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HaRav Dr. Hiskel Levin

While still young he was appointed rabbi in Katowice and, as mentioned, left it because he was called to be the rabbi of the enlightened in Lvov^[1]. He left that community because he could not accept the spirit of assimilation that prevailed there. His appearance made an impression - tall, erect, a benevolent smile lit up his face whose wrinkles testified not only to his concern but also to his kindness. The curvature on his high forehead spoke of education and knowledge. His hair was dark, and his beard was like a handsome yellow. This is my beloved honorable father.

And he was a Cohen [priest] to God. The main thing for him was love for the Creator and love for Israel, and everything else was secondary to the main thing. His prayer in a whisper was full of intention, his loud prayer was full of strength. He was loved by his community and many, especially the poor and the insignificant, sought his patronage. He had great power in prayer and was one of the best speakers. His sermons gathered many listeners and captured the hearts and minds of the audience with their content and thought, and especially with their clarity. Famous was the eulogy he composed for Zellermayer, a student at Lvov University, who was murdered in 1938 by Anti-Semite Polish students. In this eulogy, he attacked in clear words the path of the Polish government and its policies. Zionism was considered by him to be the only way out of the Jews' situation, and since his youth he was involved in the movement and its life. His rabbinic status and scientific work did not prevent him from becoming president of Keren Kayemet and Keren Hayesod in Lesser Poland. Later he worked devotedly as a member of the executive committee of the Zionist Organization. His reference library had twelve thousand volumes, and every free hour he sat there and read. The library had three departments: rabbinical, philosophical, and historical. Book lovers able to find the rare book “White Crows” in the library. I remember that it contained the book “The Jewish War” by Yosef ben Mattityahu 1506 edition and the Babylonian Talmud of the first printing in Venice.

He was a friend of the youth. He was interested in them and in their views and the methods of study at schools. He was the patron of Jewish youth who studied at government schools and were the target of the arrows of hatred from Polish teachers and students. As the government's inspector of elementary schools he visited them very often and tried to help and facilitate. For this sole purpose he took on this troublesome task. He held special prayers for the studying youth at the Heichal, the house of worship of the enlightened. He worked diligently on education in the spirit of faith and tradition, and in his days the level

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of Jewish religious studies rose in government schools. But he was not satisfied. He lectured two hours every day at the Pedagogion (a collage for training teachers for Jewish schools), and in the last years before the war was the head of this institution. Although this work was demanding, he found time for research and scientific work. He authored three books whose manuscripts are now in the Soviet Union. I remember the name of one book: “Marcus Aurelius - Caesar and Philosopher.” The name of the other is probably: “Neoplatonism.” He worked on this book with his Polish friend, Rishard Ganshinitz, a professor at the University of Lvov who admired the Jews (through his efforts, all the poems of H. N. Bialik were published in the Polish translation of Shlomo Dykman).

My father grew up in an ultra-Orthodox environment, but he deviated from its framework. I consider it my duty to point out that he deviated from it not for reasons of faith or tradition, but for reasons of nationalism. Most ultra-orthodox in those days fought in every way against the new Jewish nationalist movement. They fought against Zionism just as they had previously fought the Enlightenment movement. The very fact that my father also studied secular studies alongside his Judaic studies did not please the ultra-orthodox. They said: this is not fitting for the grandson of the author of Beit Yitzchak. They forgot that the author of Beit Yitzchak himself, who was great in the Torah and knowledge, was one of the first supporters of Hovevei Zion, just as they forgot that his student, the nephew of R' Gedaliah Schmelkes the Rabbi of Przemysl, was one of the Zionists leaders. And truly, my father kept a light commandment as a serious one with extreme strictness. He was ultra-orthodox to his last day, and if he fought the ultra-orthodox, it was not because they were devout in their observance of the commandments, but because they were devout in their ignorance, and blocked the path of the youth to the spirit of enlightenment and to the spirit of revival. The conflict between my father and the ultra-Orthodox emerged during the days when he was a candidate for the rabbinate of the enlightened in Lvov. At first, his opponents were content with polemic articles in the newspapers. Later, they threatened him that his end would be like the end of the first rabbi of the enlightened in Lvov, R' Avraham Kohn, whose jealous opponents killed him with poison in 1848. My father did not flinch from the insults, nor did he flinch from the threats, and the ignorant among the ultra-orthodox remained his enemies until his death. The advanced among the ultra-Orthodox learned to respect and honor him even after his death.

Beautiful was the friendship between him and the ultra-Orthodox rabbis in the community. During the tenure of my father and his friend, HaRav Dr, Levi Freund, the Heichal became an important center. Words of Torah and morality, words of rebuke for the closing of hearts and minds were heard from his lectern. Words of encouragement for the spirit of upright nationalism, and words of condemnation for the expanding spirit of assimilation. On the Shabbat and on the holidays the Heichal was full to capacity. My father was not content with the oral stage - the Heichal's lectern. He also asked for a written stage - a periodical. Even before that he wrote for the Jewish newspapers in Poland - Kevila (“Moment”), Nowy Dziennik (“New Daily News”), Der Nayer Morgn (“The New Morning”) and others. Now, the Polish Zionist weekly, Opinia (“Opinion”) has become a permanent stage. After the death of its founder and editor, Dr. Avraham Inzli, one of the best activists and journalists, my father became editor-in-chief, and his journalistic talent was fully revealed. He published the main articles, which were signed with the first letter of his surname, and in them he fought the reaction and its various manifestations. Next to the weekly, he founded the Tzofim Publishing House, which published several important books.

And what was my father's way of life? He got up every day at dawn, at four o'clock, and worked in his room until seven o'clock. Then he went to the Heichal to pray Shacharit^[2]. After breakfast he received the audience until two o'clock, and sometimes until four o'clock in the afternoon. The waiting room was always full. In the afternoons he lectured at the Pedagogion and from there he went to the Heichal to pray Mincha and Maariv. In the evenings he was busy with the institutions or the yeshivot that he managed. When he had a free evening, he locked himself in his library read and wrote. This way of life did not give him free time for us, the children. This caused him grief, but he had to prioritize his duties to the community and his own affairs. But as great compensation for us. the children, were Sabbath eves and the holidays. Our home was run in the spirit and manner of tradition. Sabbath eve, Seder night and the holidays were Be'er Kodesh [“Sacred Well”], and their memory is engraved deep in our souls.

Among my father's friends was also Prince Andrey Sheptytsky the Metropolitan of the members of the Greek Catholic religion (the Ruthenians, who are the majority of the Christian population in Eastern Galicia). The story was as follows: when this Metropolitan turned seventy years old, the clergy of the members of the Roman Catholic religion (the Poles, who were a minority of the Christian population in Eastern Galicia), decided to pass over this jubilee in silence. My father, who knew that it was only hatred that incited them to act in this manner, wanted to publicly express his protest and he and his friend, Rabbi Freund, went to the Metropolitan to bless him. In this manner a friendship was established between two priests of two religions, both of whom were philosophers and believers. Later, this friendship achieved its goal. During the Nazi occupation, the elderly Metropolitan showed great devotion and nobility and saved many Jews from extermination. In those days he proved that he was not lying when he said to my father, “I am a friend of the Jews.”

War. The days of the Soviet occupation. My father began a difficult chapter in his life and his work. Despite the danger, he did not abandon his position. He taught and admonished from his lectern, and at times spoke out forcefully in condemnation of the anti-religious propaganda of the Soviet authorities. Because of his strength, he was respected by Jews and non-Jews, and the communists among them. He acted as if he knew he had a mission and God was with him. Now, the Heichal gathered a larger audience than it had before the war. The authorities offered my father important public and scientific positions if he would agree to give up his rabbinate. But he was faithful to his path in life, the path of faith, and did not give it up completely. He was getting old, his hair turned white, but the fire of youth burned in his eyes, and his energy was as strong as before.

On 30 June 1941, the first gangs of the Nazi army entered Lvov. Already the next day, riots broke out among the Jews. The first victims fell. My father's friends warned him to hide. But he was not one to hide. When he saw that the riots

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were raging and growing, he decided to turn to Metropolitan Sheptytsky and ask him to use his power to influence the Ukrainian population to stop the massacre. He said to himself and did. And this is the opening of my father's words that I translated for him from Polish into Ukrainian: “… I have come to Your Eminence, on behalf of the Jewish community of Lvov and on behalf of about half a million Jews residing in the territories of Western Ukraine. You once told me, “I am a friend of the Jews.” You always emphasized your fondness for us. I ask you now that in the moment of terrible danger, you will give proof of your friendship and influence the rampaging masses that are rioting against us. I beg for the salvation of hundreds of thousands of Jews and God will reward you.”

Later, I heard several details about this meeting from the Metropolitan. He asked him to remain in his palace until the anger passes. But my father replied, “my mission is over, I have come to ask for the common good, and I will return to the congregation where I belong, and may God be with me.” He said and left. At that time a Ukrainian militia was dragging Jews from our house to Brygidki (the name of the big prison in the city). A neighbor deliberately waited for my father to warn him of the danger, but he answered her: there is no difference between us and climbed the stairs pale as chalk. The Ukrainians caught him at the door of our apartment and took him away to Brygidki, and there he died on the sanctification of God's name.

He walked proudly, beaten by Germans and Ukrainians, his head held high and his face calm, like the face of a man who had fulfilled his duty, and his conscience as pure as crystal. When he came among the crowds of Jews in the prison, he said Viddui^[3] and turned to his friends to fate and called out in a mighty voice: Sh'ma Yisra'eil Adonai - - - and did not finish his words because a machine gun cut off both his words and his life.

That is how my father died, and with him died two thousand Jews of Lvov.

I will add, when my father went to the Metropolitan's house, he wore the priestly robes and the black gloves that he only wore for a funeral. Before he left, he said goodbye to us with an emotional heart, as is the custom of one who is about to die, the death that was the crown of his life.

My father had a feeling that great evil was approaching. I remember that on the last Friday, before the outbreak of the German Russian war, we returned from the Heichal. Suddenly my father said: who knows if this is not the last time we can pray quietly. Later, when we sat at the Shabbat table, we saw our father extremely sad. After the meal, he told us that in his dream he saw his father, the Rabbi of Rzeszow, R' Nathan z”l, and he said to him: my son, get going. With heavy hearts we got up from the table.

Original footnote:

1. From the book Aliti MesPetziah (“I emigrated from Spezia”), chapter 2, pages18-27, Am Oved Publishers, 5707 (1947). Return

Translator's footnotes:

1. During the nineteenth century, Lvov (Lviv) became the center of the Enlightenment movement of Eastern European Jewry. Return
2. Shacharit, is the morning prayer service, one of the three daily prayer services, Mincha (afternoon) and Maariv (evening). Return
3. The Viddui [li. confession] recited at the end of life acknowledges the imperfections of the dying person and seeks a final reconciliation with God. Return

After the passing of HaGaon^[1] R' Yehoshua Heschel Wallerstein president of the court of Rzeszów, the question of electing a new rabbi came up for discussion. The court of R' Yehoshua Heschel was made up of the best rabbis and judges of Rzeszów. The president of the court was HaGaon R' Menashe Eichenshtein of the “Ziditshov dynasty” and the son-in-law of HaGaon R' Yehoshua Horowitz the Admor of Ziditshov. R' Menashe was great scholar and excelled in Hasidut. His books on Halakhah^[2], Alfei Menashe [“Thousands of Menashe”] and Torat Hashem [“The Torah of God”], were received with appreciation in the learners' circles. I remember that decades later the Chief Rabbi of Israel, R' Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog z”l, once asked me if it was possible to obtain the aforementioned books for him. He encountered the innovations of R' Menashe Eichenshtein and from this he established his greatness in the Torah. After I returned from the World war, and my parents moved back to live again in Rzeszów, we were neighbors of R' Menashe Eichenshtein and I used to visit his home. I was always impressed by his way of life and his method of studying with great diligence and perseverance. Before the Second World War he succeeded in his father's place in Veretzky [Nyzhni Vorota] and finally moved to Munkatch [Mukachevo] and there he passed away.

The second was R' Yosef “Satenawer” who came to Rzeszów many years ago from this city and specialized in teaching Issur v'heter^[3]. He was a member of Mizrahi and preached for Zion and settlement in Israel. The third was the judge R' Haim Yona, father-in-law of the tzadik R' Elazar. All were great in Torah and teaching. However, it has always been customary in Rzeszów to receive a rabbi and a leader, and when R' Yehoshua Heschel passed away the election of a new rabbi was on the agenda. I remember some of the candidates who came almost every Sabbath to deliver the customary sermon at the Old Synagogue. Among them the Rabbi of Potkamin old and great in the Torah, HaRav Babad of Trembowla [Terebovlia] grandson of the author of Minchat Chinuch [R' Joseph Babad] and others. These were rabbis of the old type great in Torah and Halakhah, and also their sermons were composed of Halakhah and Aggadah^[4]. The public was accustomed to hearing sermons of this type, so their decision was mainly based on who delivered a good sermon and whose pilpul^[5] was sharper and wittier than the other. However, there were already “progressive” religious circles in Rzeszów, who argued that it was not enough for the rabbi to know how to say a sharp pilpul or to interpret Aggadah in the Talmud, the rabbi must also be involved

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with the people. He must know a chapter in the world's events, whether in education or in the questions that time has caused and require a solution. Therefore, various circles were organized and each wanted to influence in favor of their candidate. It was difficult to “crack the nut^[6].” The question of candidacy for the rabbinate became acute. From day by day the relations between the circles became more tense and sometimes, in anger, blows flew from side to side. We must not forget that sixty years ago there was already a Zionist movement in Rzeszów and also this circle demanded a rabbi according to its own taste. Suddenly, it became known about a new candidate, proposed by the progressive circles, Rabbi Nathan Levin. The candidate was known for his father-in-law, the great Gaon R' Yitzchak Schmelkes president of the court of Lvov and the region. His arrival in Rzeszów as a candidate was a surprise because he was already different from his fellow rabbis in his modern attire. He was well-liked by the public, most of whom followed him except for a few “zealots” who suspected him of being close to Zionism. The elections were held and R' Levin was accepted by a large majority. The community of Rzeszów was getting ready to welcome its rabbi especially when it was learned that he was arriving with his father-in-law HaGaon of Lvov. In 5664 [1904], in a fierce and harsh winter, HaRav HaGaon R' Yitzchak Schmelkes appeared at the city gates with his son-in-law the new Rabbi of Rzeszów. The community prepared a wonderful reception for the great rabbis, and a large crowd came to the train station to greet them. In this manner Rzeszów gained a rabbi, great in the Torah, well-mannered and involved with those around. Slowly, even his opponents recognized that before them stood a noble personality, who bore all the concerns of the community, both the individual and the public. After the war, when our family returned to Rzeszów, I had the opportunity to visit his home after becoming a friend with his young son, Hiskel Levin. He was my childhood friend because we both studied with the teacher R' Tanchum. We were then a group of young people who organized themselves into the Banaim [Builders] circle. When I met with R' Levin, he often expressed his concerns that he did not know how to find a cure for all those affected by the war. He was especially concerned about the plight of the orphaned children who were left without parents. Apart from financial concerns his heart ached for the children's education. Indeed, there was a committee headed by Dr. Reich and others who devoted themselves to the fate of these children, but the education that the orphans received was not to the rabbi's liking. Most of the committee members were assimilated and already distant from religious and Jewish matters, but the rabbi was not able to come to terms with the situation. One day, when I was with him, he poured out his heart to me and with great hesitation asked me to dedicate my time to giving lessons to the orphanage children. When I agreed to his request, he stood up and with great excitement shook my hand and thanked me for it. I reassured him and said that I accepted the matter as my duty and would gladly fulfill his request.

Here I would like to dedicate a few words to my friend, who was later known as HaRav Dr. Hiskel Levin, a rabbi in Lvov. We have been friends since childhood and, as mentioned, we studied with the famous teacher R' Tanchum. This teacher was one of the best in Rzeszów. He devoted himself wholeheartedly to his profession and tried to instill all his teachings in the hearts of boys from the ages of nine to twelve. But he was strict, and to this day I don't know how these two opposites came to be combined in one person, for according to Chazal, “the strict one does not teach.” Hiskel, the rabbi's son, still standing before me. A skinny boy that softness and gentleness were spilled on his face. He was different in his clothing from the rest of his friends. He was always happy and cheerful and infected his friends with his cheerfulness. We haven't been together for a long time because our family left Rzeszów. Our friendship was renewed only after the First Word War. Together we began working and acting in Tzeirei Mizrachi movement, which was founded in 5679 [1919] in Rzeszów, and we performed together on various occasions for the benefit of religious Zionism and Eretz Yisrael. We did this together for several years until we parted ways. He married and served in the rabbinate in Katowice and later in Lvov, and I left the Diaspora and immigrated to Eretz Yisrael. In 5699 [1939], half a year before the outbreak of the last war we met again when I was in Lvov. I remember his words: “you have fulfilled your dream, and you are a resident of Eretz Yisrael. I have not yet reached that point, but I hope that I will also fulfill my aspirations.” The war broke out about six months after my visit in Lvov, and he was murdered by the Nazis together with his brother HaGaon R' Aaron Levin the Rabbi of Rzeszów. May their memory be blessed forever.

The New Synagogue (17th century)

1. Gaon (lit. “Genius”) is an honorary title for a Jewish scholar who is noted for his wisdom and knowledge of the Talmud. HaGaon - the genius. Return
2. Halakha (lit. “The Way”) is the totality of laws and ordinances that have evolved since biblical times to regulate religious observances and the daily life and conduct of the Jewish people. Return
3. Issur v'heter [lit. “forbidden and permitted”] refers to the laws of Kashrut, specifically the rules regarding which foods are permissible, and which are prohibited for consumption by Jewish people. Return
4. Aggadah (lit. “Legend”) refers to the non-legalistic, narrative and homiletic portions of rabbinic literature, particularly the Talmud and Midrash. Return
5. Pilpul is a method of studying the Talmud through intense textual analysis in attempts to either explain conceptual differences between various law rulings or to reconcile any apparent contradictions presented from various readings of different texts. Return
6. Chazal (“our sages of blessed memory”) compared the Jews to a nut. The nut is unique in the connection between its hard shell and the nutritious fruit hidden within. Return

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HaRav Yekutiel Arieh Kamelhar

My father was born in the year 5631[1871]. He was educated in the city of Tarnów and learned the Torah from the city's greatest rabbis. The city of Tarnów was famous for the rabbis who served there, and for the “Sanz Kloyz” where the young men of Tarnów and surrounding area studied the Torah. The Kloyz was a kind of a “yeshiva,” sometimes hundreds of young men studied there, and the space was not narrow to accommodate them. From there came famous rabbis and teachers who later taught and judged in the cities and towns of Galicia. Our family's origin, according to family tradition, is from Spanish exiles, some of whom wandered and arrived after many hardships in the cities of Germany. The head of the family settled in Vienna, and from there they spread out and arrived in Galicia with the exile.

After his marriage, my father founded a yeshiva in the town of Korczyna near the city of Jasło. At the age of nineteen he started teaching there, and the small town, located on the side of the road, became famous as a place of study.

His first literary work, the booklet Boker Yizrach [“Morning Will Rise”], about Birkath HaChamah [“Blessing of the sun”] was written in Korczyna. This booklet received the consent of the Admor^[2], HaGaon Rabbi Yahushua Horowitz of Dzhikov (in 5656/1896), who crowned my father with the title: the bright and knowledgeable rabbi, the Hasid R' Yekutiel Arieh may his light shine. But the Admor was not satisfied with this consent alone, he added his own comments as a sign of affection and admiration. I deliberately bring up these things, which will later clarify the development of my father's relationship with the aforementioned Admor.

During the summer, the Admorim traveled for several weeks to the cities and towns where their Hasidim were located, and so did the Admor of Korczyna. Since most of the townspeople in Korczyna were of his Hasidim, he also honored them with a visit. On one of these visits, my father's students also came to greet the Admor and began to converse with him on Divrei Torah^[3]. When he heard Divrei Torah from them that he had never heard from yeshiva students in this town, he asked: where did they get this from? The young men answered that some time ago a married yeshiva student from Tarnów came to live in their town, he founded a yeshivah and from him is all this teaching. The Admor asked them to invite the married yeshiva student to him, because he wanted to get to know him face to face. Even though my father was more inclined to Hasidut Sanz, that the city of Tarnów was its fortress, he complied with the Admor's wish and came to him, and they began to debate at length on Halakha in the Six Orders of Mishnah and Talmud. The Rabbi of Dzhikov was amazed at his breadth of understanding and depth in the Halakha. After asking him for his future plans, he offered him to join his Hasidim, and he would make sure that he would not remain in this remote corner. He agreed after much pleading from the townspeople who were eager to do their Rebbe's will. The Admor, who was connected to the city of Rzeszów through family ties and most of the townspeople were his Hasidim, determined that my father would establish his home there. In 5657 [1897,] my father and his family moved to live in the city of Rzeszów. Immediately upon his arrival, a committee was organized to found a yeshiva in the city. The committee was attended by the city's leaders, although not all of them were Dzhikov Hasidim. These are the families who handed over their adult sons to my father to educate and raise them in Torah and virtues: R' Shimon Tuvia Mitz, two of his sons Mordechai Matil and Pinchas. Fron the family of R' Nathan Kaner, Yisrael Lipa, Shimon, Meir and Chaim. The sons of the brothers R' Shlomo and Yosef Shinblum, from the city's wealthiest and most influential, grandsons of HaNoda Biyhudah [Yechezkel HaLevi Landau] and HaGaon R' Yosef president of the court of the community of Poznan. His son, Shalom, passed away at the prime of his life and my father dedicated to him a pamphlet called Nahar Shalom [“River of Shalom”]. His brother Yitchak who passed away here in Israel, and R' Zev Wolf, son of R' Shlomo Shinblum, who was deeply attached to my father. The sons of

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Mendel Veksler, the sons of R' Mendel Horovitz and the son of R' Alishe Abramovitz. R' Nathan, who now serves as rabbi in America. The sons of R' David Tuchfeld Avraham, Shlomo and Naftaly who passed away in Israel. He was one of the leaders of religious Zionism and was passionate about Zion. The only son of R' Mordechai Mozes and others with talents. Besides them, there were many students outside of Rzeszów and who can remember them all. I will especially mention here the sons of R' Matish Ekshtein, R' Reuven, and R' Mendel, who were devoted students in heart and soul. R' Reuven was a great scholar and later taught in Rzeszów. R' Menachem Mendel, in addition to his greatness in the Torah was a thinker devoted to Hasidut, and the spiritual influence of my father z”l was evident in him. He wrote the book Tanai haNefesh leHashagat haHasidut [The conditions of the soul for achieving the Hasidut”]. Everyone followed my father and drank in his words with thirst. Thanks to his special teaching method, they achieved a high level of academic achievement. They became distinguished scholars with charitable qualities and were aware of everything that was happening in the Jewish world.

My father acquired many friends from all walks of life since he spoke at every opportunity to the entire community. My father was a very talented speaker. He had an original way of combining the idea built on an article by Chazal with the questions of the time, and in a language that was understandable to everyone. He articulated his idea so that even the common people always enjoyed his sermons. He often preached before them, whether at Yad Harutzim, at the Tailors Synagogue or at the “Bearers of Suffering” Synagogue. I remember from my childhood that when there was an election meeting at the Dzhikov Kloyz, for the municipality or the community, my father was the main speaker. R' Yitchak Holtzer, one of the city's leaders, a well-known and educated personality, also participated in this meeting. My father, among others, attacked the candidates including R' Yitchak. After the speech he approached him, shook his hand warmly, thanked him for his words and promised that if he were re-elected, he would put his heart into everything he demanded and fix what needed fixing for the common good. In a short time, my father became a center for all the social classes in the city. The financial situation of the teachers, especially those from Talmud Torah, was bad, their livelihood was limited and barely enough. They came to my father and poured out their hearts before him. My father suggested that they organize into a unified body and only in this way would it be possible to work to improve their situation. The teachers were scared at first because they had never heard of such things, and after he explained the matter to them thoroughly, they agreed. Then, he proceeded to draw up the regulations and named the association Mefitzey Torah [Torah Distributors]. I don't remember how long this association existed, but, apparently, they did not succeed because of fear. They were accustomed to bearing the brunt of the homeowners and their souls were low, and their spirits were despondent. These methods of “struggle” were foreign to them, and the time was not yet ripe for “revolutionary” actions such as organizing and uniting for the war of existence.

In 5658 [1898], a Hebrew school named Safa Berura^[4] was founded in Rzeszów. The teachers introduced a new method for teaching reading, instead of the Kamatz Alef Alef^[5] method which was common in the chadarim^[6]. When the news reached the people of Sanzer Kloyzil, a great commotion broke out because “new” methods were introduced. They began to consult on what to do against this “innovation.” Some of them came to Rabbi Baruch Pass, a scholar and one of my father's assistants in publishing the monthly Ohel Moed [“Tent of Meeting”], to seek his advice. By chance, my father was at R' Baruch's house at the time. They also approached him to get his opinion and asked him to write a protest to publish publicly. My father's answer was that he couldn't protest against something that had no source in the Six Orders of the Mishnah and Talmud and Poskim^[7]. His words cooled them down and they did not publicize the protest. It turns out that my father was firm in his opinion and did not give in to prohibitions that had no basis and came from excessive zeal…

Mr. Zilberman, chairman of Yad Harutzim [“Skillful Hand”] association, in which craftsmen and artisans were organized, used to visit my father and consult with him on how to prevent his members from spending their free time in a card game. My father appeared before them in popular lectures, according to their understanding, and in this way raised them to a certain level. He descended to the people “a descent for the sake of ascent” to uplift them, and in doing so, they remained faithful and attached to Judaism, observant of Torah and commandments, and protected from foreign influences that started to flow into the Jewish street.

During this period of time (5658/1898), my father began publishing the aforementioned monthly, Ohel Moed, a Talmudic literary collection in which the greats of Galicia participated. The appearance of such a monthly in Galicia was an event in the Talmudic world. The conditions he imposed on the participants who ask to print their words in the monthly were typical: “we will not accept sermons on the method of pilpul^[8] and pointed commentary on innovative issues.” For his way of learning was through logic, and every innovation needed a “home,” that is, a solid foundation in the sources. All his life he showed with his method that it is only possible to find the basis for innovations in the Talmud, and the pilpul only comes for the sake of innovation. In this way he attracted hundreds of students when he was appointed head of Yeshivat Or Torah in the city of Stanisławów [Ivano-Frankivsk] (5667/1907) after leaving Rzeszów.

In 5669 [1909], while still in Rzeszów, he published a literary newsletter called Habone [“The Builder”], and at the top of this booklet he printed the “Editor's Words to the Readers”:

”To awaken the people to work for everything good and beneficial, to publicize the activities of the communities, to offer suggestions for the improvement of the communities, and to maintain the order of religious life!”

Habone was founded for the sake of building and creating, and he stipulated that he would not accept anything that could be used to harm any party. Habone, which only appeared once, was full of Torah and scientific articles, stories from Torah scholars, drawings , poems, proverbs, etc. He was probably ahead of his time with this monthly because in the Jewish circles, in which he lived and worked, there was no proper understanding for this.

His goal in editing literary collections and writing books was unique. He intended everything solely for the purpose of raising the prestige of the Torah and Jewish wisdom: to instill a sense of pride and national religious self-awareness in the hearts of the oppressed and suffering people and, above all,

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to instill it in the hearts of his students so that they will be proud of their origins. He appears before us as a personality who combined a strong will and great ambition to work for his people and his teachings in his own ways, and by means of the talents he was endowed with. Writing and speaking, logic and explanation, penetration to the depths of thought and knowledge in order to extract precious stones from there and set them in the crown of Jewish holiness. He understood the needs of the hour, just as he saw events that were to come in the future. His keen eye watched what was happening around him and his ear was attentive to the currents of time. He felt the prevailing winds and foresaw the dangerous consequences that lay within them. Therefore, he devoted his energies to preparing dams and floodgates so that they would not wash away the best part of Judaism, the youth.

He had done his sacred work with faith and wisdom. His way was the way of truth and therefore it was full of suffering and hardship. He bestowed his spiritual assets upon his students and gave his soul and fiery soul to the Torah, faith, and virtues, more than his weak physical strength had. Those who entrusted him with the education of their sons were satisfied. They felt that he inspired his spirit on their sons.

During that period, my father published the essays of my grandfather, HaRav Gershon z”l, to the history of our relative R' Tzvi Hirsh of Rymanov. He wrote the Admor's lifestyle, his history and his rise to the title of Admor as the successor of the Admor R' Menachem Mendel Halberstam of Frysztak and Rymanov, student of R' Elimelech Weisblum of Lizhensk. My father processed the material and arranged it in the book Mevaser Tov,[“Bearer of good tidings”] in 5660 [1906)], the year of the passing of my grandfather zt”l. After several years of strenuous diligence, he surprised the Jewish world with a monograph entitled Mofet Hador [“Wonder of the Generation”], the history of our rabbi, R' Yechezkel Segal Landau president of the court of the community of Prague. These two books served as a pretext for the cooling of relations between my father and the court of the Admor of Dzhikov. A fierce dispute broke out, which developed, and its consequences could have been harmful to both sides if God had not taken measures to prevent trouble or disaster before they occurred.

When my father decided to publish the book Mevaser Tov he saw it fit to travel to Rymanov to the Admor R' Yosef son of HaRav R' Tzvi Hirsh (the Admor of Rymanov), but he was not welcomed there and the matter reached Dzhikov. The informant was R' Asher, brother of R' Yehoshua of Dzhikov and son-in-law of R' Yosef of Rymanov. Things have changed since then and my father was no longer welcomed with joy in Dzhikov. When the book Mofet Hador was published and also Habone, they searched and found two issues in it: A) the first sin was - a scientific article was printed in Habone. B) in Mofet Hador my father brought up the act of Noda Biyhudah^[9] about the Hasidim. He changed the text “for the ways of the Lord are straight, and the righteous shall walk in them, and the wicked shall stumble on them” (Hoshea 14:10), and entered “Hasidim” in place of “wicked.” The jokers said that Noda Biyhudah made Hasidim from the wicked, but in Dzhikov they had done the opposite. The second sin was greater than the first, and therefore permission was given to the defiler to attack and humiliate a great scholar like my father. But there were shameless zealots who did not sit idle. The dispute spread between the two sides, the rabbi's supporters and my father's supporters. All of his students, without exception, and also from among Dzikov's Hasidim, fought for my father's honor. Everyone understood that the reason for this dispute was the visit to Rimenov which, at that time, was embroiled in a dispute between the two Admorim houses over a purely internal family matter. Later, it became known by the divorce granted by R' Asher to the daughter of R' Yosef. This caused an insult to a third party who was not at all interested in the family feud. As long as the quarrel was internal, the wise Hasidim and the city's homeowners tried to quiet the matter. However, when matters reached the point of distributing slanderous writings outside the city of Rzeszów, my father's friends could no longer keep quiet. They went out in a major protest against “people of strife and slander” for printing slanderous words against the great and famous God-fearing rabbi, the editor of Ohel Moed and author of Mofet Hador. They warned of the insult to the Torah and the lies they spread with the intent of shedding innocent and righteous blood. They added that “the honor of the aforementioned genius rabbi is not new to them, for they know that his piety precedes his wisdom, and all his students are wise Torah scholars and God-fearing.” They advertised the protest only for residents of distant places so that, God forbid, they will not fall into the sin of those who suspect honest people,” because “vile enemies uttered evil words about the genius rabbi and his honor is free from any blemish.” The protest was signed in the following order: HaRav Berish Steinberg president of the court of Tłumacz, R' Shimon Tuvia Mintz, Yosef Shainblum, Mordechai Mozes, Shlomo Shainblum, Shimon Zeigbloum, Shlomo Teitelboim, Naftali Stiglitz, Avraham Babd, Yisrael Zilber, Mendel Weksler, HaRav Yehudah Halevi Horowitz and Kalman Droker.

This protest was printed on the month of Sivan 5664 [May 1904].

In addition to this protest, letters of encouragement came from the country's Chief Rabbis, as well as from the Dzikov Hasidim in the cities and towns. Among them R' Meir HaCohen Rapaport of Krakow and others, who were connected heart and soul to Dzikov, but that did not stop them from standing by my father's side. My father's spirit was not broken, and he continued his work as if it had not affected him.

During the days of commotion he published his innovations on Rambam's commentary to Rosh Hashana tractate, which received the consent of HaGaon R' Sholom Mordechai Schwadron (the Maharsham) of Berezhany, HaGaon R' Avraham Steinberg of Brody author of Mahazeh Avraham, HaGaon Aryeh Leibusz Horowitz author of Hare Besamim the Chief Rabbi of Stanisławów Stary, and HaGaon R' Avraham Kluger, son of HaGaon R' Shlomo Kluger (the Maharask) of Brody. When various newspaper editors asked him why he did not respond himself, and if he did not want to deal with it, they were ready to defend him, he replied: “that's precisely why I'm silent so as not to give the newspapers space and material to define themselves.”

I briefly brought this event because it concerns the city of Rzeszów. I would also like to emphasize that during the days of the dispute, many communities approached him with various proposals. One of them was the proposal of HaRav HaGaon R' Aryeh Leibusz Horowitz of Stanisławów to serve as head of Yeshivat Or Torah. My father agreed to this proposal, but the moderate people of Rzeszów, especially the Rimenov Hasidim with R' Asher Zilber at the lead, pleaded him not to leave the city. They assured him of his existence with great respect, but he did not answer them, after the suffering and heartache that was caused to him through no injustice, it was desirable for him to accept the position

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offered by HaRav HaGaon of Stanisławów. At the beginning of 5667 [1907] my father was received with great honor as head of Yeshivat Or Torah in Stanisławów. My father continued to write important books on Halakha and history. He taught great Torah scholars that many were ordained to the rabbinate and also served as rabbis in various communities. He also worked in many areas of this city until the outbreak of the First World War.

During the First World War my father moved with his family as refugees to Vienna. At the end of the war he returned to Rzeszów because the road to Stanisławów was still blocked due to the war. In those chaotic days, my father had to start all over again. From the beginning to end, because all his possessions (the large library etc.) were lost in Stanisławów. He always worried about his manuscripts that disappeared there. The housing problem in Rzeszów was serious and only thanks to his esteemed student, Zev Shainblum, we found shelter in his home until another apartment was found. The city of Rzeszów did not recover, and everyone was preoccupied with his grief and suffering.

But a man like my father did not despair. He never lost his hope despite everything he went through. He served as a source of encouragement in times of trouble to others as well and showered them with hope for better days.

Slowly, his friends and admirers gathered around him in Rzeszów, especially the younger generation, sons of his students who were thirsty to hear a new word and a new idea after the destruction of the terrible war.

My father's first activity for the youth of Rzeszów was the founding of the Habanaim [“The Builders”] association, and this is how he defined it: “the previous education, as well as the order of study, were based on thought and clarification, all their thoughts were devoted to sharpening the mind…”They invested their energy and organized a complicated network of studies. They neglected the teachings of the heart and the training of virtues, including the religious self-awareness that they did not know and did not cultivate. The results of such an education were a lack of adherence to the commandments between man and man, and Jewish morality… Furthermore, such an education lacked a foundation of clear self-awareness, leading to assimilation, the escape of youth to regular schools, and the preference for secular studies over the study of Torah and religion. The idleness and prostration before every European scholar went beyond all limits… In light of this situation, my goal with the founding of Habanaim association is to bring back neglected customs, to organize the methods of education and learning on the basis of the feelings of the heart, to increase and cultivate the Jewish spirit and self-awareness: to heighten emotion, to deepen the thought, and purify virtues based on Jewish morality stemming from the Bible and the Talmud. Because, if every Jew lives according to the Torah and the morality in it, and according to the good virtues in the relationship between man and his fellow man and between Jews and the nations, the name of the Jews will be exalted and honored. By instilling religious self-awareness in the heart, the assimilation will be prevented. And even if he continues to study wisdom and science, he will not fall into bad ways and will remain faithful to his people, and he will boast of belonging to an ancient nation that gave the entire world invaluable values…”

With great enthusiasm, the young men of Rzeszów gathered around his pure table, and I will mention a few of them that were etched in my memory: the sons of R' Avraham Babad, Avraham son of R' Yitzchak Kluger, Eliyahu Kener, the two Rosenboim brothers, Yitchak Mintz and the son of Berle' Mintz and more from the “elite” of religious youth. Every week, the young men listen to a lesson from and many of them, who excelled in outstanding talents, were appointed rabbis and continued to follow the path he had outlined for them.

In 5679 [1919], along with this blessed activity, a committee name Mefitzi Torah [“Disseminators of Torah”] was founded in Rzeszów at the initiative of the city's rabbi and community leaders, who offered my father to take the role of a permanent instructor and lecturer. The appointment was signed by all the city's dignitaries, and once again he was given the opportunity to work for the upliftment of the foundation of the Torah and morality. He considered this appointment a sacred duty, Every Shabbat afternoon he lectured at the Old Beit Midrash which was always full of people of all walks of life who came to hear his words. He always spoke about event that happened in the life of people, ins the world or in the country, such as the approval of the Balfour Declaration in San Remo, the riots in Ukraine, and the like. From 5679 to 5685 [1919- 1925] he served in this duty in Rzeszów and fulfilled it with faith and devotion despite the financial difficulties that befell him.

At that period of time, his students in America offered him come there and to take on himself the rabbinate in the community Rzeszów-Korczyna since their rabbi passed away. My father was hesitant to accept the job and leave Poland since he always had an unpleasant feeling about America. He always dreamed of immigrating to Eretz Yisrael and even discussed this matter with HaRav Kook^[10] z”l. However, since his immigration was delayed due to the political situation in Israel, he accepted the offer as a means to fulfill his dream of immigrating there in the future.

In 5686 [1926], he left Rzeszów for the second time to the sorrow of his friends and admirers who found it difficult to part from him.

As the Rabbi of the community of Rzeszów-Korczyna in America he did not forget the community Rzeszów. At every opportunity he provided financial assistance to its institutions, as well as to individuals who turned to him for help and relief. Evidence of this is the letter of R' Nathan Levin in which he asked him to support the institutions and to speak on their behalf. There too, he worked hard for the religion and Judaism. He raised the community's dignity, amended useful regulations, and his sermons every Shabbat afternoon attracted large crowds from the nearby communities. Even the Yiddish press, like Der Blatt [“The Newspaper”] and Der Morgen Zhurnal [“The Jewish Morning Journal”] praised his sermons. And when a book that he wrote was published, the review was

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full of praises. The famous critic, Peretz Wiernik, praised his books in the newspaper Der Morgen Zhurnal Tageblatt. As mentioned, America served only as a means to fulfill his aspiration for Eretz Yisrael, even though his livelihood was sufficient. For eight years he stood guard over the rabbinate there and one bright day he announced his readiness to leave America and immigrate to Eretz Yisrael. In the summer of 5693 (1933) he parted from the community and the American Jewry, who greatly admired him and found it difficult to part with him. On the way to Israel, he stayed for a few days in Rzeszów, where he delivered a sermon on the revival of Israel, which made a great impression, and with that he departed with a blessing.

Jerusalem, the Holy City, was his last stop. He spent his last years there and also designed a program to improve the economic and spiritual situation of the city's scholars. But the adventures he had gone through, and the great suffering that was his portion in life, showed their signs. Suddenly his success ended, and he passed away on 19 Elul 5697 [26 August 1937] at the age of sixty-six. May his memory be holy and blessed.

A letter written by R' Nathan Levin

1. Halakha (lit. “The Way”) is the totality of laws and ordinances that have evolved since biblical times to regulate religious observances and the daily life and conduct of the Jewish people. Return
2. Admor (pl. Admorim) is a title used in Hasidic Judaism to refer to a Hasidic rebbe, which is a spiritual leader and mentor. The term is an acronym derived from the Hebrew phrase Adonenu, Moreinu, veRabbeinu, meaning “our master, our teacher, and our rabbi,” Return
3. Divrei Torah (lit. “Words of Torah”) is a talk based on Parashat HaShavua (the weekly Torah portion). Return
4. Safa Berura (lit. “Clear Language”) refers to a type of Hebrew school historically found in Poland, which taught Hebrew language and Jewish religious subjects alongside a standard curriculum. Return
5. The Kamatz Alef Alef method is a teaching approach focused on connecting the Hebrew letter Alef with the Kamatz vowel, forming the syllable “Ah”. It emphasizes that every letter in Hebrew, including Alef, requires a vowel to produce a sound, even without explicit vowel markings Return
6. Cheder (pl. chadarim) room in Hebrew, is a traditional primary school teaching the basics of Judaism and the Hebrew language. Return
7. Posek (pl. poskim) is a legal scholar who determines the application of Halakha, the Jewish religious laws derived from the written and Oral Torah. Return
8. Pilpul is a method of studying the Talmud through intense textual analysis in attempts to either explain conceptual differences between various law rulings or to reconcile any apparent contradictions presented from various readings of different texts. Return
9. Yechezkel ben Yehuda HaLevi Landau was an influential authority in Halakha (Jewish law). He is best known for the work Noda Biyhudah [“Known in Judah”] by which title he is also known. Return
10. Abraham Isaac HaCohen Kook, known as HaRav Kook, was an Orthodox rabbi, and the first Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of British Mandatory Palestine. Return

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After his death, HaRav R' Hirsch Orenstein was accepted as president of the court in Rzeszów. He served there from 5632 [1871] until 5636 [1875], when he was accepted as president of the court in the city of Lvov [Lviv] and became famous there as a great genius. After R' Hirsch Orenstein a rabbi did not serve as president of the court in Rzeszów and HaRav R' Heschel Wallerstein served there as head of the court. He wrote a book of sermons, Sdeh Yehoshua [“The Field of Yehoshua”] and a book of responsa Kerem Yehoshua ["The Vineyard of Yehoshua"]. My father, HaRav R' Haim Yona Halpren, served as a judge in R' Heschel Wallerstein court together with R' Michaeli Tzineman. After him, HaRav R' Nathan Levin, son-in-law of HaGaon R' Yitzchak Shmelkes of Lvov, was accepted as president of the court.

Served as judges in Rzeszów: my father HaRav R' Haim Yona Halpren, HaRav Menashe Eichenstein, R' Yosali Alenboigen, R' Michaeli Tzineman and R' Mendli Reich. In the last years before the outbreak of the Second World War, many came from communities in Poland and also from big cities to litigate before the Great Court in Rzeszów. Even when I studied with R' Nathan Levin I saw people from Lvov and Krakow who came to be tried at the court in Rzeszów.

One of the personalities in Rzeszów was HaRav Berish Steinberg who was known as a Torah scholar and public activist. From near and far, people turned to him with great and complicated matters, to inquire and judge. He can be briefly defined as a wise scholar in the full sense of the word.

In his youth, R' Berish Steinberg, son of R' Avraham Menachem Steinberg of Brody author of the responsa Mahazeh Avraham, was the Rabbi of the town of Tlumacz. When he married for the second time to Hesi, a descendant of R' Yakov of Lissa [Leszno], he resided in the city of Rzeszów and served in splendor in the last years before the Second World War as president of the court in Rzeszów. His home was always wide open, he was involved with people and loved by all circles and was treated with admiration.

Besides his greatness in the Torah and his famous cleverness in everyday matters, he had charitable qualities. He was an excellent speaker and knew how to win hearts with his Divrei Torah and Aggadah, with his jokes and small talk. His outward appearance also spoke of honor.

In his lifetime his son, the young man Yitzchak z”l, whose soul was bound to his soul, passed away. His pain and suffering due to this great disaster were boundless. But still, he accepted his suffering with love, and in every joy of a mitzvah or family event, he was among the first to bring joy.

His second son, the young man Yakov hy”d, was known as a genius and the outstanding student of his grandfather, author of Mahazeh Avraham, helped him a lot in editing and printing the book, and his innovations and comments are mentioned there several times.

With the outbreak of the Second World War R' Berish Steinberg left his city Rzeszów for Lvov. Despite the dire situation, there was no sadness on his face. He encouraged and reassured all those who came into contact with him, and he himself was busy writing his novellas on Halacha and Aggadah. During the terrible Holocaust years he was sent from Lvov by Hitler's soldiers to Bochnia Ghetto, and there he was murdered on the sanctification of God's name.

As the story goes, on that night of terror and anxiety, when all the Jews of the ghetto felt that the cruel end was approaching and all signs indicated that the hours were numbered before the collective massacre, R' Berish Steinberg wrapped himself in a tallit, gathered the Jews, and with great suffering and bitter weeping, he studied and taught Torah and morality. Immediately after this, he was taken out with the rest of the Jews to be killed. In this manner the soul of R' Berish Steinberg left in holiness and purity.

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Reb Yosef Reich was one of the wonderful personalities who imprinted his stamp upon Jewish Rzeszow. The elders of Rzeszow of our generation remember him in his youth: a sharp and intelligent lad, full of energy, mischievous, “Der Roiter Yossel” (Yosef the Red). He was involved in all practical jokes and tricks that took place in the “Tzanzer Kloiz”, and he was the living spirit behind them. All of this was between lessons, between absorbing entire pages of Talmud, decisors and commentaries, and delving deeply into the four sections of the “Shulchan Aruch” (Code of Jewish Law) and Responsa. Suddenly, as if in a night, the man became serious, he grew up, and he straightened out his tall stature – and before us there was Reb Yosef Reich, or “The Rebbe”, as he was referred to by his students: “The term Rebbe without a proper name refers to Reb Yosef Reich”.

His father, Reb Menachem Mendel Reich (Reb Mendele the Judge) arrived in Rzeszow from Stryszow, and was a member of the rabbinical court. He was an expert decisor in areas of permissions and prohibitions. He was quiet and modest. Reb Mendele the Judge had two sons, Reb Chaim and Reb Yosef. Reb Chaim was a great scholar who occupied himself with business. Reb Yosef made Torah his vocation. Reb Yosef had a phenomenal memory. He was an expert in Talmud and its commentaries. He knew the four sections of the Shulchan Aruch by heart along with the commentary of the Rema. He was a great expert in books of Responsa, homiletics and moral teaching.

At first, he earned his living from teaching children. Every Torah oriented lad studied with Reb Yosef Reich. This was the highest rung of education. After they studied with Reb Yosef Reich, the lads would continue to study in the Beis Midrash on their own, without the help of a teacher. Everyone was accepted to his classes, provided that they wished to study. It is difficult to understand how he supported his large family, replete with small children. He never demanded a fee from his students. When his students brought him his tuition on Rosh Chodesh, he would put it in the pocket of his kapote without even looking at it to determine how much they had given him. I recall that once, one of the students was brazen enough to ask him why he is acting so. Reb Yosef answered that this is the law: “Behold I have taught you laws and statutes”. Our sages of blessed memory explain: “Just as I have done so without payment, you also do so without payment”. “Despite this, you are taking money”, asked the student. Then Reb Yosef answered him with his sense of humor: “I teach you for free, and you give me money for free.”

Nevertheless, even the money that he received on Rosh Chodesh was not sufficient to completely sustain his household. When he received the money, he would first send emissaries from among his students to repay the loans that he took out for various people in need, and for the good-for-nothings and tramps who came daily to the Beis Midrash, some with a letter of approbation in their hands, and others without. The students had to go about begging on Thursdays, and in the meantime, Reb Yosef was giving “his” money to those in need. If he did not have any, and for the most part, he did not have any money, he would send his students to obtain loans from businessmen who were his friends. On Rosh Chodesh, when he received the tuition payments, he would pay his debts, and his money ran out before he even got home.

As a teacher, he was not dependent on the parents of the students, as were other teachers. Since he did not demand payment and did not engage in any discussion of this sort with the parents of the students, they were not exacting with him. He was also not exacting with the hours of study. Reb Yosef set up his place in the Beis Midrash that stood between the large Kloiz and the synagogue. Unlike the Kloiz, where the Hassidim worshipped in a quorum [minyan] during all hours of the morning until noon, the Ashkenazim worshipped with only one quorum in the Beis Midrash. The Beis Midrash was empty all day, and therefore Reb Yosef set up his place there. His lesson extended from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. In practice, only rarely did they study for these hours.

Reb Yosef Reich was one of the two mohalim [circumcisors] in the city. Reb Elisha Abramovitch, a Hassid of Dzykow and a merchant of Hungarian wines for Kiddush and Havdallah, was an elderly and veteran mohel. Reb Yosef was young, and possessed fine interpersonal skills. Days without a circumcision were very rare in our city. At times, there were five and six in a day. He often had to travel to the nearby villages. There were occasions when he spent the Sabbath in the village, when the eighth day would fall on the Sabbath. As a mohel (without expectation of reward) Reb Yosef was occupied daily, and the students waited for him impatiently, for one hour, two hours, three. Sometimes, they hurried him along right after the conclusion of prayers in the Kloiz, and he did not have the chance to put on the Tefillin of Rabbeinu Tam. Only after he returned to the Beis Midrash from the circumcision did he put on the Tefillin of Rabbeinu Tam (without a tallis). He then sat at the table to teach. Even when he came late he did not begin the lesson right away. First he would tell a few “stories” of Tzadikim, slowly and deliberately, for Reb Yosef was a conversationalist. With a smile on his lips, as he was smoking a cigarette and puffing out a long column of smoke from the tip of the cigarette, and with an inviting, penetrating glance from his small, alert eyes, he told stories that instilled the trust in Tzadikim to the hearts of his students. Through these discussions, hundreds of his students were educated in the fear of Heaven, Hassidism, and good, upright character traits. Only after this discussion did he begin to deliver the lesson with Hassidic enthusiasm and clear explanation. Often enough, the discussions lasted longer than the lesson itself. Reb Yosef Reich was a natural educator, and he knew that education in fear of Heaven and good traits is more difficult than teaching Gemara. He accomplished this wonderfully through his many discussions.

Reb Yosef was one of the Hassidim of the lineage of Tzanz. He would travel to Reb Simcha Yissachar Ber of holy blessed memory of Cieszanow, and he was one of his enthusiastic Hassidim. After the death of the Rebbe of Cieszanow, Reb Yosef was left without a Rebbe, even though he would frequent all of the Admorim who lived in Rzeszow, Reb Elazarel, and the Rebbes of Rozwadow, Plancz, Zielona, Blazowa, and Kolaczyce. However, in truth, he himself was like a Rebbe of Hassidim. He worshiped in the Large Kloiz, where he served as a prayer leader on Sabbaths, festivals, and particularly on the High Holy days. After the death of Reb Shlomo Teitelbaum, Reb Yosef also lead the Yom Kippur Katan services on each eve of Rosh Chodesh. His deep voice made both the walls and the hearts tremble.

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He read the Torah there every Sabbath. He read the Megillah on Purim. He blew the Shofar there. He taught a class on the weekly Torah portion on Friday nights in the presence of a large gathering. He also conducted a Seuda Shlishit (Third Sabbath Meal) like one of the Admorim.

Reb Yosef was by nature a zealous Hassid. He opposed Zionism and Mizrachi. Even Aguda did not satisfy him. Nevertheless he was well received by everybody, and lived in peace with everybody. He was a man of friendship. Reb David Hager, an Agudist, was one of his personal friends. One could see him go on long walks and share confidences with Naftali Tuchfeld, the energetic Mizrachi activist. He would share exciting conversation, filled with humor, with the Zionists Eli Wang and Yaakov Alter. Reb Yosef knew how to get along with people. His entire appearance commanded respect: his dress was Hassidic in the style of Galician clergymen – a long black kapote, a velvet hat, half-shoes, and on the Sabbath – silk clothes, a streimel and white socks. One could never find a stain on his clothes. His peyos were neat, and his long, red beard was combed, and flowed over his ironed, shiny clothes.

On the 22^nd of Iyar 5678 (the day after the national Polish holiday of May 3^rd, 1918 [other sources cite the year as 1919] the Poles perpetrated a pogrom against the Jews of Rzeszow. They broke into the Kloiz during the time of prayers, and dealt the Jews deathly blows. A tumult broke out, and some succeeded in escaping. Reb Yosef jumped out of the window and broke his leg. He was laid up for months, and suffered greatly, until he was able to go out with a cane. Nevertheless, his energy and diligence were not diminished. With the same characteristic diligence, he ran to the Mikva at daybreak during the summer and winter, in the rain and snow. From there he went to the Beis Midrash to present his class before prayers. From there, he went to the Kloiz to worship, and he then returned to the Beis Midrash or went to a circumcision, as if nothing happened.

Reb Yosef was tied with all the strands of his soul to Rzeszow. His name went out before him as a great scholar and Halachic decisor. He was offered the rabbinic seat in various places, including the opportunity to take the place of Reb Shmuel Engel of blessed memory of Kashau as the head of the rabbinical court. However, he refused to leave Rzeszow. Later on, after the death of his father, he was accepted as a judge in Rzeszow, and sat on the court of the rabbi of the city, Reb Aharon Lewin, may G-d avenge his blood. His economic situation thereby improved.

It is told that the Nazis beat him with cruel blows on his lame leg and on his entire body, until his soul left him in purity. May G-d avenge his blood.

The Yeshiva of Reb Yosef Reich in Rzeszow (Photo: A. Kacyzna)

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