Yosef Yozel Horowitz ( he, יוסף יוזל הורוביץ), also Yosef Yoizel Hurwitz, known as the Alter of Novardok (1847–December 9, 1919), was a student of Rabbi
Yisroel Salanter
Yisrael ben Ze'ev Wolf Lipkin, also known as "Israel Salanter" or "Yisroel Salanter" (November 3, 1809, Zhagory – February 2, 1883, Königsberg), was the father of the Musar movement in Orthodox Judaism and a famed Rosh yeshiva and Talmudist. ...
, the founder of the
Musar movement
The Musar movement (also Mussar movement) is a Jewish ethical, educational and cultural movement that developed in 19th century Lithuania, particularly among Orthodox Lithuanian Jews. The Hebrew term (), is adopted from the Book of Proverbs (1 ...
. Horowitz was also a student of Rabbis
Yitzchak Blazer
Yitzchak Blazer (Hebrew: יצחק בלאזר) (1837–1907) was an early important leader of the Musar movement.
He is also sometimes referred to as Rav Itzele Peterburger due to his position as Chief Rabbi of St. Petersburg at a time when i ...
and
Simcha Zissel Ziv
Simcha Zissel Ziv Broida ( he, שמחה זיסל זיו; 1824–1898), also known as Simhah Zissel Ziv or the ''Alter of Kelm'' (the Elder of Kelm), was one of the foremost students of Yisrael Salanter and one of the early leaders of the Musar mo ...
and spent some time in
Brest
Brest may refer to:
Places
*Brest, Belarus
**Brest Region
**Brest Airport
**Brest Fortress
*Brest, Kyustendil Province, Bulgaria
*Břest, Czech Republic
*Brest, France
**Arrondissement of Brest
**Brest Bretagne Airport
** Château de Brest
*Brest, ...
, learning from Rabbi
Chaim Soloveichik
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 ...
.
He established the
Novardok yeshiva in the city of
Navahrudak
Novogrudok ( be, Навагрудак, Navahrudak; lt, Naugardukas; pl, Nowogródek; russian: Новогрудок, Novogrudok; yi, נאַוואַראַדאָק, Novhardok, Navaradok) is a town in the Grodno Region, Belarus.
In the Middle A ...
. Additionally, he established a network of yeshivas in
Dvinsk
Daugavpils (; russian: Двинск; ltg, Daugpiļs ; german: Dünaburg, ; pl, Dyneburg; see #Names, other names) is a state city in south-eastern Latvia, located on the banks of the Daugava River, from which the city gets its name. The parts ...
,
Minsk
Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the admi ...
,
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
,
Berdichev
Berdychiv ( uk, Берди́чів, ; pl, Berdyczów; yi, באַרדיטשעװ, Barditshev; russian: Берди́чев, Berdichev) is a historic city in the Zhytomyr Oblast (province) of northern Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center ...
,
Lida
Lida ( be, Лі́да ; russian: Ли́да ; lt, Lyda; lv, Ļida; pl, Lida ; yi, לידע, Lyde) is a city 168 km (104 mi) west of Minsk in western Belarus in Grodno Region.
Etymology
The name ''Lida'' arises from its Lithuani ...
and
Zetl.
Some of his discourses were recorded in the book ''Madregas Ha-Adam'' (Hebrew: מדרגת האדם, ''Stature of Man''). The most basic and important theme in his book is ''
Bitachon'' (trust in God). (Horowitz would sign his name: "B. B.," for ''Ba'al Bitachon'', "Master of Trust
n God
N, or n, is the fourteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''.
History
...
.
[)
]
Biography
Family
Horwitz was born in 1847, in Plongian, Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
. His father was Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Ziv (later Horowitz), a dayan and rabbi in Plongian and later the rabbi of Kurtuvian. Yosef Yozel had three brothers and four sisters. Horwitz acquired his basic education under the supervision of his father. He joined the Kelm yeshiva The Kelm Talmud Torah was a famous yeshiva in pre-holocaust Kelmė, Lithuania. Unlike other yeshivas, the Talmud Torah focused primarily on the study of Musar ("Jewish ethics") and self-improvement.
Under the Leadership of Simcha Zissel Ziv
The T ...
when he was still very young. At the age of sixteen, he was already delivering the ''shiur
Shiur (, , lit. ''amount'', pl. shiurim ) is a lecture on any Torah topic, such as Gemara, Mishnah, Halakha (Jewish law), Tanakh (Bible), etc.
History
The Hebrew term שיעור ("designated amount") came to refer to a portion of Jud ...
'' (lesson) in the synagogue of Kurtuvian.
At eighteen, Horwitz married the eldest daughter of Rabbi Yaakov Stein, a textile store owner from Shvekesna. As Stein died shortly before the wedding, after the wedding, Horwitz assumed the management of his father-in-law's business, as well as the support of Stein's widow and eight children.
Meeting Rabbi Yisrael Salanter
Because of his business commitments, he was a frequent visitor to Memel, where at the age of 27, he met Rabbi Yisrael Salanter
Yisrael ben Ze'ev Wolf Lipkin, also known as "Israel Salanter" or "Yisroel Salanter" (November 3, 1809, Zhagory – February 2, 1883, Königsberg), was the father of the Musar movement in Orthodox Judaism and a famed Rosh yeshiva and Talmudist. T ...
, who was the rabbi of Memel at that time. After attending a number of Salanter's classes and meeting with him, Horowitz decided to close his business, leave Shvekesna, and to study Torah full-time in Kovno
Kaunas (; ; also see other names) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the largest city and the centre of a county in the Duchy of Trakai ...
. This was met with some opposition from his father, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Horowitz, and from Rabbi Yisroel Salanter, both of whom were concerned about the reaction of his wife to the decision. He assured them, however, that “she has always understood me, and she will understand me this time, too.”
Seclusion in Kovno
On the advice of Rabbi Yisroel Salanter, Horowitz joined Kovno's ''Kollel Perushim'' where he studied under Rabbis Yitzchak Blazer, Naftali Amsterdam
Naftali Amsterdam (1832-1916) was a Lithuanian-born Orthodox rabbi and a leader in the Mussar movement.
Mussar movement role
A student of Rabbi Yisroel Salanter, the Mussar movement's founder, his teacher categorized the roles of three top follo ...
and Avraham Shenker, musar students of Rabbi Yisroel Salanter.
Horowitz eventually brought his wife and children to Kovno, where his wife gave birth to two more children and died in childbirth. After his wife's death, Horowitz divided his children among relatives and secluded himself in the home of a Kovno tinsmith by the name of Rabbi Shlomo. He remained in that room for a year and a half without emerging. To guarantee his solitude, he blocked the entrance to his quarters with a brick wall, which contained two small windows through which he maintained contact with his landlord when necessary. He was served dairy meals through one window and meat through the other window.
Forced to leave
In 1881/1882, 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 ...
published a series of articles in which they ridiculed Horwitz's seclusion. Later, they threw a bundle of forged banknotes into his yard and then informed the police that his hideout was a base for the manufacture of counterfeit money. That day, Horwitz's mother came to visit him and she burned the bundle. Soon afterward, the police stormed Horwitz's room and broke down the wall. Although they found nothing suspicious, they forbade him to live in seclusion.
Shortly after he emerged from seclusion, his mentors urged him to remarry. One evening, Horwitz passed Rabbi Shlomo's house and heard someone crying. The following day, he asked Rabbi Shlomo what had happened. Rabbi Shlomo told him that the man whom his daughter, Chaya Rivka, was supposed to marry, had broken the engagement. Horwitz told Rabbi Shlomo he would marry Chaya Rivka, but only on the condition that he be allowed to isolate himself all week, returning to his family only for Shabbat
Shabbat (, , or ; he, שַׁבָּת, Šabbāṯ, , ) or the Sabbath (), also called Shabbos (, ) by Ashkenazim, is Judaism's day of rest on the seventh day of the week—i.e., Saturday. On this day, religious Jews remember the biblical storie ...
and Yom Tov
Jewish holidays, also known as Jewish festivals or ''Yamim Tovim'' ( he, ימים טובים, , Good Days, or singular , in transliterated Hebrew []), are holidays observed in Judaism and by JewsThis article focuses on practices of mainstre ...
. They agreed to this condition, and the match was finalized. Rabbi Gershon Chirinsky, a lumber merchant who owned estates around Zetl, (with the assistance of Rabbi E. Lachman from Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
), built a forest retreat, where Horwitz secluded himself for 12 years, visiting his family only on Shabbat.
When his father died in 1890, and Kurtuvian offered him the position that he would have inherited from his father as head of the community, he did not accept it because he had a sister who was left an orphan and he rejected the rabbinical seat in favour of his future brother-in-law.
Establishing Yeshivas
In 1893/1894, Horwitz began to visit Rabbi Simcha Zissel Ziv
Simcha Zissel Ziv Broida ( he, שמחה זיסל זיו; 1824–1898), also known as Simhah Zissel Ziv or the ''Alter of Kelm'' (the Elder of Kelm), was one of the foremost students of Yisrael Salanter and one of the early leaders of the Musar mo ...
in Kelm. Rabbi Simcha Zissel persuaded Horwitz to make an effort to counteract the influences of the Haskala Movement.
Once more, Horwitz left his seclusion and founded a network of kollels in 20 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 ...
and Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
n towns, among them Shavli, Dvinsk, Minsk, Warsaw, Berditchev, Novardok, Odessa
Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrativ ...
, Lida and Zetl. Once a kollel was established, he would urge his students to establish adjoining yeshivas. The institutions were financed by Rabbi Lachman and headed by Rabbi Yitzchak Blazer. The Yeshiva in Berdichev had two hundred students. When Horwitz heard the pupils arguing at a difficult study or discussion, he did not leave until the matter was settled (Rabbi Dov Katz wrote about this subject in his book “''Tnuat Musar''” (“''The Musar Movement''”) p. 199).
Horwitz also founded a Yeshiva Gedolah
Yeshiva gedolah, known in the United States as bais medrash, is a type of yeshiva, a Jewish educational institution, which is aimed at post-secondary students in their later teens or younger twenties. This contrasts with a Yeshiva Ketana/Mesivta w ...
in Novardok, where the alumni of the many yeshivas he had established came to study. More than 300 students were enrolled in this yeshiva.
When World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
broke out, Horwitz decided to move the yeshiva from the border. He did not permit the yeshiva to remain in Novardok. In 1914/1915, Horwitz set out for Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
in search of new quarters for the yeshiva. Before leaving, he told his students that if the Germans
, native_name_lang = de
, region1 =
, pop1 = 72,650,269
, region2 =
, pop2 = 534,000
, region3 =
, pop3 = 157,000
3,322,405
, region4 =
, pop4 = ...
neared Novardok, they should flee in the direction of Ukraine. Horwitz found quarters for the yeshiva in Homel
Gomel (russian: Гомель, ) or Homiel ( be, Гомель, ) is the administrative centre of Gomel Region and the second-largest city in Belarus with 526,872 inhabitants (2015 census).
Etymology
There are at least six narratives of the ori ...
. In the meantime, the Germans conquered the area near Novardok, and the yeshiva students fled to Homel. In Homel, they lived in the home of Rabbi Yaakov Katz. Soon, it became so crowded that they had to move to a nearby beis medrash
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 ...
, and then to various shul
A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...
s in the city. By the end of the summer of 1915, 80 students had reached Homel, and the yeshiva was reestablished.
In Kiev
In 1917/1918, wartime circumstances forced Horwitz to transfer the yeshiva from Homel to Kiev
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
, where he founded four more yeshiva gedolahs.
During Succos
or ("Booths, Tabernacles")
, observedby = Jews, Samaritans, a few Protestant denominations, Messianic Jews, Semitic Neopagans
, type = Jewish, Samaritan
, begins = 15th day of Tishrei
, ends = 21st day of Tishrei ...
1919, the Russians made pogroms
A pogrom () is a violent riot incited with the aim of massacring or expelling an ethnic or religious group, particularly Jews. The term entered the English language from Russian to describe 19th- and 20th-century attacks on Jews in the Russian ...
in Kiev, killing hundreds of Jews. Many Jews in the area sought shelter in Horwitz's home, believing that they would be spared in his merit. On Simchas Torah, the situation worsened, but Horwitz instructed his students to conduct ''hakafos
Hakafot (הקפות plural); Hakafah (הקפה singular)—meaning " ocircle" or "going around" in Hebrew—are a Jewish ''minhag'' (tradition) in which people walk or dance around a specific object, generally in a religious setting.
In Judaism, ...
'' as usual. The rioters fired at the windows of his house. Everyone dropped to the floor – except Horwitz, who remained standing at the head of the table, kiddush
Kiddush (; he, קידוש ), literally, "sanctification", is a blessing recited over wine or grape juice to sanctify the Shabbat and Jewish holidays. Additionally, the word refers to a small repast held on Shabbat or festival mornings after t ...
-cup in hand.
Death and burial
After Succos, a typhoid
Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several ...
epidemic broke out in Kiev, taking the lives of thousands of its residents. Horwitz's home soon filled with invalids to whom he personally attended. In Kislev
Kislev or Chislev (Hebrew: כִּסְלֵו, Standard ''Kīslev'' Tiberian ''Kīslēw''), also 'Chisleu' in the King James (authorized English) Bible, is the third month of the civil year and the ninth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Heb ...
, he contracted the disease, and never recovered from it. Still, he continued to attend to the needs of the invalids. He died on December 9, 1919.
Jews of Kiev and its suburbs streamed to his funeral. The last to eulogize him was his student, Rabbi Dovid Budnik. Forty-three years later, his students transferred his coffin to Israel, and in the summer of 1963 he was reinterred in the Har HaMenuchot
Har HaMenuchot ( he, הר המנוחות, 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 the western ed ...
cemetery in Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
.
The anniversary of his passing - the 17th of Kislev
Kislev or Chislev (Hebrew: כִּסְלֵו, Standard ''Kīslev'' Tiberian ''Kīslēw''), also 'Chisleu' in the King James (authorized English) Bible, is the third month of the civil year and the ninth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Heb ...
- remains an important commemoratory date among Novardokers, who would gather together that day to strengthen each other.
Opposition
Horwitz was exposed to criticism from Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor
Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor or Isaac Elhanan Spector ( he, יצחק אלחנן ספקטור; 1817 - March 6, 1896) was a Russian rabbi, ''posek'' and Talmudist of the 19th century.
Early life
Spektor was born in Ros', Belarus (Yiddish: Rosh), t ...
. Rabbi Burshtain from Tavrik, Lithuania and Rabbi Itzchok Jankef Reines from Lida also opposed Horwitz's way of musar. The Rabbi of Novardok, Rabbi Yechiel Michel Epstein
Yechiel Michel ha-Levi Epstein ( he, יחיאל מיכל הלוי אפשטיין)
(24 January 1829 – 25 March 1908), often called "the ''Aruch haShulchan''" after his magnum opus, Aruch HaShulchan, was a Rabbi and ''Posek'' (authority in Jewi ...
, although not a follower the musar movement, helped Horwitz to succeed.
Rabbi Avrohom Yeshaya Karelitz
Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz (7 November 1878 – 24 October 1953), also known as the Chazon Ish () after his magnum opus, was a Belarusian-born Orthodox rabbi who later became one of the leaders of Haredi Judaism in Israel, where he spent his f ...
particularly rejected elements of the Novardok philosophy, such as their extreme self-effacement and anti-social behaviors. While Novardok engaged in self-criticism and self-effacement, Hillel Goldberg notes that disciples of Novardok were among the happiest people in the yeshivah world.
Novardok yeshivas
In consonance with his stress on unwaivering ''bitachon'' (trust in Divine providence), Horwitz's followers would board trains in time of civil war with no fear and establish hundreds 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 in Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
. After the rise of communism
Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
, the students of these yeshivas fled to 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 populous ...
, crossing the border to Poland illegally.
Eventually, the movement got involved in a financial dispute with other yeshivas over funding. The leaders were claiming each Novardok yeshiva should be considered as one entire yeshiva. Opponents wanted all Novardok yeshivas to be considered as one. The Novardok yeshivas were all called "Yeshivas Beis Yosef" in honour of Horwitz.
The directors of these yeshivas were in constant contact with Horwitz, who guided and visited them, spending nearly every Shabbos in a different town. Since he was quite elderly by that time, his closest students tried to dissuade him from making such journeys. He would respond by citing the verse (Genesis
Genesis may refer to:
Bible
* Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind
* Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
), “And Avraham journeyed, continuously traveling,” on which Malbim
Meir Leibush ben Yehiel Michel Wisser (March 7, 1809 – September 18, 1879), better known as the Malbim ( he, מלבי"ם), was a rabbi, master of Hebrew grammar, and Bible commentator. The name ''Malbim'' was derived from the Hebrew initials ...
comments, “He went to sanctify Hashem’s name.”
One year, Horwitz spent Rosh Hashana
Rosh HaShanah ( he, רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה, , literally "head of the year") is the Jewish New Year. The biblical name for this holiday is Yom Teruah (, , lit. "day of shouting/blasting") It is the first of the Jewish High Holy Days (, , " ...
in Homel, Shabbat Shuvah
Special Shabbatot are Jewish Shabbat days on which special events are commemorated. Variations in the liturgy and special customs differentiate them from the regular Sabbaths and each one is referred to by a special name; many communities also a ...
in Kiev and Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur (; he, יוֹם כִּפּוּר, , , ) is the holiest day in Judaism and Samaritanism. It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, the first month of the Hebrew calendar. Primarily centered on atonement and repentance, the day's ...
in Kharkov
Kharkiv ( uk, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest city and municipality in Ukraine. , cities which are very distant from one another.
Successors
Horwitz had three sons-in-law: Rabbi Alter Shmeulevitz, Rabbi Isroel Yankef Lubchanski and Rabbi Avraham Yoffen Avraham Yoffen (or Jofen; 1887 - April 19, 1970), also known as "Avraham Pinsker" was a rabbi, son-in-law to Yosef Yozel Horowitz, the ''Alter of Novardok'' and director of Novardok Yeshiva. He fled to the U.S. at the outbreak of World War II and ...
. Rabbi Shmuelevitz was a renowned scholar and was a follower of the ''derech hapilpul
''Pilpul'' ( he, פלפול, loosely meaning 'sharp analysis'; ) is a method of studying the Talmud through intense textual analysis in attempts to either explain conceptual differences between various halakhic rulings or to reconcile any appare ...
''. He was not a follower of Horwitz's way of musar. In the end, Rabbi Alter left Novardok and became the head of the yeshiva in Shchuchyn
Shchuchyn and Ščučyn ( be, Шчучын, Ščučyn, ; russian: Щýчин, ; pl, Szczuczyn Litewski; lt, Šukynas; Yiddish: שטשוטשין, Shtshutshin) is a city in the Grodno Region of Belarus. It is the center of Shchuchyn District. The ...
. Rabbi Lubchanski followed the direction of his father-in-law. He was the supervisor of the yeshiva in Baranovichi
Baranavichy ( ; be, Бара́навічы, Łacinka: , ; russian: Бара́новичи; yi, באַראַנאָוויטש; pl, Baranowicze) is a city in the Brest Region of western Belarus, with a population (as of 2019) of 179,000. It is not ...
, "''Ohel Torah''", which followed the way of musar. In later years (from 1921), Rabbi Elchonon Wasserman was the head of the Yeshiva. Rabbi Zvi Hirsh Gutman was the principal till the last day of its existence. Rabbis Lubchanski and Gutman were killed by the Nazis
Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Na ...
together with the Jewish community of Baranovichi. Rabbi Yoffen was the head of the Novardok Yeshiva in Białystok
Białystok is the largest city in northeastern Poland and the capital of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is the tenth-largest city in Poland, second in terms of population density, and thirteenth in area.
Białystok is located in the Białystok Up ...
.
After the Holocaust
With the exception of Gateshead Talmudical College
Gateshead Talmudical College ( he, ישיבת בית יוסף גייטסהעד), popularly known as Gateshead Yeshiva, is located in the Bensham area of Gateshead in North East England. It is the largest yeshiva in Europe and considered to be one ...
which is officially called "Yeshivas Beis Yosef" of Gateshead
Gateshead () is a large town in northern England. It is on the River Tyne's southern bank, opposite Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle to which it is joined by seven bridges. The town contains the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Millennium Bridge, Sage ...
, all Novardok yeshivas in Europe were wiped out 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 Yoffen survived the Holocaust and came to the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, where he established the Novardok Yeshiva. He also headed the Beit Yosif Yeshiva in Israel.
Two branches of Novardok were founded in Jerusalem; one under the leadership of Rabbi Ben Zion Bruk and the other under the direction of Rabbis Shmuel and Eitan Jofen. Additional branches were started in New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
by various of Rabbi Avrom Jofen's children and grandchildren. For instance, Rabbi Yechiel Perr
Rabbi Yechiel Yitzchak Perr (born 1935) is an American-born rabbi. He is the founder and rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Derech Ayson (Yeshiva of Far Rockaway) in Far Rockaway, New York.
Biography
Yechiel Yitzchak Perr grew up in South Ozone Park, Queen ...
of Far Rockaway, New York
Far Rockaway is a neighborhood on the eastern part of the Rockaway peninsula in the New York City borough of Queens. It is the easternmost section of the Rockaways. The neighborhood extends from Beach 32nd Street east to the Nassau County line ...
started Yeshivas Derech Ayson, a.k.a. Yeshiva of Far Rockaway
Yeshiva of Far Rockaway (also known as Yeshiva Derech Ayson ( he, יְשִׁיבָה דֶרֶךְ אֵיתָן) and Derech Ayson Rabbinical Seminary) is a yeshiva located at 802 Hicksville Road, Far Rockaway, Queens in New York City. It comprises ...
, Rabbi Moshe Faskowitz of Queens, New York
Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long I ...
started Yeshiva Madregas Ha'Adam, and Rabbis Mordechai Jofen and Yisroel Zvi (Heshy) Nekritz started Yeshivas Beis Yosef of Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
along with Rabbi Yaakov Drilman, a lifelong friend, and a talmid of Rav 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 ...
.
An additional network of Novardok Yeshivas was founded after the Holocaust in France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
by Rabbi Gershon Liebman
Gershon Liebman (1905 – 8 March 1997) was a leader of the Novardok Yeshiva movement after World War II, and ''rosh yeshiva'' of Novardok in France, where he created 40 Torah institutions. He devoted his life to rebuilding the Novardok style of ...
[ ] (1905–1997).
Teachings
"A person should give up his whole future for today, so that he will not waste all his todays for one tomorrow."
When a typhus epidemic in Kiev severely affected his yeshiva's students as well, "Rabbi Joseph Jozel was found cleaning the yeshiva toilets."[
"When it is necessary to send a letter, I send a telegram. When it is necessary to send a telegram, I send an emissary. When it is necessary to send an emissary, I go myself."]
External links
BitachonBoost.com
for an elucidation of part of Rabbi Horowitz's work.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Horwitz, Yosef Yozel
Rosh yeshivas
1847 births
1919 deaths
Musar movement
Burials at Har HaMenuchot
Belarusian Orthodox rabbis
19th-century rabbis from the Russian Empire
People from Plungė
Deaths from typhoid fever
Novardok Yeshiva
20th-century Russian rabbis