Rabbi Yisroel Halpern, also known as Yisroel Karduner (died 1920), was a Breslover

Breslov (Hasidic dynasty)

Breslov is a branch of Hasidic Judaism founded by Rebbe Nachman of Breslov a great-grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, founder of Hasidism...

 Hasid who lived in Ottoman 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....

 at the turn of the century.

Biography

Born in 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...

, Halpern was introduced to the teachings of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov

Nachman of Breslov

Nachman of Breslov , also known as Reb Nachman of Bratslav, Reb Nachman Breslover , Nachman from Uman , was the founder of the Breslov Hasidic movement....

 when he came across a copy of Tikkun HaKlali

Tikkun HaKlali

Tikkun HaKlali Rectification"), also known as The General Remedy, is a set of ten Psalms whose recital serves as teshuvah for all sins — in particular the sin of wasted seed through involuntary nocturnal emission or masturbation...

(Rebbe Nachman's "General Remedy," a specific formulation of ten Psalms

Psalms

The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...

). Halpern's reading of this work inspired him to move to Ukraine

Ukraine

Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...

, where he studied under Reb Moshe Breslover

Moshe Breslover

Moshe Breslover was the nickname given to Rabbi Moshe Lubarski , one of the closest disciples of Nathan of Breslov , who in turn was the closest disciple of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov...

. Many people were attracted to Breslover Hasidut after hearing him pray and sing with intense devotion. Several Breslover nigunim (melodies) are directly attributed to him. His best-known quote is: "There was someone [Rebbe Nachman] who called out 100 years ago, 'Never give up!' and we still hear that voice today". He was the teacher of Rabbi Yisroel Ber Odesser

Yisroel Ber Odesser

Rabbi Yisroel Dov Ber Odesser , also known as Reb Odesser or Sabba , was a Breslover Hasid and rabbi who claimed to have received a "Letter From Heaven" sent directly to him by Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, who had died 112 years earlier, revealing to him a new remedy for relieving the world's...

, and brought many other people closer to Breslov Hasidut through his intense devotions and beautiful songs.

Aliyah to Israel

He immigrated to the Holy Land

Holy Land

The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...

 in the early 1900s and lived in Meron

Meron (Israel)

Meron is a moshav on the slopes of Mount Meron, in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel near Safed, and within municipal jurisdiction of the Merom HaGalil Regional Council...

, Safed

Safed

Safed , is a city in the Northern District of Israel. Located at an elevation of , Safed is the highest city in the Galilee and of Israel. Due to its high elevation, Safed experiences warm summers and cold, often snowy, winters...

, and Tiberias.
Halpern lost his entire family in a plague in Tiberias, where he is also buried.

See also

• Stories of Rebbe Yisroel Karduner
• na-nah.info Stories about Rabbi Israel Karduner told by his disciple Rabbi Israel Ber Odesser