwithstanding the danger, he refused to shave off his beard.
The Rebbe's son-in-law, Rabbi David Moshe Rabinowicz, gave regular shiurim in the Warsaw Ghetto, and also composed many chiddushim (novel Torah thoughts) which his students recorded. All of these chiddushim as well as the sefarim
Sefer (Hebrew)
Sefer in simple Hebrew is a word that means any kind of "book" It is derived from the same Hebrew root-word as sofer , sifriyah and safrut ....
he had written previously were lost in the war.
Death and legacy
The Rebbe and all the members of his family, including his only daughter, son-in-law, and their infant son, were killed during the aktion of 1 August 1942. When the Nazis stormed his house with the intention of deporting its residents to the Chelmno extermination campChelmno extermination camp
Chełmno extermination camp, also known as the Kulmhof concentration camp, was a Nazi German extermination camp that was situated 50 kilometres from Łódź, near a small village called Chełmno nad Nerem . After annexation by Germany Kulmhof was included into Reichsgau Wartheland in 1939...
, the Rebbe refused to leave, saying, "I know you've come to kill me. I prefer to die here in my house and not in a car filled with poison gas". He then recited the Shema Yisrael
Shema Yisrael
Shema Yisrael are the first two words of a section of the Torah that is a centerpiece of the morning and evening Jewish prayer services...
and was shot in the head when he reached the last word, Echad (One). His family members were shot together with him. They were buried in a mass grave in Warsaw's main cemetery.
With the Rebbe's death, the father-to-son lineage of Radomsker rebbes came to an end. The Rebbe's brother, Rabbi Elimelech Aryeh Hakohen Rabinowicz, died in the Mauthausen concentration camp
Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp
Mauthausen Concentration Camp grew to become a large group of Nazi concentration camps that was built around the villages of Mauthausen and Gusen in Upper Austria, roughly east of the city of Linz.Initially a single camp at Mauthausen, it expanded over time and by the summer of 1940, the...
.
After the war, a Polish-born American rabbi named Chaskel Besser
Chaskel Besser
Chaskel Besser was a well known Orthodox rabbi for much of the 20th and early 21st century, living in Manhattan, New York. He was born in Katowice, Poland and lived there until the dual Nazi and Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939. He was affiliated with Congregation B'nei Israel in New York...
, whose father had been an advisor to the Radomsker Rebbe, compiled the Torah teachings of Rabbi Shlomo Chanoch Rabinowicz and his son-in-law, Rabbi David Moshe Rabinowicz, into the sefer Shivchei Kohen ("Praise of the Priest").
Rebbes of Radomsk
- Shlomo Hakohen RabinowiczShlomo RabinowiczShlomo Hakohen Rabinowicz was the first Rebbe of the Radomsk Hasidic dynasty and one of the great Hasidic masters of 19th-century Poland...
, the Tiferes Shlomo (1801–1866) - Avraham Yissachar Dov Hakohen RabinowiczAvraham Yissachar Dov RabinowiczAvraham Yissachar Dov Hakohen Rabinowicz was the second Rebbe of the Radomsk Hasidic dynasty. He was the youngest son and successor of Rabbi Shlomo Rabinowicz , who founded the dynasty in the Polish town of Radomsko in 1843...
, the Chesed LeAvraham (1843–1892) - Yechezkel Hakohen RabinowiczYechezkel RabinowiczYechezkel Hakohen Rabinowicz was the third Rebbe of the Radomsk Hasidic dynasty. He was the grandson of the founder of the dynasty, Rabbi Shlomo Rabinowicz, the Tiferes Shlomo, and the second son of the second Radomsker Rebbe, Rabbi Avraham Yissachar Dov Rabinowicz...
, the Kenesses Yechezkel (1864–1910) - Shlomo Chanoch Hakohen Rabinowicz, the Shivchei Kohen (1882–1942)