Kuzmir is a Hasidic dynasty founded by Rebbe Yechezkel Taub (1772–1856), a disciple of Yaakov Yitzchak (the Seer of Lublin),

Yisroel Hopstein Yisroel Hopstein (1737–1814), also known as the Maggid of Kozhnitz, was the founder of Kozhnitz Hasidism, and a noted '' hasidic'' leader in Poland during the late 18th and early 19th century. He was a student of both the Magid/Dov Ber of Me ...

(the Kozhnitser Magid) and Shmuel of Karov. Kuzmir is the

Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ve ...

name of

Kazimierz Dolny Kazimierz Dolny () is a small historic town in eastern Poland, on the right (eastern) bank of the Vistula river in Puławy County, Lublin Voivodeship. Historically it belongs to Lesser Poland, and in the past it was one of the most important citi ...

, a town in present-day

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

. The dynasty's branches include the Yablono, Zvolin and Modzitz dynasties, as well as

Kfar Hasidim Kfar Hasidim ( he, כְּפַר חֲסִידִים, ''lit.'' Village of Hasidim), also known as Kfar Hasidim Alef to distinguish it from Kfar Hasidim Bet, is a moshav in northern Israel. Located near Kiryat Ata, it falls under the jurisdiction o ...

, a moshav in

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

. The title of was revived for its current holder,

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 ...

Pinchas Moshe Taub, the brother of the present Modzitzer Rebbe.

Lineage

* Grand Rabbi Yechezkel Taub of Kuzmir (died 1856) ** Grand Rabbi David Zvi of Yablona (d. 1882), son of the Kuzmirer, disciple of Menachem Mendel Morgensztern of Kotzk ** Grand Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu Taub of Zvolin (d. 1888), son of the Kuzmirer *** Grand Rabbi Moshe Aharon of Zvolin (d. 1918) *** Grand Rabbi Yisrael Taub of Modzitz, (1849–1920), author of ''Divrei Yisrael'', son of the Zvoliner **** Grand Rabbi Shaul Yedidya Elazar Taub of Modzitz (1886–1947), author of ''Imrei Shaul'' and ''Yisa Bracha'', son of the ''Divrei Yisrael'' ***** Grand Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu Taub (1905–1984), the ''Imrei Eish'', son of the ''Imrei Shaul'' ****** Grand Rabbi Yisrael Dan Taub of Modzitz (1928–2006), author of ''Nachalas Dan'', son of the ''Imrei Aish'' ******* Grand Rabbi

Chaim Shaul Taub The name ''Haim'' can be a first name or surname originating in the Hebrew language, or deriving from the Old German name ''Haimo''. Hebrew etymology Chayyim ( he, חַיִּים ', Classical Hebrew: , Israeli Hebrew: ), also transcribed ''Haim ...

of Modzitz, current Modzitzer Rebbe in Israel, son of the ''Nachalas Dan'' ******* Grand Rabbi Pinchas Moshe Taub of Kuzmir, son of the ''Nachalas Dan''

History

Grand Rabbi Yechezkel Taub

Yechezkel Taub was born in

Płońsk Płońsk (; yi, פּלאָנסק, Plonsk) is a town in central Poland with 22,500 inhabitants (2010). Situated at the Płonka river in the historic region of Mazovia, it is the seat of Płońsk County in the Masovian Voivodeship. History Ac ...

in 1772. His father was Tzvi Hersh. Taub was a student of the Chozeh of Lublin and the Kohznitzer Maggid and he established

yeshiva A yeshiva (; he, ישיבה, , sitting; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy are st ...

s and a type of Hasidic teaching that was similar to that of his rebbes. He grew famous for his musical talents and composed many Hasidic melodies. He died in Kuzmir on the 17th day of

Shevat Shevat (Hebrew: שְׁבָט, Standard ''Šəvaṭ'', Tiberian ''Šeḇāṭ''; from Akkadian ''Šabātu'') is the fifth month of the civil year starting in Tishre (or Tishri) and the eleventh month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew cale ...

in 1856. Thousands of Jews, including Rabbi Shlomo Rabinowicz of Radomsk, Rabbi Nosson Dovid of Shidlovtza and Rabbi Yisroel Yitzchok of Radoshitz escorted the deceased to his burial. Taub's teachings are collected in ''Neḥmad mi-zahav'' (1909).

Grand Rabbi Pinchas Moshe Taub

Rabbi Pinchas Moshe Taub is the second son of the fourth Modzhitzer Rebbe, Rabbi Yisrael Dan Taub, while his older brother, Rabbi

, is the fifth and current Modzhitzer Rebbe . In 2020, Taub collapsed at his granddaughter's wedding in Bnei Brak. He was hospitalized in critical condition, but later recovered.

Yabloner Rebbes

The Yabloner Chasidus was started by a grandson of the first Kuzmirer Rebbe, Rabbi Yechezkel, and continued for three generations. The Yabloner lineage consisted of Rabbi Yosef Moshe Taub, Rabbi Yaakov Taub, and the final Rebbe leading up to 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; ...

, Rabbi Yechezkel Taub, named after the Kuzmir founding rebbe. The latter started moving the chasidus toward

religious Zionism Religious Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת דָּתִית, Romanization of Hebrew, translit. ''Tziyonut Datit'') is an ideology that combines Zionism and Orthodox Judaism. Its adherents are also referred to as ''Dati Leumi'' ( "National Religiou ...

, and founded Kfar Hasidim. He became irreligious for about 40 years after the Holocaust mostly destroyed his following. He returned to

Orthodox Judaism Orthodox Judaism is the collective term for the traditionalist and theologically conservative branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as revealed by God to Moses ...

and to his role as Rebbe at Kfar Hasidim in the last few years of his life.

References