Chanoch Henoch Bornsztain (died 23 September 1965), also spelled Borenstein or Bernstein, was the fourth

Rebbe A Rebbe ( yi, רבי, translit=rebe) or Admor ( he, אדמו״ר) is the spiritual leader in the Hasidic movement, and the personalities of its dynasties.Heilman, Samuel"The Rebbe and the Resurgence of Orthodox Judaism."''Religion and Spiritua ...

of the Sochatchov

Hasidic Hasidism, sometimes spelled Chassidism, and also known as Hasidic Judaism (Ashkenazi Hebrew: חסידות ''Ḥăsīdus'', ; originally, "piety"), is a Jewish religious group that arose as a spiritual revival movement in the territory of contem ...

dynasty. He acceded to the position of Rebbe following the death of his older brother, Rabbi

Dovid Bornsztain Dovid Bornsztain (1876 – 17 November 1942), also spelled Borenstein, Bornstein and Bernstein, known as the Chasdei Dovid, was the third Rebbe of the Sochatchov Hasidic dynasty. He succeeded his father, Rabbi Shmuel Bornsztain, as Rebbe u ...

, the third Sochatchover Rebbe, who died in the

Warsaw Ghetto The Warsaw Ghetto (german: Warschauer Ghetto, officially , "Jewish Residential District in Warsaw"; pl, getto warszawskie) was the largest of the Nazi ghettos during World War II and the Holocaust. It was established in November 1940 by the G ...

during the

Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; a ...

. Rabbi Dovid's children were also killed during the Holocaust, leaving no survivors. As Rabbi Chanoch Henoch had moved to

Mandatory Palestine Mandatory Palestine ( ar, فلسطين الانتدابية '; he, פָּלֶשְׂתִּינָה (א״י) ', where "E.Y." indicates ''’Eretz Yiśrā’ēl'', the Land of Israel) was a geopolitical entity established between 1920 and 1948 ...

and established a

beth midrash A ''beth midrash'' ( he, בית מדרש, or ''beis medrash'', ''beit midrash'', pl. ''batei midrash'' "House of Learning") is a hall dedicated for Torah study, often translated as a "study hall." It is distinct from a synagogue (''beth kness ...

in Jerusalem during the 1920s, his assumption of the title of

Admor A Rebbe ( yi, רבי, translit=rebe) or Admor ( he, אדמו״ר) is the spiritual leader in the Hasidic movement, and the personalities of its dynasties.Heilman, Samuel"The Rebbe and the Resurgence of Orthodox Judaism."''Religion and Spiritua ...

relocated the Sochatchover dynasty from its home in Poland to the new state of Israel, where it flourishes to this day.

Biography

Chanoch Henoch Bornsztain was the second son of Rabbi Shmuel Bornsztain, the ''Shem MiShmuel'', the second Sochatchover Rebbe, and his wife, Yuta Leah. He grew up in the presence of his illustrious grandfather, Rabbi

Avrohom Bornsztain Avrohom Bornsztain (14 October 1838 – 7 February 1910), also spelled Avraham Borenstein or Bernstein, was a leading posek in late-nineteenth-century Europe and founder and first Rebbe of the Sochatchover Hasidic dynasty. He is known as the ...

, also known as the ''Avnei Nezer'', who founded the Sochatchover dynasty. In 1924, Bornsztain accompanied his brother Rabbi Dovid Bornsztain to Palestine for the purpose of acquiring land to establish a Hasidic settlement. His brother put a down payment on a plot of land south of

Ramle Ramla or Ramle ( he, רַמְלָה, ''Ramlā''; ar, الرملة, ''ar-Ramleh'') is a city in the Central District of Israel. Today, Ramle is one of Israel's mixed cities, with both a significant Jewish and Arab populations. The city was f ...

. When he returned to Poland to raise the rest of the money, however, his plan was thwarted by an economic depression that hit Poland shortly after his return. He eventually lost his rights to the land, as well as the money he had invested in it. Meanwhile, Bornsztain stayed in Jerusalem, living first in the Bucharim neighborhood and then settling in the new

Bayit VeGan Bayit VeGan ( he, בית וגן, lit. ''House and Garden'') is a neighborhood in southwest Jerusalem. Bayit VeGan is located to the east of Mount Herzl and borders the neighborhoods of Kiryat HaYovel and Givat Mordechai. History Bronze Age A 4,0 ...

neighborhood, where he established a beth midrash (study hall). Upon the death of their father in 1926, Dovid Bornsztain acceded to the leadership of the Sochatchover Hasidim, while Chanoch Henoch Bornsztain continued to live and study in Palestine. After World War II, when Bornsztain heard about the death of his brother Dovid in the

, he was inconsolable. Later, he accepted the request of the Sochatchover Hasidim to be their leader. He established his court in Jerusalem, preferring to remain in that city even during the

1948 Arab-Israeli war Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect. ** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...

, when his followers in Tel Aviv urged him to join him there.Growise, Yisroel Alter. ''The Sochatchover Rebbe, Harav Menachem Shlomo Bornstein, zt"l, 40 Years Since His Tragic Passing''. ''Hamodia'' Features section, 27 August 2009, pp. C4-5. Bornsztain led the Hasidut until his death on 23 September 1965 (26

Elul Elul ( he, אֱלוּל, Standard ''ʾElūl'', Tiberian ''ʾĔlūl'') is the twelfth month of the Jewish civil year and the sixth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a month of 29 days. Elul usually occurs in August� ...

5725). He is buried on

Har HaMenuchot Har HaMenuchot ( he, הר המנוחות, Ashkenazi Jews, Ashkenazi pronunciation, Har HaMenuchos, lit. "Mount of Those who are Resting", also known as Givat Shaul Cemetery) is the largest cemetery in Jerusalem. The hilltop burial ground lies at ...

in Jerusalem. His son, Rabbi

Menachem Shlomo Bornsztain Menachem Shlomo Bornsztain (11 October 1934–10 August 1969), also spelled Borenstein, Bornstein, or Bernstein, was the fifth Rebbe of the Sochatchov Hasidic dynasty. He acceded to the position of Rebbe following the death of his father, Rabb ...

, succeeded him as Rebbe.

Rebbes of Sochatchov

, the ''Avnei Nezer'' (1838–1910) # Shmuel Bornsztain, the ''Shem Mishmuel'' (1856–1926) #

(1876–1942) # Chanoch Henoch Bornsztain (d. 1965) #

(1934–1969) # Shmuel Bornsztain (b. 1961)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bornsztain, Chanoch Henoch Rebbes of Sochatchov 20th-century Israeli rabbis Israeli Hasidic rabbis Polish Hasidic rabbis Polish emigrants to Israel Hasidic rabbis in Mandatory Palestine 1965 deaths Year of birth missing