Slutsk-Kletsk Yeshiva
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Mesivta Rabsa Eitz Chaim DiSlutsk ( he, מתיבתא רבתא עץ חיים דסלאצק), colloquially known as the Slutsk-Kletsk Yeshivah was an
Orthodox Jewish 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 on M ...
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 ...
in Europe, founded in
Slutsk Slutsk ( officially transliterated as Sluck, be, Слуцк; russian: Слуцк; pl, Słuck, lt, Sluckas, Yiddish/Hebrew: סלוצק ''Slutsk'') is a city in Belarus, located on the Sluch River south of Minsk. As of 2022, its population is ...
, then part of the
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
, and later moved to
Kletsk Kletsk ( be, Клецк, Klieck, originally known as ''Klechesk'', russian: Клецк, pl, Kleck, ) is a city in the Minsk Region of Belarus, located on the Lan River. In 2015 it had 11,237 inhabitants. History The town was founded in the ...
in the
Second Polish Republic The Second Polish Republic, at the time officially known as the Republic of Poland, was a country in Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe that existed between 1918 and 1939. The state was established on 6 November 1918, before the end of ...
, in 1897. The yeshiva was founded by the
Ridvaz Rabbi Yaakov Dovid Wilovsky (February 7, 1845 – October 2, 1913), known by the acronym Ridvaz or Ridbaz, was a renowned rabbi, Talmudic commentator and educator. Biography Wilovsky was born in Kobrin, Russia on February 7, 1845. Wilovsky hel ...
and famously led by Rabbi
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 ...
and 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 ...
.


Slutsk years

The yeshiva was founded in 1897 by Rabbi Yaakov Dovid Willovsky, known as the
Ridvaz Rabbi Yaakov Dovid Wilovsky (February 7, 1845 – October 2, 1913), known by the acronym Ridvaz or Ridbaz, was a renowned rabbi, Talmudic commentator and educator. Biography Wilovsky was born in Kobrin, Russia on February 7, 1845. Wilovsky hel ...
, who was the rabbi of
Slutsk Slutsk ( officially transliterated as Sluck, be, Слуцк; russian: Слуцк; pl, Słuck, lt, Sluckas, Yiddish/Hebrew: סלוצק ''Slutsk'') is a city in Belarus, located on the Sluch River south of Minsk. As of 2022, its population is ...
, in an effort to combat the influence of the
maskilim The ''Haskalah'', often termed Jewish Enlightenment ( he, השכלה; literally, "wisdom", "erudition" or "education"), was an intellectual movement among the Jews of Central and Eastern Europe, with a certain influence on those in Western Euro ...
in his town. He asked Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel (the Alter of Slabodka), who was the rosh yeshiva of the
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 ...
, to send him students to start off the yeshiva. The Alter immediately selected fourteen of his top students to go to Slutsk. Among the group were Rabbi
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 ...
, who would become the rosh yeshiva; Rabbi
Pesach Pruskin Rabbi Pesach Pruskin was an Orthodox Jewish rabbi and ''rosh yeshiva'' in White Russia before World War II, most notably in Kobrin. He was known as one of the most brilliant Torah scholars of his time. Early life Rabbi Pruskin was born in Kosh ...
; Rabbi
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 ...
; Rabbi
Reuven Katz Rabbi Reuven Katz ( he, ראובן כץ/כ"ץ; 1880–1963) was a rabbi in Russian Empire, Russia, the United States, and Israel. Serving at first in several Russian communities and then in Bayonne, New Jersey, for the last thirty years of his lif ...
; Rabbi Alter HaLevi Shmuelevitz; Rabbi Yosef Konvitz; Rabbi Moshe Yom Tov Wachtfogel; Rabbi Shlomo Yehudah Leib Plutznick; and Rabbi Yitzchak Rubinstein. Over the next five years, the yeshiva grew to become one of the most respected yeshivos in the world. In 1903, with the departure of the Ridvaz from Slutsk, Rabbi Meltzer was appointed rabbi of the city as well. In 1914, Rabbi Meltzer's daughter, Chanah Perel, married
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 ...
, a student of the
Alter of Slabodka Nosson Tzvi Finkel ( he, נתן צבי פינקל, Sephardic/Israeli: ''Natan Tzvi''; yi, נָטע הערש, Nota Hirsch; 1849–1927) was an influential Lithuanian Jewish leader of Orthodox Judaism in Eastern Europe and founder of the Slabodk ...
. Following the wedding, Rabbi Kotler joined Rabbi Meltzer in Slutsk, where he became ''rebbi'' (teacher of
Torah The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the s ...
) of the yeshiva's advanced students. He soon became more involved in the yeshiva and community, assisting his father-in-law in every aspect. Later that year, World War I broke out, and the yeshiva fell into dire straits financially. Rabbi Meltzer was forced to avert much of focus from teaching to fundraising, leaving Rabbi Kotler as sole rosh yeshiva. The war itself reached Slutsk with bombs blowing up in the streets, yet the yeshiva continued, with Rabbi Kotler giving hours-long ''shiurim'' (classes).


Communist revolution

With the
Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and ad ...
in 1917, all religious institutions were banned and Rabbi Meltzer was arrested many times, leaving Rabbi Kotler as rosh yeshiva once again. Nevertheless, the yeshiva remained in Slutsk for four more years, under Communist rule. Rabbi Kotler then convinced Rabbi Meltzer that the yeshiva should escape to the
Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...
city of
Kletsk Kletsk ( be, Клецк, Klieck, originally known as ''Klechesk'', russian: Клецк, pl, Kleck, ) is a city in the Minsk Region of Belarus, located on the Lan River. In 2015 it had 11,237 inhabitants. History The town was founded in the ...
, where religion was legal.


Kletsk

In 1921, Rabbi Kotler and 50 students managed to cross over the Russian-Polish border for Kletsk; (Rabbi Meltzer remained in Slutsk, for he felt he couldn't abandon the Jewish community there, as he served as community rabbi as well). The yeshiva settled in a communal property, which they soon outgrew. Rabbi Kotler therefore raised funds for the construction of a new building. The cornerstone was laid in 1927, and despite not having enough money to build the entire building, the construction continued and the yeshiva agreed to accumulate a large debt. In 1929, the building was completed and a festive ''chanukas habayis'' (building dedication) was held. Rabbi Meltzer, who had since move to
Palestine __NOTOC__ Palestine may refer to: * State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia * Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia * Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...
, came back to Europe for the celebration. The festivity was enormous, with participants filling the surrounding streets of the new yeshiva building. Many donated generously and the debt was soon paid up. At the outbreak of World War II, the yeshiva numbered two hundred sixty students.


World War II

With the outbreak of World War II in 1939, Kletsk fell under
Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
rule, and the yeshiva once again faced the threat of an anti-religious communist government. Yet, as they did in Slutsk, the yeshiva remained opened with a complete learning schedule, although many students left for home. However, Rabbi Kotler realized his life was in danger, not solely for running a religious institution, but because of his illegal escape from Russia nineteen years prior, and he therefore escaped to independent Lithuania with plans to only stay there temporarily before escaping the region for good. In
Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...
, Rabbi Kotler met Rabbi
Chaim Ozer Grodzensky 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 19th a ...
, who said that the entire yeshiva should leave Poland and come to Lithuania. Rabbi Kotler sent his students the message. Two nights later, the yeshiva's one hundred and fifty remaining students escaped to Baranovich. From there they traveled by train to Vilnius, where they were reunited with their rosh yeshiva. They then reopened the yeshiva in the village of
Jonava Jonava ( ; pl, Janów; german: Janau) is the ninth largest city in Lithuania with a population of . It is located in Kaunas County in central Lithuania, north east of Kaunas, the second-largest city in Lithuania. It is served by Kaunas Interna ...
on the outskirts of Kaunas. In 1940, the Soviets annexed Lithuania, and afraid, the yeshiva divided into three groups (to make it harder to destroy the entire yeshiva). Rabbi Kotler escaped Europe in 1941 and soon settled in the United States where he became the rosh yeshiva of
Beth Medrash Govoha Beth Medrash Govoha ( he, בית מדרש גבוה, Sephardi pronunciation: ''Beth Midrash Gavoha''. lit: "High House of Learning"; also known as Lakewood Yeshiva or BMG) is a Haredi Judaism, Haredi Jewish Misnagdim, Lithuanian ''yeshiva'' in Lake ...
.


Notes


References

{{coord missing, Belarus Yeshivas of Belarus Jewish Belarusian history Orthodox Judaism in Belarus Orthodox yeshivas in Europe Pre-World War II European yeshivas 1897 establishments in the Russian Empire