Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah (, "Council of great Torah

ages Ages may refer to: *Advanced glycation end-products, known as AGEs *Ages, Kentucky, census-designated place, United States * ''Ages'' (album) by German electronic musician Edgar Froese *The geologic time scale, a system of chronological measuremen ...

) is the supreme

rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

nical policy-making council of the

Agudat Yisrael Agudat Yisrael ( he, אֲגוּדָּת יִשְׂרָאֵל, lit., ''Union of Israel'', also transliterated ''Agudath Israel'', or, in Yiddish, ''Agudas Yisroel'') is a Haredi Jewish political party in Israel. It began as a political party re ...

and

Degel HaTorah Degel HaTorah ( he, דגל התורה, , Banner of the Torah) is an Ashkenazi Haredi political party in Israel. For much of its existence, it has been allied with Agudat Yisrael, under the name United Torah Judaism. History Degel HaTorah was ...

movements in Israel; and of

Agudath Israel of America Agudath Israel of America ( he, אגודת ישראל באמריקה) (also called Agudah) is an American organization that represents Haredi Orthodox Jews. It is loosely affiliated with the international World Agudath Israel. Agudah seeks to ...

in the United States. Members are usually prestigious

Roshei Yeshiva Rosh yeshiva ( he, ראש ישיבה, pl. he, ראשי ישיבה, '; Anglicized pl. ''rosh yeshivas'') is the title given to the dean of a yeshiva, a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primar ...

(heads of

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 s ...

s) or

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 ...

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 ...

s, who are also usually regarded by many Haredi

Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

to be the Gedolim ("great/est") sages of

Torah Judaism Torah Judaism is used by Orthodox Jewish groups to describe their Judaism as being based on an adherence to the Torah's mitzvot, as expounded in Orthodox ''halakha''. These mitzvot include both the biblical and rabbinic mitzvot. The phrase ''To ...

. Before

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 ...

, it was the supreme authority for the

World Agudath Israel World Agudath Israel ( he, אגודת ישראל), usually known as the Aguda, was established in the early twentieth century as the political arm of Ashkenazi Torah Judaism. It succeeded ''Agudas Shlumei Emunei Yisroel'' (Union of Faithful Jewry ...

in Europe.

Name

The component words of the name are transliterated in a variety of ways. This is frequently done as Moetzet, and less frequently as Gedolai and ha-Torah or ha Torah. The phrase is regularly shortened to Moetzes or The Moetzah.

History

Europe

Prior to

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, only one such body existed, the

. The Council of Torah Sages was established following the establishment of Agudath Israel in

Katowice Katowice ( , , ; szl, Katowicy; german: Kattowitz, yi, קאַטעוויץ, Kattevitz) is the capital city of the Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland and the central city of the Upper Silesian metropolitan area. It is the 11th most popul ...

in 1912. It was decided at the time that two councils would be set up for the movement: a council of homeowners, and a council of rabbis, composed of leading rabbis from around the world.

United States

The Moetzes of

serve as religious decisors, leadership, and political and policy liaisons with state and federal government agencies on behalf of many American Haredi Jews. The council, consisting primarily of

rosh yeshiva Rosh yeshiva ( he, ראש ישיבה, pl. he, ראשי ישיבה, '; Anglicized pl. ''rosh yeshivas'') is the title given to the dean of a yeshiva, a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primar ...

s and Hasidic rebbes, directs Agudath's policies and leadership. Formerly known as the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah, the body was founded in 1948. It sets all major policies, and guides the organization according to its precepts of

Da'as Torah Rabbinic authority in Judaism relates to the theological and communal authority attributed to rabbis and their pronouncements in matters of Jewish law. The extent of rabbinic authority differs by various Jewish groups and denominations throughout ...

Israel

The Moetzes of

likewise constituted the

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 ...

Ashkenazic Ashkenazi Jews ( ; he, יְהוּדֵי אַשְׁכְּנַז, translit=Yehudei Ashkenaz, ; yi, אַשכּנזישע ייִדן, Ashkenazishe Yidn), also known as Ashkenazic Jews or ''Ashkenazim'',, Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation: , singu ...

Haredi community's religious policy leadership, and exercises strong control over political matters for strongly observant

Israelis Israelis ( he, יִשְׂרָאֵלִים‎, translit=Yīśrāʾēlīm; ar, الإسرائيليين, translit=al-ʾIsrāʾīliyyin) are the citizens and nationals of the State of Israel. The country's populace is composed primarily of Jew ...

, such as joining government coalitions. Prior to

's late 1980s break from

Agudat Israel Agudat Yisrael ( he, אֲגוּדָּת יִשְׂרָאֵל, lit., ''Union of Israel'', also transliterated ''Agudath Israel'', or, in Yiddish, ''Agudas Yisroel'') is a Haredi Jewish political party in Israel. It began as a political party re ...

(because of the dominance of the Polish Hasidic groups), there was only one Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah in Israel. With the breakaway of the Lithuanian/"yeshivish" faction (led by Rabbi Rabbi Elazar Shach), two separate, at times complementary, councils were created. The Haredi

Sephardi Jews Sephardic (or Sephardi) Jews (, ; lad, Djudíos Sefardíes), also ''Sepharadim'' , Modern Hebrew: ''Sfaradim'', Tiberian: Səp̄āraddîm, also , ''Ye'hude Sepharad'', lit. "The Jews of Spain", es, Judíos sefardíes (or ), pt, Judeus sefar ...

of Israel had also at one time followed the leadership of the Moetzet of Agudat Yisrael when it was still a body that generally spoke for most of Israel's Haredim. Eventually, however, the Haredi Sephardim broke with their Ashkenazi counterparts (again because of the dominance of the Polish Hasidic groups), and established the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah ("Council of

ise Ise may refer to: Places * Ise, Mie, a city in Japan **Ise Grand Shrine, a Shinto shrine located in Ise, Mie * Ise Ekiti, a city in Nigeria *Ise, Norway, a village in Norway *Ise Province, an ancient province of Japan * River Ise, a tributary of th ...

Torah Sages"), which in turn became the source for the formulation and expression of the policies and agenda of the

Shas Shas ( he, ש״ס) is a Haredi religious political party in Israel. Founded in 1984 under the leadership of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, a former Israeli Sephardi chief rabbi, who remained its spiritual leader until his death in October 2013, it primarily ...

political party in the Israeli

Knesset The Knesset ( he, הַכְּנֶסֶת ; "gathering" or "assembly") is the unicameral legislature of Israel. As the supreme state body, the Knesset is sovereign and thus has complete control of the entirety of the Israeli government (with ...

. Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef became the main leadership figure of this council.

Members – Europe

(Kattowitz),

German Empire The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...

in 1912 were appointed to the council Rabbi

Avraham Mordechai Alter Avraham Mordechai Alter ( pl, Abraham Mordekhaj Alter, he, אברהם מרדכי אלתר; 25 December 1865 – 3 June 1948), also known as the ''Imrei Emes'' after the works he authored, was the fourth Rebbe of the Hasidic dynasty of Ger, a po ...

(1866–1948) Rebbe of Ger (Chairman), Rabbi Sholom Dovber Schneerson Rebbe of

Chabad Chabad, also known as Lubavitch, Habad and Chabad-Lubavitch (), is an Orthodox Jewish Hasidic dynasty. Chabad is one of the world's best-known Hasidic movements, particularly for its outreach activities. It is one of the largest Hasidic group ...

, Rabbi

Chaim Soloveitchik Chaim (Halevi) Soloveitchik (Yiddish: חיים סאָלאָווייטשיק, pl, Chaim Sołowiejczyk), also known as Reb Chaim Brisker (1853 – 30 July 1918), was a rabbi and Talmudic scholar credited as the founder of the popular Brisker appr ...

, Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac Halevy, Rabbi

Meir Simcha of Dvinsk Meir Simcha of Dvinsk (1843–1926) was a rabbi and prominent leader of Orthodox Judaism in Eastern Europe in the early 20th century. He was a kohen, and is therefore often referred to as ''Meir Simcha ha-Kohen'' ("Meir Simcha the Kohen"). He is k ...

, Rabbi

Chaim Ozer Grodzinski Chaim Ozer Grodzinski ( he, חיים עוזר גראדזענסקי; August 24, 1863 – August 9, 1940) was a ''Av beis din'' (rabbinical chief justice), '' posek'' (halakhic authority), and Talmudic scholar in Vilnius, Lithuania in the late 19 ...

, Rabbi Itzela of Ponevezh, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Breuer, Rabbi Ze'ev Feilchenfeld of Posen, Rabbi

David Zvi Hoffmann David Zvi Hoffmann (November 24, 1843, Verbó, Austrian Empire – November 20, 1921, Berlin) (Hebrew: דוד צבי הופמן), was an Orthodox Rabbi and Torah Scholar. He headed the Yeshiva in Berlin, and published research on the Pent ...

, Rabbi Kopel Reich of

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

. At the great congress in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

in 1923, the Council included: the

Chofetz Chaim The '' Sefer'' ''Chafetz Chaim'' (or ''Chofetz Chaim'' or ''Hafetz Hayim'') ( he, חָפֵץ חַיִּים, trans. "Desirer of Life") is a book by Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan, who is also called "the Chofetz Chaim" after it. The book deals wit ...

, the Gerrer Rebbe, Rabbi Yisroel Friedman the Chortkov Rebbe, Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski, Rabbi

Meir Arik Rabbi Meir Arik (1855–1925) was a famous Galician Torah scholar. Arik was a talmid of the "Kochav MiYaakov," R. Yaakov Weidenfeld. He was so highly respected by the leading Rabbis of his generation that following the death of Rabbi Schwadron ...

, Rabbi

Yitzchak Zelig Morgenstern Yitzchak Zelig Morgenstern of Kotzk-Sokolov (Hebrew: יצחק זליג מורגנשטרן, מסוקולוב, Yiddish: זעליג מארגענשטערן, מסאקאלאוו, of Sokolov; 1866 - 16 October 1939 (3 Cheshvan 5700)) was an Admor and Ros ...

the Admor of Sokolov, Rabbi Mordechai Yosef Elazar Leiner the Admor of Radzin, Rabbi

Meir Dan Plotzky Meir Dan Plotsky (or Plotski) (1866 - March 27, 1928) was a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah and the president of Kollel Polen, a talmudic scholar who authored the ''Kli Chemdah'', a commentary on the ''Torah''. He also authored the ''Chemda ...

, Rabbi

Moshe Mordechai Epstein Moshe Mordechai Epstein (1866–1933) was rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Knesseth Yisrael in Slabodka, Lithuania and is recognized as having been one of the leading Talmudists of the twentieth century. He is also one of the founders of the city of Had ...

, Rabbi Meir Shapira of Lublin, Rabbi Avraham Mendel Steinberg of Brod, Rabbi Kalman Weber of Piestany, and Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Breuer. In 1937, the members of the Council were: Rabbi

, Rabbi Yitzchak Menachem Mendel Danziger of Aleksander, 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 ...

of Sochatchov, Rabbi Avraham Yaakov Friedman of

Sadigura Sadhora ( uk, Садгора; german: Sadagora; pl, Sadagóra; ro, Sadagura; yi, סאדיגורא Sadigora, also Sadagura and Sadiger) is a settlement in Ukraine, now a Sadhirskyi District of Chernivtsi city, which is located 6 km from the ...

, Rabbi Mordechai Shalom Yosef Friedman of Przemysl, Rabbi

Elchonon Wasserman Elchonon Bunim Wasserman ( he, אלחנן בונים וסרמן; 18746 July 1941) was a prominent rabbi and rosh yeshiva (dean) in prewar Europe. He was one of the closest students of Yisrael Meir Kagan (the Chofetz Chaim) and a noted Talmid Chac ...

, Rabbi Aharon Levin, Rabbi

Aharon Kotler Aharon Kotler (1892–1962) was an Orthodox Jewish rabbi and a prominent leader of Orthodox Judaism in Lithuania and the United States; the latter being where he founded Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood Township, New Jersey. Early life Kotler w ...

, Rabbi Ben Zion Yoezer (Rabbi of

Turda Turda (; hu, Torda, ; german: link=no, Thorenburg; la, Potaissa) is a city in Cluj County, Transylvania, Romania. It is located in the southeastern part of the county, from the county seat, Cluj-Napoca, to which it is connected by the Europe ...

and President of the Federation of the Association of Ultra-Orthodox Communities in

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

), Rabbi Dov Ber

Av Beit Din The ''av beit din'' ( ''ʾabh bêth dîn'', "chief of the court" or "chief justice"), also spelled ''av beis din'' or ''abh beth din'' and abbreviated ABD (), was the second-highest-ranking member of the Sanhedrin during the Second Temple period, ...

of Ozarkov, Rabbi Moshe Blum Av Beit Din of Zamosc, Rabbi

Zalman Sorotzkin Zalman Sorotzkin, also known as the Lutzker Rav ( he, זלמן סורוצקין; 1881–1966), was an Orthodox rabbi who served as the rabbi of Lutsk, Ukraine. By the end of his life he was noted for his leadership of Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah (Counc ...

, Rabbi

Yehuda Leib Tsirelson Yehuda Leib Tsirelson (1859 in Kozelets, Chernihiv Oblast – 1941 in Kishinev, Soviet Union) was the Chief Rabbi of Bessarabia, a member of the Romanian parliament, and a prominent Jewish leader and posek. Biography Yehuda Leib Tsirelson was t ...

, Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky, Rabbi Menachem Ziemba, Rabbi Mordechai Rotenberg, Rabbi of

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

, Rabbi Akiva Sofer, and Rabbi Shmuel Dovid Ungar. The council's president was Rabbi

Members – Israel

Past members

* Yehuda Ades, rosh yeshiva of Kol Yaakov etired* Rav Joseph Ber Soloveitchik from 1936-1949- joined Mizrachi ied 1995*

Pinchas Menachem Alter Pinchas Menachem Alter ( he, פינחס מנחם אלתר, June 9, 1926 – March 7, 1996), also known as the ''Pnei Menachem'' (), after the works he authored, was the seventh Rebbe of the Hasidic dynasty of Ger, a position he held from 1992 un ...

, Rebbe of Ger (Chairman) ied 1996*

Simcha Bunim Alter Simcha Bunim Alter ( he, שמחה בונים אלתר; April 6, 1898 – August 6, 1992), also known as the ''Lev Simcha'' (), after the works he authored, was the sixth Rebbe of the Hasidic dynasty of Ger, a position he held from 1977 until his ...

, Rebbe of Ger (Chairman) ied 1992*

Yisrael Alter Yisrael Alter ( pl, Izrael Alter, Hebrew: ; October 1895 – 20 February 1977), also known as the ''Beit Yisrael'', after the works he authored, was the fifth Rebbe of the Hasidic Judaism, Hasidic dynasty of Ger (Hasidic dynasty), Ger, a position ...

, Rebbe of Ger (Chairman) ied 1977*

Shlomo Zalman Auerbach Shlomo Zalman Auerbach ( he, שלמה זלמן אויערבאך; July 20, 1910 – February 20, 1995) was a renowned Orthodox Jewish rabbi, posek, and rosh yeshiva of the Kol Torah yeshiva in Jerusalem. The Jerusalem neighborhood Ramat Shlomo i ...

, Rosh Yeshiva of

Kol Torah Kol Torah is a yeshiva in the Bayit Vegan neighborhood of Jerusalem. History Yeshivas Kol Torah was founded in 1939 by Yechiel Michel Schlesinger (1898–1948), born in Hamburg, Germany and Boruch Kunstadt, a dayan from Fulda, Germany. It wa ...

ied 1995*

Yosef Shalom Eliashiv Yosef Shalom Elyashiv ( he, יוסף שלום אלישיב; 10 April 1910 – 18 July 2012) was a Haredi Rabbi and ''posek'' (arbiter of Jewish law) who lived in Jerusalem. Until his death at the age of 102, Rav Elyashiv was the paramount lead ...

, prominent Posek (Co-Chairman) ied 2012*

Aryeh Finkel Aryeh Finkel (1931–2016) was a Haredi Rabbi and Rosh Yeshiva of the Mir Brachfeld branch of the Mir Yeshiva. Before assuming his post at the new yeshiva branch in 2005, he served as the ''Mashgiach'' at the Mir in Jerusalem for many decades. Bi ...

, Rosh Yeshiva of Mir-Brachfeld ied 2016* Nosson Tzvi Finkel, Rosh Yeshiva of

Mir ''Mir'' (russian: Мир, ; ) was a space station that operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, operated by the Soviet Union and later by Russia. ''Mir'' was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to&n ...

ied 2011* Avraham Yaakov Friedman, 3rd Rebbe of

ied 1961* Avraham Yaakov Friedman, 5th Rebbe of

ied 2013* Yisroel Moshe Friedman,

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 ...

ied 2020*

Moshe Yehoshua Hager Moses ( el, Μωϋσῆς),from Latin and Greek Moishe ( yi, משה),from Yiddish Moshe ( he, מֹשֶׁה),from Modern Hebrew or Movses (Armenian: Մովսես) from Armenian is a male given name, after the biblical figure Moses. According to th ...

(Chairman 1980–2012) ied 2012*

Levi Yitzchak Horowitz Levi Yitzchak HaLevi Horowitz (born 3 July 1921, Boston, died 5 December 2009, Jerusalem) was a rabbi and the second rebbe of the Boston (Hasidic dynasty), Boston Hasidic Dynasty founded by his father, Pinchos Dovid Horowitz. He was the first Ameri ...

, Rebbe of

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

ied 2009*

Chaim Kanievsky Shmaryahu Yosef Chaim Kanievsky ( he, שמריהו יוסף חיים קַניֶבסקִי; January 8, 1928 – March 18, 2022) was an Israeli Haredi rabbi and '' posek''. He was a leading authority in Haredi Jewish society on legal and ethical ...

, (Chairman) ied 2022* Rabbi Shmaryahu Yosef Nissim Karelitz ied 2019*

Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz (1913 – 27 June 2011) was a respected Haredi Lithuanian Torah leader and rosh yeshiva in Bnei Brak, Israel, for over 70 years. He was a '' maggid shiur'' at Yeshivas Tiferes Tzion from 1940 to 2011 and rosh yeshiva of ...

ied 2011*

Isser Zalman Meltzer Isser Zalman Meltzer ( he, איסר זלמן מלצר) (February 6, 1870 – November 17, 1953),Isser Zalman Meltzer "Even HaEzel" (1870 - 1953) was a famous Lithuanian Jewish and Belarusian Orthodox rabbi, rosh yeshiva and posek. He is also kno ...

(Chairman) ied 1953*

Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg ( he, חיים פנחס שיינברג;‎ 1 October 1910 – 20 March 2012) was a Polish-born, American-raised, Israeli Haredi rabbi and rosh yeshiva who, from 1965, made his home in the Kiryat Mattersdorf neighborho ...

ied 2012*

Yitzchok Scheiner Rabbi Yitzchok Scheiner (November 5, 1922 – January 31, 2021) was an Israeli–American rabbi who was the '' rosh yeshiva'' of the Kamenitz yeshiva of Jerusalem. Early life and education He was born in May 1922 in Pittsburgh to immigrants fro ...

, rosh yeshiva of the Yeshiva Kamenitz ied 2021* Boruch Shimon Schneerson ied 2001* Elazar Menachem Shach ied 2001* Yitzchak Isaac Sher ied 1952*

Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman ( he, אהרן יהודה לייב שטינמן), also Shtainman or Steinman (November 3, 1914 – December 12, 2017), was a Haredi rabbi in Bnei Brak, Israel. Following the death of Yosef Shalom Elyashiv in 2012 ...

ied 2017*

Yochanan Sofer Yochanan Sofer (January 1, 1923 – February 22, 2016) was the rebbe of the Erlau dynasty. He was born in Eger, Hungary, where his father and grandfather were also rebbes. After surviving the Holocaust, he founded a yeshiva, first in Hungary and th ...

Erlau Erlau is a municipality in the district of Mittelsachsen in Saxony in Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and ...

ied 2016*

(Chairman) ied 1966* Yisroel Don Taub ied 2006*

Avrohom Yehoshua Heschel Twerski Abraham, ; ar, , , name=, group= (originally Abram) is the common Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father of the special relationship between the Jews ...

ied 1987*

Dov Yaffe Dov Yaffe ( he, דב יפה; 1928–2017) was a Polish Jews, Polish-born Israelis, Israeli rabbi, mashgiach ruchani, mashgiach, and leader of the Musar movement. Youth He was born at Vilna in June 1928. In 1935, at age 7, he moved with his pa ...

, of

Kfar Chasidim KFAR is a commercial radio station programming news/ talk in Fairbanks, Alaska, United States, broadcasting on 660 AM. Founded in 1939 by industrialist Austin E. Lathrop, KFAR is the oldest radio station in Fairbanks and one of the oldest in ...

ied 2017*

Binyamin Zilber Benjamin ( he, ''Bīnyāmīn''; "Son of (the) right") blue letter bible: https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h3225/kjv/wlc/0-1/ H3225 - yāmîn - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv) was the last of the two sons of Jacob and Rachel (Jacob's thir ...

ied 2008

Current members (Agudat Yisrael)

Yaakov Aryeh Alter Yaakov Aryeh Alter ( pl, Jakub Arie Alter, he, יעקב אריה אלתר, born 18 May 1939) is the eighth, and current, Rebbe of the Hasidic dynasty of Ger, a position he has held since 1996. He lives in Israel, and has followers there and in ...

Ger (Hasidic dynasty) Ger (Yiddish: גער, also Gur, adj. Gerrer) is a Polish Hasidic dynasty originating from the town of Góra Kalwaria, Poland, where it was founded by Yitzchak Meir Alter (1798–1866), known as the "Chiddushei HaRim". Ger is a branch of Peshis ...

* Shmuel Barzovski,

Slonim (Hasidic dynasty) Slonim is a Hasidic dynasty originating in the town of Slonim, which is now in Belarus. Today, there are two Slonimer factions. Slonim, based in Jerusalem, and the Slanim community in Bnei Brak. They are two distinct groups today, and have many ...

Nachum Dov Brayer Nachum Dov Brayer (born 15 April 1959) is the Rebbe of the Boyan Hasidic dynasty. He is the grandson of the former Boyaner Rebbe of New York, Rabbi Mordechai Shlomo Friedman. On Hanukkah 1984, at the age of 25, he was crowned Boyaner Rebbe. He li ...

Boyan (Hasidic dynasty) Boyan ( yi, באיאן) is a Hasidic Judaism, Hasidic List of Hasidic dynasties, dynasty named after the town of Boiany in the historic region of Bukovina, now in Ukraine. The Hasidut is headquartered in Jerusalem, with communities in Beitar Ilit, ...

Eliezer Hager Eliezer (, "Help/Court of El") was the name of at least three different individuals in the Bible. Eliezer of Damascus Eliezer of Damascus () was, according to the Targums, the son of Nimrod. Eliezer was head of the patriarch Abraham's househo ...

of Seret-Vizhnitz (Hasidic dynasty) *

Menachem Mendel Hager Rabbi Menachem Mendel Hager (born November 28, 1957) is one of the two Grand Rabbis of the Viznitz (Admor Mviznitz) Hasidic dynasty in Bnei Brak and a current member of Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah (Council of great Torah Sages) of the Agudat Yisrael ...

of Vizhnitz-Merkaz (Hasidic dynasty) *

Zvi Elimelech Halberstam Zvi Elimelech Halberstam (born 1952) is the present Sanz Rebbe of Netanya, Israel. He is also known as the Sanzer Rebbe. He is the eldest son of Rabbi Yekusiel Yehudah Halberstam, the first Sanz-Klausenberger Rebbe, who in his will divided the lead ...

of Klausenburg (Hasidic dynasty) *

Mayer Alter Horowitz Mayer Alter Horowitz is an American Hasidic rabbi. Since 2009, he has been the Bostoner rebbe of Jerusalem. Early life and education Horowitz was born in Boston, the son of Levi Yitzchak Horowitz, the second Bostoner rebbe, and Raichel Unger L ...

Boston (Hasidic dynasty) Boston is a Hasidic dynasty, originally established in 1915 by Rabbi Pinchas David Horowitz, a scion of the Nikolsburg Hasidic dynasty. Following the custom of European Chassidic Courts, where the Rebbe was called after the name of his city, ...

* Ben Zion Rabinovich,

of Biala (Hasidic dynasty) * Yissachar Dov Rokeach,

Belz (Hasidic dynasty) Belz ( yi, בעלזא) is a Hasidic dynasty founded in the town of Belz in Western Ukraine, near the Polish border, historically the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland. The group was founded in the early 19th century by Rabbi Shalom Rokeach, also kno ...

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 ...

Modzitz (Hasidic dynasty) Modzitz, or Modzhitz, is the name of a Hasidic group within Orthodox Judaism that derives its name from ''Modrzyce'', one of the boroughs of the town of Dęblin, Poland, located on the Vistula River. Followers of this group are known as Modzitzer ...

Current members (Degel HaTorah)

Meir Tzvi Bergman Meir ( he, מֵאִיר) is a Jewish male given name and an occasional surname. It means "one who shines". It is often Germanized as Maier, Mayer, Mayr, Meier, Meyer, Meijer, Italianized as Miagro, or Anglicized as Mayer, Meyer, or Myer.Alfred J ...

, rosh yeshiva of the Yeshiva Rashbi *

Dovid Cohen David is a common masculine given name. It is of Hebrew origin, and its popularity derives from King David, a figure of central importance in the Hebrew Bible and in the religious traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Etymology David ...

, rosh yeshiva of

Chevron Yeshiva Hebron Yeshiva, also known as ''Yeshivas Hevron'', or Knesses Yisroel, is a yeshiva devoted to high-level study of the Talmud. It originated in 1924 when the roshei yeshiva and 150 students of the Slabodka Yeshiva, known colloquially as the "mothe ...

Gershon Edelstein Gershon Edelstein (born 18 April 1923) is ''rosh yeshiva'' of the Ponevezh Yeshiva, president of the Vaad Hayeshivos, and the spiritual leader of the Degel HaTorah party in Israel. He is widely considered to be the Gadol Hador by the Litvish c ...

, rosh yeshiva of the

Ponevezh Yeshiva Ponevezh Yeshiva, often pronounced as Ponevitch Yeshiva ( he, ישיבת פוניבז׳), is a yeshiva founded in 1908, and located in Bnei Brak, Israel since 1944. The yeshiva has over three thousand students, including those of affiliated insti ...

(Chairman) *

Baruch Mordechai Ezrachi Rav Baruch Mordechai Ezrachi (born March 27, 1929) is a prominent Hareidi rabbi, and a leader of the non-Hassidic Lithuanian Jews. He is the Rosh Yeshiva of Ateres Yisrael in Bayit Vegan in Jerusalem, and a member of the Degel Hatorah Moetzas Gedo ...

, rosh yeshiva of Ateres Yisrael *

Moshe Hillel Hirsch Moshe Hillel Hirsch (born 1936) is the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Slabodka in Bnei Brak, Israel. He is a native of the United States who studied at Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood under the Talmudic tutelage of Rabbi Aharon Kotler. He is the son-in ...

, rosh yeshiva of

Slabodka yeshiva Slabodka yeshiva may refer to: * Hebron Yeshiva, a branch of the Slabodka Yeshiva in Hebron, relocated afterward to Jerusalem * Slabodka yeshiva (Bnei Brak), a branch of the Slabodka yeshiva in Bnei Brak * Yeshivas Knesses Yisrael (Slabodka) Ye ...

* Berel Povarsky, rosh yeshiva of the

* Moshe Yehuda Shlesinger, rosh yeshiva of

* Yitzchak Zilberstein, Rav of Ramat Elchanan

New members (2020)

* Tzvi Drebkin, rosh yeshiva of the

Grodno Yeshiva Yeshiva Shaar HaTorah – Grodna, often referred to as the Grodna Yeshiva or simply as Grodna, was an Orthodox Jewish yeshiva in the Belarusian city of Grodno, then under Russian rule. Founded during World War I, Shimon Shkop became rosh ye ...

in Beer Yaakov * Yitzchok Hecker, rosh yeshiva of the Grodno Yeshiva in Beer Yaakov * Aviezer Piltz, rosh yeshiva of Tifrach *

Boruch Weisbecker Boruch is a given name. Notable people with the name include: *Boruch Ber Leibowitz, main student of Rabbi Chaim Brisker famed for his Talmudic lectures *Boruch Greenfeld, (1872–1956), rabbi and Torah scholar *Boruch Israel Dyner (1903–1979), B ...

, rosh yeshiva of

Yeshiva Bais Matisyahu 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 stud ...

in Bnei Brak * Avrohom Yitzchok Hakohein Kook, rosh yeshiva of

Yeshiva Maor Hatalmud 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 stud ...

in Rechovot *

Aryeh Levy Aryeh ( fa, اريه) is a village in Firuzeh Rural District, in the Central District of Firuzeh County, Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 221, in 54 families. See also * List of cities, towns and villa ...

, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva S'char Sochir *

Shraga Shteinman Shraga (Talmudic Aramaic: ) is a Jewish given name (meaning "candle" in Talmudic Aramaic) and may refer to: *Samuel ben Uri Shraga Phoebus, Polish rabbi and Talmudist of Woydyslaw in the second half of the 17th century *Shraga Bar (born 1948), form ...

, rosh yeshiva of

Yeshiva Orchos Torah 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 stud ...

Eliezer Yehuda Finkel Eliezer Yehuda Finkel may refer to one of the two rosh yeshivas of the Mir yeshivas: * Eliezer Yehuda Finkel (born 1879) (1879–1965), also known as Reb Leizer Yudel, rosh yeshiva of the Mir yeshiva in Poland and Jerusalem * Eliezer Yehuda Finke ...

, rosh yeshiva of

Yeshivas Mir Yerushalayim The Mir Yeshiva ( he, ישיבת מיר, ''Yeshivas Mir''), known also as The Mir, is an Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox Jews, Jewish ''yeshiva'' in Beit Yisrael, Jerusalem. With over 9,000 single and married students, it is the largest yeshiva in th ...

Members – United States

Past members

* Simcha Bunim Ehrenfeld * Yitzchok Feigelstock *

Dovid Feinstein Rabbi Dovid Feinstein ( he, דוד פיינשטיין; 1929 – November 6, 2020) was a Torah scholar and ''halachic'' authority, considered by many as the leading halachic authority in the United States in the 21st century. He served as the ...

Moshe Feinstein Moshe Feinstein ( he, משה פײַנשטיין; Lithuanian pronunciation: ''Moshe Faynshteyn''; en, Moses Feinstein; March 3, 1895 – March 23, 1986) was an American Orthodox rabbi, scholar, and ''posek'' (authority on ''halakha''—Je ...

(Chairman) *

Mordechai Shlomo Friedman Mordechai Shlomo Friedman (15 October 1891 in Boiany, Ukraine – 2 March 1971 in New York City), sometimes called Solomon Mordecai Friedman, was the Boyaner Rebbe of New York for over 40 years. In 1927 he left Europe to become one of the first H ...

of Boyan *

Mordechai Gifter Mordechai Gifter (October 15, 1915 - January 18, 2001) was an American Haredi rabbi. He was the rosh yeshiva (dean) of the Telz Yeshiva in Cleveland, and among the foremost religious leaders of Orthodox Jewry in the late 20th century. Gifter st ...

Refael Reuvain Grozovsky Refael Reuvain Grozovsky ( be, Рафаэль Гразоўскі; 1886, Minsk, Belarus – 1958, United States) was a leading Orthodox rabbi, Jewish religious leader and rosh yeshiva ("dean") known for his Talmudic analytical style. Early years ...

* of Kapischnitz *

Shlomo Heiman Shlomo Heiman, (1892–1945) known informally as "Reb Shlomo", was a rabbi, Talmudist, and rosh yeshiva. He led some of the most prominent yeshivas in Europe and the United States. Early life Shlomo Heiman was born in Paritsh, Minsk in Belaru ...

(Chairman) *

Moshe Horowitz Moses ( el, Μωϋσῆς),from Latin and Greek Moishe ( yi, משה),from Yiddish Moshe ( he, מֹשֶׁה),from Modern Hebrew or Movses (disambiguation), Movses (Armenian language, Armenian: Մովսես) from Armenian is a male given name, after ...

( Bostoner Rebbe of New York) *

Yitzchak Hutner Yitzchak (Isaac) Hutner ( he, יצחק הוטנר; 1906–1980) was an American Orthodox rabbi and rosh yeshiva (dean). Originally from Warsaw, Hutner first studied the Torah in Slabodka. He then traveled to Mandatory Palestine where he became a ...

Yaakov Kamenetsky Yaakov Kamenetsky (February 28, 1891 – March 10, 1986), was a prominent rabbi, rosh yeshiva, ''posek'' and Talmudist in the post-World War II American Jewish community. Biography Yaakov Kamenetsky was born at a folwark called Kalyskovka owned b ...

Chaim Mordechai Katz Chaim Mordechai Katz ( he, חיים מרדכי כץ; 1894–1964) was an Orthodox rabbi, the Rosh Yeshiva of the Telshe Yeshiva in Cleveland, and among American Jewry's foremost religious leaders. Pre-War Years Katz was born in 1894 in Sha ...

(Chairman) *

Shneur Kotler Yosef Chaim Shneur Kotler (1918 – 24 June 1982) was an Orthodox rabbi and rosh yeshiva of Beth Medrash Govoha (also known as the Lakewood Yeshiva) in Lakewood, New Jersey from 1962 to 1982. During his tenure, he developed the Lithuanian-style ...

* Avrohom Chaim Levine *

Avraham Yaakov Pam Avraham Yaakov Pam (1913 – August 16, 2001) was the '' rosh yeshiva'' of Yeshiva Torah Vodaas in Brooklyn, New York. Biography Rabbi Pam began his career at Yeshiva Torah Vodaas in 1938, when was appointed '' maggid shiur'' (Talmudic lectur ...

* Nochum Mordechai Perlow of Novominsk *

Yaakov Perlow Yaakov Perlow ( yi, יעקבֿ פּערלאָוו he, יעקב פרלוב‎; November 16, 1930 – April 7, 2020) was an American Hasidic rabbi and rosh yeshiva, and Rebbe of the Novominsk Hasidic dynasty. From 1998 until his death in 2020, ...

(Chairman) *

Yaakov Yitzchok Ruderman Yaakov Yitzchok Ruderman (Shushan Purim 1900, Daŭhinava - July 11, 1987) was a prominent Talmudic scholar and rabbi who founded and served as '' rosh yeshiva'' (yeshiva head) of Yeshivas Ner Yisroel in Baltimore. Early life Ruderman was born ...

Gedalia Schorr Gedalyahu HaLevi Schorr (27 November 1910 – 7 July 1979),http://www.tzemachdovid.org/gedolim/jo/tworld/rschorr.html also known as Gedalia Schorr, was a prominent rabbi and rosh yeshiva. He was regarded as the "first American Gadol" (Torah g ...

Eliezer Silver Eliezer Silver ( he, אליעזר סילבר; February 15, 1882Social Security Death Index - February 7, 1968 ) was the President of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the U.S. and Canada and among American Jewry's foremost religious leaders. He hel ...

(Chairman) *

Joseph B. Soloveitchik Joseph Ber Soloveitchik ( he, יוסף דב הלוי סולובייצ׳יק ''Yosef Dov ha-Levi Soloveychik''; February 27, 1903 – April 9, 1993) was a major American Orthodox rabbi, Talmudist, and modern Jewish philosopher. He was a scion ...

''Hapardes'', September 1941, p. 16 * Baruch Sorotzkin *

Yisroel Spira Yisroel Spira (November 12, 1889 – October 30, 1989), the Bluzhover Rebbe, was a senior member of Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, and a Holocaust survivor. His experiences in the Nazi concentration camps were the basis for the book ''Hasidic Tales of ...

of Bluzhev *

Elya Svei Elya Svei (March 19, 1924 (''Taanis Esther 5684'') – March 26, 2009 (''Rosh Chodesh Nisan 5769'')) was a Soviet Union, Russian-born American Haredi Judaism, Haredi Jewish rabbi and ''rosh yeshiva'' (dean) of the Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelp ...

Mendel Zaks Menachem Mendel Yosef Zaks ( he, מענדיל זאקס; 1898–1974) (commonly known as Rabbi Mendel Zaks) was an Orthodox Jewish rabbi in Belarus and the United States, best known for being the '' Rosh Yeshiva'' of the Raduń Yeshiva and being th ...

Current members

Elya Brudny Eliyahu Brudny is an American Haredi Judaism, Haredi rabbi and rosh yeshiva. He serves as ''maggid shiur'' in the Mir yeshiva (Brooklyn), Mir Yeshiva in Brooklyn and is a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Agudath Israel of America. Early l ...

* Hillel David *

Aharon Feldman Rabbi Aharon Feldman (born 1932) is an Orthodox Jewish rabbi and rosh yeshiva (dean) of Yeshivas Ner Yisroel (Ner Israel Rabbinical College) in Baltimore, Maryland. He has held this position since 2001. He is also a member of the Moetzes Gedolei H ...

Yosef Chaim Frankel Yosef (; also transliterated as Yossef, Josef, Yoseph Tiberian Hebrew and Aramaic ''Yôsēp̄'') is a Hebrew male name derived from the Biblical character Joseph. The name can also consist of the Hebrew yadah meaning "praise", "fame" and the word ...

( Rebbe) * Aharon Dovid Goldberg * Yaakov Horowitz (Rosh Yeshivas Beis Meir) * Shmuel Kamenetsky * Aryeh Malkiel Kotler * Shlomo Eliyahu Miller *

Yerucham Olshin Yerucham Olshin is an Orthodox rabbi and a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah (Council of Torah Sages). He is one of the four ''roshei yeshiva'' (deans) of Beth Medrash Govoha,Goldberg, Rabbi Hillel. "The Traffic is Edgy, Rav Olshin Is Not". ' ...

* Yosef Harari Raful *

Aaron Schechter Aaron Moshe Schechter (also Aharon Moshe Schechter) is an American Haredi rabbi. He is the rosh yeshiva (dean) of Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin and its post-graduate Talmudical division, Kollel Gur Aryeh. He also serves on the presidium of Agudat ...

Yitzchok Sorotzkin Avrohom Yitzchok Sorotzkin is a prolific writer and former Rosh Yeshiva of Telshe yeshiva who delivers the most advanced Talmudic lecture at the Mesivta of Lakewood. Sorotzkin is widely recognized as a Gadol and leader of American Orthodox Jewry a ...

* Shimon Yehuda Svei https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PiFXXqM4giI/UnP4MR_pIaI/AAAAAAAAA98/PfaNxQansJQ/s1600/Moetzes+tpv.jpg

References

{{Authority control Agudat Yisrael Rabbinical organizations