Bostoner Rebbe

Try to get hold of The Bostoner by Hanoch Teller (1990, Hardcover): Stories and Recollections from the Colorful Chassidic Court of the Bostoner Rebbe, Rabbi Levi L. Horowitz

(Hardcover, 1990)

Author: Hanoch Teller

Format: Hardcover

ISBN-10: 0873065077

ISBN-13: 9780873065078

Publisher: Feldheim Pub

Language: English

I really enjoyed it

Here is a snip from an online source just do a search yourself

How he came to be rebbe in boston: originally the rebbe reb pinchos dovid was a “simple” (I put it in quotes as he was the nephew of reb dovid milelov (who was known far and wide for his ‘sight’) and was a direct descendant of the brody rov (who ran away to eretz yisroel when he was found out to be a baal mofes) yungerman (mid to late twentys) in yerushalayim. His uncle reb dovid tells him the he should go to america as they need him there. The rebbe being that he wasn’t keen on leaving eretz yisroel said no. Reb dovid said “fine we will see” and that was the end of that. A little while later the rebbe is requested to serve as av beis din on a beis din in europe. The rebbe thinks about the case for a little and seeing as it looked to be a short one two case, agreed. Of course it did not turn out to be a one two case and things started to drag and drag. Meanwhile, world war one breaks out and being that the rebbe is a resident of eretz yisroel which then was under the turkish empire, he has to get out of europe and fast. Due to the swiftness at which borders were getting closed and the difficulty involved in obtaining papers, they decided (and succeeded) in just getting the rebbe onto a boat which was leaving europe and then they would worry about getting him back to eretz yisroel. Well they get him onto a boat and where do you think the boat is headed? Of all places, america and so the rebbe is brought to america and lands in boston. That is how he got there.

I will have to refresh my memory of the rest (how he came to be rebbe etc). Besides I think this post is a wee bit long.

Oh by the way I only brought up that I was a shammash to explain how I know the story. It so happens that the zuber (my family) and the horowitz (the rebbe’s family) mishpachos were very close and go as far back to when my father, the current rebbe (or to be pc my current rebbe), and my uncle were playmates as kids.

😀 Zuberman! 😀

There is one shammash at a time. When the rebbe started being half a year in eretz yisroel and half a year in america, a second shammash was set up for eretz yisroel. When the rebbe got sick the shammash would travel with the rebbe. I was shammash in between my older brother and the next one. My duties were to bring the rebbe to shul and back. Being that I was a shammash after he re-married, I did not have to take care of him in his house as his wife was capable in doing so herself.

😀 Zuberman! 😀

Depends which dynasty. The rebbe reb pinchos dovid had two sons the rebbe reb levi yitzchok and the rebbe reb moshe. The rebbe reb levi yitzchok took over boston while the rebbe reb moshe took over new york. The rebbe reb moshe passed away and left over two sons and to my understanding one became rebbe and one became dayan/rosh yeshivah. I don’t know the new york dynasty too well as I primarily know the grandsons of reb moshe (one is a rov in boro park and one is a rov in lawrence otherwise I don’t know much else). The rebbe reb levi yitchok passed away leaving three sons and a tzavoh that all three should accept the title of admor and in effect create a triumvirate. So in sum total there are four or five bostoner rebbes (as I do believe (but I am not 100% sure) one son of reb moshe became rebbe in beit shemesh while the other stayed in flatbush)

I personally went with the line of the rebbe reb levi yitzchok (it helps that he was the rebbe I went to when I became a bostoner it also helps that I grew up in boston). I do very much hold of the new york dynasty as they do of us. It is a positive mutual working relationship

😀 Zuberman! 😀

@ yossi z,

The Rebbe Reb Moshe had 2 sons, Reb Avrohom and Reb Pinchas Dovid (Reb Pinya). Reb Pinya had a yeshiva in the building on 49th street but ended up moving to Flatbush (J & E29th area) where he relocated his yeshiva and opened a bais medresh.

Back to Boro Park …. Reb Avrohom moved to Beit Shemesh to try and start a k’hilla there while also spending time in BP. His son Reb Yankel opened a Bostoner Bais Medresh in Lawrence and his son Reb Yona stayed in BP under no official title.

Unfortunately the Rebbe’s health is not the greatest so he ended up staying more in EY which left the BP mispalelim without a rebbe or rov. They ended up asking Reb Avrohom if his son Reb Yona (a major talmid chochom!!) could serve as Rov, which he approved and he serves in that capacity currently.

Now it gets dicey…. When the Alta Rebitzen was nifteres about 3 or so years ago, one thing lead to another and the building was sold right out from under the Boro Park k’hilla. B”H they were able to find room in the Novominsk basement (16 ave & 47st) where they are today.

The older mispalelim look at Reb Yona as an extension of his grandfather Reb Moshe ZTL. The way he speaks in learning and interacts with people is quite reminiscent of his Zayda ZTL.

I hope that helped.

Some yes some no. By boston (the chassisdus) there is not set levush or havarah the ikkar is the avoda (learning davening halacha and minhagim)

😀 Zuberman! 😀

I have always found it fascinating there is a

Satmar Rebbe

Ger Rebbe

Lubavich Rebbe

Belz Rebbe

And a

BOSTONer Rebbe

Which doesnt belong….

And it isnt like there are Brooklyner Chassidim, Miamiers or Lakewooders to compliment the Bostoner

Belz , Satmar , Ger etc are all cities in Europe.

Last I checked Boston is in the united states and while I could be wrong, I dont think there is any other Rebbe named for an american city (Who is the New Yorker Rebbe, Who is the Brooklyner Rebbe)

There is nothing wrong with that, just unusualy especially considering how large the US jewish population is, especially in NY

Having met the rebbe Rebbe Levi Yizchok several times, I always found it amazing that one expected a European accent when he spoke, but it was 100% Bostonian!

There is also a pitsburger rebbe

😀 Zuberman! 😀

Well technically admor reb pinchos dovid ben admor reb levi yitzchok is known and the new yorker-bostoner as is the rest of the new york branch of the dynasty

😀 Zuberman! 😀

actually it wasn’t however he did have some sort of an accent

There are many Rebbes named after American cities.

However one place is not likely ever to have a rebbe named after it: Michigan.

Why?

You would have to be mad to be called a Michigener rebbe!

it was very clever.

and there is a city in indiana by the name of: “michigan city”

The Pittsburgher and Clevelander (who are indeed part of Nadvorna) Rebbeim live in EY now, but there may also be a Clevelander Rebbe in NY.

There is even a Rebbe of the sea, the Yaama Ruv.

Mark: Rabbi Michel’s brother, Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Twerski, once told me that his father, Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Twerski, the previous Hornosteipel Rebbe of Milwaukee, and the Steipler Gaon were named after the same person, namely his ancestor Harav Yaakov Yisrael of Cherkassy, one of the eight sons of Rebbe Mordechai of Chernobyl. They were actually very close and Rabbi Dr Abraham Twersky used to visit the Steipler Gaon who would consult with him on psychological matters.