Infofiles4Bibliography

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Bibliography

Chassidic Rabbis

  • Alfasi, Yitskhak. Hahasidut (The Chassidim). Tel Aviv: Siforiat Maariv, 1974.(H)
    • A listing of Chassidic rebbes by town. In 1995, the first volume of a new edition appeared under the title ha-Hasidut mi-dor le-dor (Chassidism from Generation to Generation). Jerusalem: Makhon Da'at Yosef, 1995.
    • This is a genealogy of all the major Chassidic dynasties from about 1700 to World War II. It includes two chapters about the Lubavitch dynasty with 133 names. Its value lies in the possibility of finding links with other dynasties and individual rabbis. [Comment by David Einsiedler]
  • Brandwein, Aharon Yaakov. Tiferet Banim Avot. Jerusalem, 1978.(H)
    • Genealogical information on selected Chassidic dynasties. [Comment by Chaim Freedman, F1]
  • Buber, Martin. Tales of the Hasidim. New York, 1968.(E)
  • Dubnow, Simon. The History of the Hasidic Movement. Tel Aviv, 1944. 3 Vols. (H)
  • Entsiklopediyah ha-Hasidut. Jerusalem: Mosad ha-Rav Kook, 1980-1986. Vol. 1-2. (H)
    • Vol. 1 is a bibliography of books by Hasidic authors, while Vol. 2 consists of brief but documented sketches of rebbes. Discontinued after reaching the Hebrew letter Tet in the alphabetic order, which is by first names. [F3]
  • Grossman, Levi. Shem Veshe’erit. Jerusalem, 1949.(H)
    • Detailed genealogical material arranged according to 79 Chassidic dynasties. A second part appeared as Kuntrus She’erit Leshe’erit. [Comment by Chaim Freedman, F1]
  • Halevi, Itzhak. Pinu'ach Raza (Decoder of the Mysteries). Reprinted in Jerusalem, 1965. (H)
    • Includes a genealogy of the Zbidachov-Komarno dynasty. It tells of descent from the Lurias, Rashi, and Judah Lowe the Elder, leading both ways to King David. The family names of this dynasty are Safrin and Eichenstein, with Klingberg a derivative family. [Comment by David Einsiedler, F2]
  • Heilprin, Shmuel Eliezer. Sefer Hatze’etzaim. Jerusalem, 1980.(H)
    • Descendants of the founder of Chabad (Lubavitch) Chassidism, Rabbi Shneour Zalman of Liadi. Each generation is presented with biographical material. Updated to current generations. [Comment by Chaim Freedman, F1]
  • Lewin, Yehudah Leib. Beit Kotsk. Jerusalem, 1990.(H)
    • Biography of the Chassidic master, Rabbi Menakhem Mendel Morgenstern of Kotsk. Includes details of many of rabbis who were his students and followers. Typical of many similar books about Chassidic rabbis and their followers. [Comment by Chaim Freedman, F1]
  • Rabinowicz, Rabbi Harry M. Hasidism: The Movement and Its Masters. Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson Inc., 1988. (E)
  • Rabinowicz, Rabbi Harry M. The World of Hasidism. London, 1970.(E)
    • An authoritative yet concise introduction to the Chassidic movement and its major rabbinical dynasties. [Comment by Chaim Freedman, F1]
  • Rabinowicz, Rabbi Tsvi. Chassidic Rebbes: From the Baal Shem Tov to Modern Times. Southfield, MI: Targum Press. Spring Valley, NY: Feldheim, 1989. (E)
  • Rabinowicz, Tzvi. The Encyclopedia of Hasidism. Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson Inc., 1996. (E)
    • It is very comprehensive and contains a lot of information about many dynasties, such as Alter, Eichenstein, Hager, Horowitz, Rabinowicz, Unger, Yolles, etc. [Comment by Judy Wolkovitch]
  • Rabinowitsch, Wolf Zeev. Hasidism in Pinsk and Karlin. (H,E)
    • Manuscripts of the Stolin Genizah, pledge of allegiance by the disciples of the Ari and Rabbi Hayyim Vital (1575), Sefer Ha-Tsoref, by Rabbi Yehoshua Heshel Tsoref, and a map of Lithuanian Chassidism. Genealogical tables of the Karlin, Lishei, Berezna, and Horodok dynasties, and musical scores of Hasidic melodies. Includes an extensive bibliography. In the Hebrew section: rabbis of Karlin and Pinsk, pp. 299-366, and additions to Jewish Halakha by the Pinsk and Karlin rabbinic dynasties, pp. 367-406. [Comment by Ellen Stepak]
  • Rabinowitsch, Wolf Zeev. Lithuanian Hasidism. London, 1970.(E)
    • History of Lithuanian and Belarusian Chassidism with some genealogical charts. [Comment by Chaim Freedman, F1]
  • Rosenstein, Neil. The Unbroken Chain: Biographical Sketches and Genealogy of Illustrious Jewish Families from the 15th-20th century. New York: CIS Publishers, 1990. 2 Vols. (E)
  • Schochet, J. Immanuel. The Great Maggid, Volume 1: Life and Teachings of Rabbi Dov Ber of Mezhirech. Brooklyn, NY: Kehot Publication Soc., 1978. (E)
  • Twersky, Rabbi Aaron D. Sefer Ha-Yikhus Mi-Chernobyl ve-Ruzhin (The Genealogy of the Chernobyl and Ruzhin Dynasties). Lublin, 1938. (H)
    • Deals with the Chassidic families Twersky and Friedman, and related families. It mentions descent from King David of Nathan Nota Schapiro, ABD Grodno, Aaron of Karlin, Abraham (Twersky) of Chernobyl, Isaac of Drohobycz, and Abraham Joshua Heschel of Opatow. [Comment by David Einsiedler, F2]
  • Zak, Reuben. Keren Shlomo (The Vineyard of Solomon). Lublin, 1930. (H)
    • Zak (of Ustila) tells of the descent of Mordechai of Chernobyl (Twersky) and Israel of Ruzhin (Friedman) from a number of great rabbis, like Moses Isserles and Samuel Edels, who were themselves descendants of the Davidic line. [Comment by David Einsiedler, F2]
See also: Family Genealogies.

For more titles, see:

4Information on rabbinical genealogy published on the Internet may be found separately in the extensive Links section of the Rav-SIG web site. See: Links Index.


FOOTNOTES

1. All comments by Chaim Freedman are used with permission from his book, Beit Rabbanan: Sources of Rabbinic Genealogy. Petah Tikva, Israel: self-published, 2001.

2. Einsiedler, David. "Are You a Descendant of King David? A Look at Rabbinic Sources." Roots-Key: Journal of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Los Angeles. Spring, 1988.

3. Greenbaum, Avraham. A look at Rabbinic biographical dictionaries published since 1950. 2000.

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