Rabbi Chaim Dov Kantor (1865–1944) ( he,
הרב חיים דוב קנטור) was born in
Pinsk to his father R. Shlomo, the town cantor. The family was descended from Rabbi
Chaim of Volozhin
Chaim of Volozhin (also known as Chaim ben Yitzchok of Volozhin or Chaim Ickovits; January 21, 1749 – June 14, 1821)Jewish Encyclopedia Bibliography: Fuenn, Keneset Yisrael, pp. 347–349; idem, Kiryah Ne'emanah, pp. 156–158; Le ...
. At the age of four his father died, and Kantor's mother traveled around with her four children until she settled in
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
in 1871.
Chaim Dov studied at the
Talmud Torah
Talmud Torah ( he, תלמוד תורה, lit. 'Study of the Torah') schools were created in the Jewish world, both Ashkenazic and Sephardic, as a form of religious school for boys of modest backgrounds, where they were given an elementary educat ...
in the courtyard of the
Hurva Synagogue
The Hurva Synagogue ( he, בית הכנסת החורבה, translit: ''Beit ha-Knesset ha-Hurva'', lit. "The Ruin Synagogue"), also known as Hurvat Rabbi Yehudah he-Hasid ( he, חורבת רבי יהודה החסיד, "Ruin of Rabbi Judah the Piou ...
in
Jerusalem's Old City
The Old City of Jerusalem ( he, הָעִיר הָעַתִּיקָה, translit=ha-ir ha-atiqah; ar, البلدة القديمة, translit=al-Balda al-Qadimah; ) is a walled area in East Jerusalem.
The Old City is traditionally divided into ...
, and later at the renowned
Etz Chaim Yeshiva. He married Esther Spektor (d. 1928 or 1931; a niece of
Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor) and they were among the founders of the
Shfeya settlement in 1887, adjacent to
Zichron Yaakov
Zikhron Ya'akov ( he, זִכְרוֹן יַעֲקֹב, ''lit.'' "Jacob's Memorial"; often shortened to just ''Zikhron'') is a town in Israel, south of Haifa, and part of the Haifa District. It is located at the southern end of the Carmel mounta ...
, where he served as a rabbi. Following
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 ...
Kantor became a leading figure in the
Mizrachi Religious Zionist movement and was an active leader in Jewish life in Palestine. He was a
shochet (ritual slaughterer) and
mohel (circumciser). His main income was derived as the kosher supervisor of the Zichron Yaakov winery. At the end of his life he relocated to Jerusalem and is buried on the
Mount of Olives.
Kantor appears as the character Reb Chaim Dov in
Shmuel Yosef Agnon
Shmuel Yosef Agnon ( he, שמואל יוסף עגנון; July 17, 1888 – February 17, 1970) was one of the central figures of modern Hebrew literature. In Hebrew, he is known by the acronym Shai Agnon (). In English, his works are published und ...
's fictionalized travelogue ''HaGalilah'' (in English as "To the
Galilee
Galilee (; he, הַגָּלִיל, hagGālīl; ar, الجليل, al-jalīl) is a region located in northern Israel and southern Lebanon. Galilee traditionally refers to the mountainous part, divided into Upper Galilee (, ; , ) and Lower Galil ...
"
), published in his posthumous volume ''Pithei Devarim''.
Bibliography
*David Tidhar (ed.),
Encyclopedia of the Founders and Builders of Israel' (vol. 2, pp. 588–589).
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kantor, Chaim Dov
1865 births
1944 deaths
Zionist activists
Belarusian rabbis