Elya Svei (March 19, 1924 ('' Taanis Esther 5684'') – March 26, 2009 (''

Rosh Chodesh Rosh Chodesh or Rosh Hodesh ( he, ראש חודש; trans. ''Beginning of the Month''; lit. ''Head of the Month'') is the name for the first day of every month in the Hebrew calendar, marked by the birth of a new moon. It is considered a minor h ...

Nisan Nisan (or Nissan; he, נִיסָן, Standard ''Nīsan'', Tiberian ''Nīsān''; from akk, 𒊬𒊒𒄀 ''Nisanu'') in the Babylonian and Hebrew calendars is the month of the barley ripening and first month of spring. The name of the month is ...

5769'')) was a Russian-born American

Haredi Haredi Judaism ( he, ', ; also spelled ''Charedi'' in English; plural ''Haredim'' or ''Charedim'') consists of groups within Orthodox Judaism that are characterized by their strict adherence to ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and traditions, in oppos ...

Jewish

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 ...

and ''

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 ...

'' (dean) of the

Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia The Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia ( he, פילאדעלפיע ישיבה) is a Haredi Litvish yeshiva in the Overbrook neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its heads of school are Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetsky, Rabbi Shimon Yehudah Svei an ...

together with Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetsky, and was internationally known for his incisive, brilliant, and clear ''shiurim'' (lectures), and his ability to offer sage advice to thousands of Jews worldwide. Rav Svei was born in Slabodka, died in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, and was buried in

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

Biography

Elya Svei was born to Rabbi Shmuel Leib Svei in Slabodka,

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

. When Elya was nine years old, while his father was in the United States collecting funds for the Kovno Kollel, Rabbi

Avigdor Miller Avigdor HaKohen Miller (August 28, 1908 – April 20, 2001) was an American Haredi rabbi, author, and lecturer most prominently known for instigating and invigorating extreme right-wing politics in American Orthodox Jewry. He served simultan ...

went to the American Consulate in Kovno and convinced the American ambassador to grant the Svei family, including Elya,

visas Visa most commonly refers to: *Visa Inc., a US multinational financial and payment cards company ** Visa Debit card issued by the above company ** Visa Electron, a debit card ** Visa Plus, an interbank network *Travel visa, a document that allows ...

to join Rabbi Shmuel Leib in the United States. In the United States, he attended

Yeshiva Torah Vodaath Yeshiva Torah Vodaas (or Yeshiva and Mesivta Torah Vodaath or Yeshiva Torah Vodaath or Torah Vodaath Rabbinical Seminary ) is a ''yeshiva'' in the Kensington neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. History The yeshiva was conceived in 1917 and for ...

, graduating its Hebrew Parochial High School division in 1941. He was described as being a genuine Beis Medrash talmid (student), and "not the average Mesifta boy." Rabbi Svei was a primary student of 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 ...

. Until his illness in the period before his death, he was regarded as one of the leaders of

Jewry, and was a member of the

Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah (, "Council of great Torah ages) is the supreme rabbinical policy-making council of the Agudat Yisrael and Degel HaTorah movements in Israel; and of Agudath Israel of America in the United States. Members are usually pr ...

and chairman of the Rabbinic Administrative Board of

Torah Umesorah 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 sa ...

, until he resigned from both in June 2002, reportedly due to an ideological dispute with his colleagues. Rabbi Svei's father was a member of the Kovno Kollel in Slabodka and spent his early years there. Rabbi Svei was a son-in-law of Rabbi

Avraham Kalmanowitz Avraham Kalmanowitz (also Abraham; he, אברהם קלמנוביץ; March 8, 1887 – 15 February 1964) was an Orthodox rabbi and rosh yeshiva (dean) of the Mir yeshiva in Brooklyn, New York from 1946 to 1964. Born in Belarus, he served as rabb ...

, the founder of the Brooklyn branch of the Mir Yeshiva, and was the brother-in-law of Rabbi

Shmuel Berenbaum Shmuel Berenbaum (March 13, 1920 – January 6, 2008) was an Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox rabbi and rosh yeshiva of the Mir yeshiva (Brooklyn), Mir yeshiva in Brooklyn, New York (state), New York. Biography He was born in Knyszyn, Poland and s ...

. Rabbi Svei is also known as the Rebbe Muvhak of Rav Shaye Portnoy, Rosh Yeshiva of Beis Medrash Letorah in Jerusalem. His advice was sought after by the leading ''Roshei Yeshiva'' in America – including the deans of his own ''alma mater'' – Bais Medrash Govoha in Lakewood. He was the leading force behind the establishment of Sinai Academy in Brooklyn, a middle school and high school catering to the children of primarily non-observant Russian Jewish immigrants.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Svei, Elya 1924 births 2009 deaths 20th-century American rabbis 20th-century Israeli rabbis 21st-century American rabbis 21st-century Israeli rabbis American Haredi rabbis Haredi rabbis in Israel Haredi rosh yeshivas Israeli people of Lithuanian-Jewish descent Israeli people of Russian-Jewish descent Israeli Rosh yeshivas Lithuanian emigrants to the United States Lithuanian Haredi rabbis Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah Rabbis in Jerusalem Russian expatriates in the United States Russian Haredi rabbis Soviet emigrants to Israel Soviet emigrants to the United States