My Machberes,Rabbi Gershon Tannenbaum

Satmar/Spinka Shidduch

On Thursday afternoon, July 21, Yekusiel Yehuda (Zalman Leib) Teitelbaum was engaged to Rivka Weisz, the youngest daughter of Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Weisz, Boro Park Spinka Rebbe. The chassan is the son of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Teitelbaum, Williamsburg Satmar Rav.

Rabbe Menachem Mendel is the son of Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum, Satmar Rebbe, and son-in-law of Rabbi Dovid Dov Berish Meisels, Boro Park Satmar Rav. Rabbi Aaron is the oldest son and successor of Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum, zt"l (1914-2006), Satmar Rebbe and author of Beirach Moshe. Rabbi Dovid Dov is a son-in-law of the Beirach Moshe. Rabbi Aaron is a son-in-law of Rabbi Moshe Yehoshua Hager, Bnei Brak Vishnitzer Rebbe. Rabbi Dovid Dov is a son of Rabbi Eliezer Meisels, zt"l, Uheili Rav.

The Spinka Rebbe, who established a kollel of more than two hundred and fifty members - the largest in Boro Park - is the son of Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Weiss, zt"l (1916-1988), Spinka Rebbe who resided in Jerusalem and in Boro Park; grandson of Rabbi Yitzchok Isaac Weiss, zt"l Hy"d (1875-1944), Spinka Rebbe, author of Chakal Yitzchok, who was murdered in the Holocaust; son of Rabbi Yosef Mayer Weiss, zt"l (1838-1919), founding Spinka Rebbe and author of Imrei Yosef. Rabbi Yaakov Yosef, in his second marriage, was the son-in-law of his uncle, Rabbi Avrohom Abish Horowitz, zt"l Hy"d (1897-1944), Kruler Rav and son-in-law of the Chakal Yitzchok.

The shidduch was joined at Camp Imrei Yosef in South Fallsburg, where the Boro Park Satmar Rav spoke. Guests from both sides of the shidduch participated. Several buses brought participants from the Satmar bungalows in Monticello. Simultaneously, hundreds of chassidim joined the Satmar Rebbe at Beis Medrash Machazikei Hadas in Bethlehem, New Hampshire, to celebrate the simcha. (The Satmar Rebbe is in New Hampshire for a few weeks.) In addition, the Satmar camp in Liberty, where the Williamsburg Satmar Rav is for the summer, celebrated the shidduch.

Many of the same parties to this shidduch had barely finished celebrating the chassunah and sheva berachos of Shimon Meisels, son of Rabbi Chaim Zvi Meisels, Bnei Brak Satmar Rosh Yeshiva, and the daughter of Rabbi Yekusiel Yehuda Meisels, Boro Park Satmar Dayan.

Specifically, Rabbi Dovid Dov Berish Meisels is grandfather of both the chassan and the kallah; the Spinka Rebbe is grandfather of the kallah; the Bnei Brak Vishnitzer Rebbe is the great-grandfather of thechassan; and the Satmar Rebbe is twice great-uncle to the chassan and great-uncle to the kallah.

* * * * *

The funeral of Leiby Kletzky, a"h Hy"d, the young boy kidnapped off the streets of Boro Park and murdered, took place during the later hours of the wedding. The Satmar Rebbe, the Spinka Rebbe, the Boro Park Satmar Rav, Rabbi Yisroel Hager (son of the Bnei Brak Vishnitzer Rebbe and grandfather of the chassan), all temporarily left the wedding, individually, to pay their respects to the niftar and his family.

Kaliver Rebbe Outreach in Bensalem, PA

Bensalem is not far from Philadelphia. Benjamin Franklin would often visit Bensalem. A local legend maintains that Franklin performed his famous kite-flying experiment in Bensalem.

Kaliver Rebbe of Williamsburg

Rabbi Moshe Taub, Kaliver Rebbe of Williamsburg, conducted tefillas and tisch in Bensalem together with many of his chassidim on Shabbos Mattos, July 22-23. The Kaliver Rebbe led the Shabbos activities in Bais Medrash Zichron Yeshayahu Elbogen of the Bensalem Outreach Center, which is the base of the Bensalem Kollel.

The Rebbe's messages throughout Shabbos encouraged mitzvah observance. The Rebbe sought to inspire every participant to select mitzvahs and give them full attention in their observance. Specifically, the Rebbe stressed the mitvahs of tzitzis and Shabbos.

The Kaliver Rebbe is renowned for his outreach. The Rebbe has visited Jewish communities throughout the world, bringing them chassidishe warmth. The Rebbe has visited communities in Argentina, Beitar, Budapest, Cali, Caracas, Guadeloupe, Jamaica Estates, Jerusalem, Kiryat Atta, Lima, London, Los Angeles, Lyon, Marseille, Martinique, Melbourne, Miami, Perth, Richmond, Rio, Shanghai, and Strasbourg.

The Kaliver Rebbe is the son of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Shlomo Taub, zt"l (1901-1977), Kaliver Rebbe of Williamsburg and author of Chakal Tapuchin; son of Rabbi Moshe Taub, zt"l (d. 1936), Kaliver Rebbe and author of Eis Rotzon; son of Rabbi Yehuda Zvi Taub, zt"l (1849-1886), Rozdoler Rebbe; son of Rabbi Shlomo Taub,zt"l (1820-1879), Rozdoler Rebbe; son of Rabbi Moshe Chaim Taub, zt"l (d. 1831), Zidichover Rebbe; son of Rabbi Yitzchok Isaac Taub, zt"l (1751-1821), revered founding Kaliver Rebbe who was renowned as the first Hungarian chassidishe Rebbe.

The first Kaliver Rebbe's yahrzeit is on the seventh of Adar, the same as Moshe Rabbeinu. Before the Holocaust, all chassidishe rebbes in Hungary would visit and pray at his gravesite on that day.

Rabbi Yonah Landau Leads Yahrzeit Ceremony For Rabbi Jacob Joseph

Prayers at the gravesite of Rabbi Jacob Joseph on his yahrzeit.

On Tuesday morning, July 26, Rabbi Yonah Landau was at the gates of Union Field Cemetery in Ridgewood, Queens, welcoming the thousands who came to visit the gravesite of Rabbi Jacob Joseph, zt"l (1840-1902), chief rabbi of New York, on his yahrzeit, 24 Tammuz. Rabbi Landau manned a table with refreshments for those who came out on the sweltering day.

Rabbi Landau has been instrumental in raising public awareness of the chief rabbi, who essentially sacrificed his life to build an observant infrastructure here. Buses brought visitors throughout the day from Boro Park, the Catskills, Flatbush, Lakewood, Monroe, Monsey, Philadelphia, Waterbury, Williamsburg, and elsewhere.

Throngs of people - including many rabbis with their congregants, chassidishe rebbes with their disciples, and roshei yeshiva with their students - prayed and jostled for standing room in the immediate proximity of the horizontal tombstone.

Hundreds of candles were lit and thousands of tearful prayers were said. Once in the cemetery, many people visited the gravesites of other gedolim buried in the area.

Rabbi Landau, an authority on early chassidishe history in America, is the author of Rav Hakollel, a two-volume biography, in Yiddish, of the chief rabbi. That work has just been translated into English and was published in anticipation of the yahrzeit.

With the current upsurge of travel abroad to visit burial sites of great tzaddikim across Europe, it is gratifying that many observant Jews here are focusing on the tzaddikim who made great sacrifices so that future generations in America would find it easier to live lives of full religious observance.

Until very recently, the gravesite of the former chief rabbi was forlorn - neglected and barely visited. An upsurge in interest in Jewish history among observant Jews has opened the gates to reviewing and assessing those who were here before us. The sacrifices of the chief rabbi, in particular, as well as the sacrifices of other great rabbis and fervent Jews, are being more fully appreciated - and many Jews now visit the chief rabbi's gravesite throughout the year.

Appreciation must be expressed to the Committee for Visiting Holy Sites in America and Canada, led by Rabbi Landau, for its intensive labors to ensure Chief Rabbi Joseph receives the honor he deserves.

Rabbi Landau has also been leading groups on visits to gravesites of rabbis, chassidishe rebbes, and roshei yeshiva throughout the United States and Canada. Some of these men are nearly unknown today, but they made significant contributions, often at great personal expense, to today's golden era of Yiddishkeit in America.

May Heaven reward all who work to honor the New York's first chief rabbi, and may all prayers at his gravesite be answered.

* * * * *

While at the cemetery, many visited the nearby gravesites of other notable rabbis, roshei yeshiva, and religious leaders. Others came to visit their own ancestors who are buried there.

Mendel Beilis, z"l (1872-1934), who was arrested and tried for ritual murder in the infamous blood libel trial in Kiev in 1911, is buried nearby. Beilis had immigrated to the United States and died here on the 24^th of Tammuz, the 32nd yahrzeit of the chief rabbi.

Not far from Rabbi Joseph's grave is the burial site of Rabbi Avrohom Yosef Asch, zt"l (1813-1887), first Rav of Beis Medrash Hagadol of the Lower East Side. In the adjoining Mount Judah Cemetery, which is a very short walking distance, are the tombstones, among many other notables, of Rabbi Avrohom Pam, zt"l (1913-2001), Rosh Yeshiva Torah Vodaath; Rabbi Yaakov Kaminetzky, zt"l (1890-1986), Rosh Yeshiva Torah Vodaath; Rabbi Dovid Liebowitz, zt"l (1889-1941), Rosh Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim; Rabbi Dovid Halberstam, zt"l (d. 1935), Sokolover Rebbe; Rabbi Avrohom Asch, zt"l; and Rabbi Reuven Grozovsky, zt"l (1896-1958), Rosh Yeshiva Torah Vodaath, as well as the widow a"h and son z"l of the Chofetz Chaim, zt"l.

Read Comments (0)