Chernobyl ( yi, טשערנאָביל) is a Hasidic dynasty that was founded by Grand Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky, known by the name of his work as the ''Meor Einayim''. The dynasty is named after the northern Ukrainian town of

Chernobyl Chernobyl ( , ; russian: Чернобыль, ) or Chornobyl ( uk, Чорнобиль, ) is a partially abandoned city in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, situated in the Vyshhorod Raion of northern Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine. Chernobyl is about no ...

, where Rabbi Nachum served as the

maggid A maggid ( he, מַגִּיד), also spelled as magid, is a traditional Jewish religious itinerant preacher, skilled as a narrator of Torah and religious stories. A chaplain of the more scholarly sort is called a '' darshan'' (). The title of '' ...

(). The attribution of Chernobyl Hasidism continued from the second generation of

Hasidic Judaism Hasidism, sometimes spelled Chassidism, and also known as Hasidic Judaism (Ashkenazi Hebrew: חסידות ''Ḥăsīdus'', ; originally, "piety"), is a Judaism, Jewish religious group that arose as a spiritual revival movement in the territory ...

to the present day. Chernobyl is considered one of the famous courts of the Hasidic movement. The lineage has existed to this day, although not always with the name Chernobyl. Today there are several

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 named Chernobyl. The central court is in Bnei Brak, headed by Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky. The name "Chernobyl dynasty" is also used as a general term for the sects of the descendants of Rabbi Mordechai of Chernobyl; the dynasties of Chernobyl, Skver, Trisk, Rachmastrivka, Hornosteipel, and in the past even the dynasties of Machnovka (today this court practices Belz customary), Makarov and Shpikov and the dynasties that branched out of these dynasties.

Lineage of the Chernobyl rebbes

* Rabbi Menachem Nachum of Chernobyl, founder of the dynasty, was a disciple of the

Baal Shem Tov Israel ben Eliezer (1698 – 22 May 1760), known as the Baal Shem Tov ( he, בעל שם טוב, ) or as the Besht, was a Jewish mystic and healer who is regarded as the founder of Hasidic Judaism. "Besht" is the acronym for Baal Shem Tov, which ...

(the founder of the Hasidic movement) and of the Maggid of Mezritch, and author of the books ''Me'or Einayim'' and ''Yesamach Lev'' (). His father was Rabbi Zvi Hirsch son of Rabbi Nachum Gaon of Narinsk. He served as a Maggid Meisharim in the communities of Narynsk, Pogrebishti and Chernobyl, and was poor most of his life. He died on the 11th of Cheshvan 1798. * Rabbi

Mordechai Twersky Mordechai Twersky (1770–1837), known as the ''Maggid'' of Chernobyl, was a Ukrainian rabbi. He was the son of Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky of Chornobyl and the second rebbe of the Chernobyl Hasidic dynasty. (The family surname originally come ...

of Chernobyl, known as the Maggid of Chernobyl, was the son of Rabbi Menachem Nachum and Sarah. He was married to the daughter of Rabbi Aharon the Great of Karlin and a second time to Feiga, the daughter of Rabbi Dovid Leikas. He used to turn around in the towns and receive

Maggid A maggid ( he, מַגִּיד), also spelled as magid, is a traditional Jewish religious itinerant preacher, skilled as a narrator of Torah and religious stories. A chaplain of the more scholarly sort is called a '' darshan'' (). The title of '' ...

us letters from many of them. Unlike his father, he was rich and traveled in a horse-drawn carriage. His teachings were gathered in the book Likutei Torah. He died on 24 May 1837, and was buried in Ignatowka, near Kiev, and left eight sons and three daughters. * Rabbi Aaron Twersky of Chernobyl, the son of Rabbi Mordechai and Chaya Sara. He was born in 1784, and his name was given to him after his grandfather, Rabbi Aharon the Great of Karlin, and in his youth his father forced him to serve as rebbe, and since then a he traveled a lot through the surrounding cities. Upon the death of his father, he took his place in the leadership of his community and the

ing of Chernobyl and other communities. He was the president of the charity fund Kupath Rabbi Meir Baal Haness of , and was active in strengthening the settling the land. He died on 21 November 1871, leaving behind six children. His sons were born from his second wife. Chernobyl Hasidism as a movement survived the ravages of

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; ...

, although many of its members perished. There are many scions of the Chernobyl dynasty alive today. Generally, at present, anyone with the last name Twersky (or Twerski) is likely to be a descendant of the Chernobyl dynasty.

The Chernobyl dynasty

The founder of the Chernobyl dynasty was Rebbe (Menachem) Nochum, the ''Meor Einayim'', a disciple of Rabbi Yisroel ben Eliezer, the Baal Shem Tov, who established the Hasidic movement. He was also a disciple of the Maggid of Mezritch: *Grand Rabbi Menachem Nochum Twersky of Chernobyl (1730–1797) – author of ''Meor Einayim'', disciple of the Baal Shem Tov **Grand Rabbi

(1770–1837) – the ''Chernobyler Maggid'', son of the Meor Einayim – had eight sons who each became a

and founded their own dynasty. ***Grand Rabbi Aaron Twersky of Chernobyl (1784–1871), eldest son of Rebbe Mordechai ****Grand Rabbi Yeshaya Meshulom Zishe Twersky of Chernobyl (1814–1881), son of Rebbe Aaron *****Grand Rabbi Shlomo BenZion Twersky of Chernobyl (1870–1939), son of Rebbe Yeshayo Meshulom Zishe ****Grand Rabbi Boruch Osher Twersky of Chernobyl (d. 1905), son of Rebbe Aaron *****Grand Rabbi Shlomo Shmuel Twersky of Chernobyl-Brooklyn (d.1936), son of Rebbe Boruch Osher and son-in-law of Rebbe Yeshaya Meshulom Zishe ******Grand Rabbi Yaakov Yisroel Twersky, Chernobyler Rebbe of Boro Park (1902–1983), son of Rebbe Shlomo Shmuel – the last Chernobyler Rebbe who was born in Chernobyl ******* Rabbi Shlomo Twersky (d. 2017), son of Grand Rabbi Yaakov Yisroel Twersky, Rabbi of Kehal Chasidy Chernobel in Lawrence, New York; ******** Grand Rabbi Zvi Twersky – Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Toras Chaim in Romema,

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

, son of Rabbi Shlomo Twersky of Lawrence, NY; **** Grand Rabbi Menachem Nochum Twerski of Loiev, son of Rebbe Aaron ***** Grand Rabbi Mordechai Twerski of Loiev (1840–1905), son of Rebbe Menachem Nochum ****** Grand Rabbi Avrohom Yehoshua Heshl Twerski of Loiev-Tshudnov (1860–1914), son of Rebbe Mordechai of Loiev ******* Grand Rabbi Chaim Yitzchak Twerski of Loiev-Kiev (1886–1943), son of Rebbe Avrohom Yehoshua Heshl of Loiev-Tshudnov. ******** Grand Rabbi Meshulam Zusha Twerski (1917–1987), Chernobyl-Loiev Rebbe of Bnei Brak, son of Rebbe Chaim Yitzchak of Loiev-Kiev. ********* Grand Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twerski (b. 1942), Chernobyl-Loiev Rebbe of Bnei Brak, son of Rebbe Meshulam Zusha of Chernobyl-Loiev. ********* Grand Rabbi Yeshaya Twerski (b. 1944), Chernobyl-Loiev Rebbe of Boro Park, son of Rebbe Meshulam Zusha of Chernobyl-Loiev. ****** Grand Rabbi Boruch Bentsion Twerski of Loiev-Uman (1875–1945), son of Rebbe Mordechai of Loiev ******* Rabbi Chaim Mordechai Twersky (1921-2013), Chernobyler Rav of

Boro Park Borough Park (also spelled Boro Park) is a neighborhood in the southwestern part of the borough of Brooklyn, in New York City. The neighborhood is bordered by Bensonhurst to the south, Dyker Heights to the southwest, Sunset Park to the west, ...

and Rabbi of Maimonides Hospital

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 ...

New York, grandson of Rabbi Boruch Bentsion of Loiev-Uman ******** Rabbi Baruch Benzion Twersky, Chernobyler Rav of Monsey, son of Rabbi Chaim Mordechai of Boro Park ***Grand Rabbi Yaakov Yisroel Twersky of Cherkas, (1794–1876) – son of the Maggid of Chernobyl ****Rebbe Mordechai Dov Twerski of Hornosteipel (1839–1903), author of "Emek Sheilah" and four other soforim– grandson of the Rebbe Yaakov Yisroel Twerski and great-great-grandson of Rebbe Zishe of Anipoli. *****Rebbe Chaim Moshe Tzvi Twerski of Hornosteipel-Rachmastrivka (1866–1933) - son of the Rebbe Mordechai Dov. Son in law of Rebbe Nuchum of Rachmastrivka of the Chernobal dynasty *****Rebbe Ben Tzion Yehuda Leib Twerski of Hornosteipel-USA (1867–1951) – son of Rebbe Mordechai Dov. ******Rabbi Chaim Aharon Twerski – son of Rebbe Ben Tzion Yehuda Leib - son-in-law of Rebbe Yaakov Yisroel Dovid Hager of Strozhnits ******Rabbi Menachem Nuchim Twerski son of Rebbe Ben Tzion Yehuda Leib (d. 19 Kislev)– son of Rebbe Ben Tzion Yehuda Leib - son-in-law of Rebbe Yosef Zvi Kalish of Skernovitz-Bnei Braq orka Hasidic Dynastyas a very knowledgeable in torah and chassidus. Young and old would flock to his shul in Tel-Aviv and hear words of Torah and stories of tzadddikim. He wrote a sefer called "Medor L'dor" documenting his pedigree charts, Yichus book and the biography of his ancestors. ******Rebbe Yaakov Yisroel Twerski of Hornosteipel-

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee ...

(1900–1973) - son and successor of Rebbe Ben Tzion Yehuda Leib - son-in-law of Rebbe Benzion Halberstam of

Bobov Bobov (or Bobover Hasidism) ( he, חסידות באבוב, yi, בּאָבּאָװ) is a Hasidic community within Haredi Judaism, originating in Bobowa, Galicia, in southern Poland, and now headquartered in the neighborhood of Borough Park, in Br ...

*******Rebbe Ben Tzion Chaim Shloime Meshulam Zusia Twerski of Hornosteipel-

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

(1923–1981) - son of Rebbe Yaakov Yisroel of Milwaukee ********Rebbe Mordechai Dov Ber Twerski of Hornosteipel-Denver (b. 1949), in Flatbush, Brooklyn - only son of Rebbe Shloime of Denver ********Rebbe Shalom Shachna Friedman of Hornosteipel-Beitar Illit - son-in-law of Rebbe Shloime of Denver *******Rebbe Mordechai Dov Ber Twerski (1924–1998), son of Rebbe Yaakov Yisroel of Milwaukee *******Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Twerski, M.D., son of Rebbe Yaakov Yisroel of Milwaukee *******Rebbe

Yechiel Michel Twerski Rabbi Michel Twerski (born May 1939) is an American Hasidic rabbi and composer of Jewish music. He currently heads the Beth Jehudah congregation in Milwaukee. He is the brother of the psychiatrist Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski. Rabbi Twerski is a des ...

of Hornosteipel-Milwaukee (b. 1939) - son of Rebbe Yaakov Yisroel of Milwaukee *******Rabbi Aaron Twerski, son of Rebbe Yaakov Yisroel of Milwaukee ***Grand Rabbi Yitzhak Twersky of Skver, (1812–1885) son of Rebbe Mordechai; son-in-law of Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh of Skver, a patrilineal descendant of the Baal Shem Tov; **** Grand Rabbi David (Duvidl) Twersky of Skver (1848–1919) — son of Rebbe Itzikl. ***** Grand Rabbi Mordechai Twersky of Skver (1868–1919) — son of Rebbe Duvidl. ****** Grand Rabbi Yitzchak Twersky of Skver (1888–1941) — arrived in America in 1923, son of Rabbi Mordechai. ******* Grand Rabbi David Twersky of Skver-Boro Park (1922–2001) — son of Rabbi Yitzchak. ******** Grand Rabbi Yechiel Michl Twersky — present Skverer Rebbe of Boro Park, son of Rabbi David. ***** Grand Rabbi Shlomo Twersky of Skver (1870–1921) — son of Rebbe Duvidl. ****** Grand Rabbi Eluzar Twersky of Faltishan-Skver (1893–1976) — Rebbe of Faltishan (

Fălticeni Fălticeni (; ''german: Foltischeni; hu, Falticsén;'' he, פלטיצ'ן yi, פאלטישאן) is a town in Suceava County, northeastern Romania. It is situated in the historical region of Western Moldavia. Fălticeni is the second largest urba ...

, Romania); son of Rabbi Shlomo; arrived in America in 1947. ******* Grand Rabbi Yisrael Avraham Stein of Faltishan (1915–1989) — Rabbi of Faltishan, and Faltishaner Rebbe in Brooklyn; son-in-law of Rabbi Elazar; arrived in America in 1946. ******** Grand Rabbi Mordechai Stein of Faltishan — present Faltishaner Rabbe; son of Rabbi Yisrael Avraham. ******* Rabbi Avrom Twersky of Faltishan (ca. 1920-1985) — Rebbe of Faltishan Borough Park; son of Rabbi Eluzer. ******** Grand Rabbi Shulem Meir Twersky — Present Faltishan Borough Park Rebbe; son of Rabbi Avrom. ***** Grand Rabbi Yakov Yosef Twersky of Skver (1899–1968) — Rebbe of New Square; son of Rabbi Duvid'l. ****** Grand Rabbi David Twersky of Skver — present Rebbe of New Square and Grand Rabbi of the Skverer Hasidim worldwide; son of Rebbe Yaakov Yosef. ***Grand Rabbi Avrohom Twersky of Trisk, son of Rebbe Mordechai, author of ''Mogen Avrohom'' (d. 1889) ***Grand Rabbi David Twersky of Tolna, son of Rebbe Mordechai ***Grand Rabbi Yochanan Twersky of Rachmastrivka, son of Rebbe Mordechai

Famous scions

Among the famous scions of the Chernobyl dynasty are: * Grand Rabbi Menachem Nochum Twerski, the Chernobyler Rebbe of Bnei Brak; * Grand Rabbi Yeshaya Twersky, the Chernobyler Rebbe of

Borough Park, Brooklyn Borough Park (also spelled Boro Park) is a neighborhood in the southwestern part of the borough of Brooklyn, in New York City. The neighborhood is bordered by Bensonhurst to the south, Dyker Heights to the southwest, Sunset Park to the west, ...

; * The Chernobyler Rebbe of Ashdod; * Grand Rabbi David Twersky, of New Square, NY, leader of Skver, the largest current Hasidic dynasty originating from Chernobyl; * Grand Rabbi Michel Twersky, the Skverer Rebbe of

; * Grand Rabbi Michel Twerski, the Hornosteipler Rebbe of

; * Grand Rabbi Mordechai Dov Ber Twerski, the Hornosteipel-Denver Rebbe of

Flatbush, Brooklyn Flatbush is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood consists of several subsections in central Brooklyn and is generally bounded by Prospect Park to the north, East Flatbush to the east, Midwood to the south, ...

; * Grand Rabbi Shalom Shachna Friedman, the Hornosteipler Rebbe of

; * Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Twerski, noted author and psychiatrist; * Rabbi Aaron Twerski, retired Dean of

Hofstra Law School The Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University (commonly known as Hofstra Law) is a law school located in Hempstead, New York on Long Island, affiliated with Hofstra University. Founded in 1970 and accredited by the ABA in 1971, the sc ...

; * Rabbi Dovid Twersky, the Rachmastrivka Rebbe of

; * Rabbi Chai Yitzchok Twersky, the Rachmastrivka Rebbe of

; * Grand Rabbi Menachem Mendel Matisyohu Twersky, the Trisker Rebbe of London; **Grand Rabbi Yitzchok Duvid Twersky of Trisk-Tolna. Son of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Matisyohu * Rabbi Moshe Mordechai Eichenstein, the Trisker Rebbe of

; * Rabbi Yitzchak Menachem Weinberg, the Tolner Rebbe of Jerusalem; * Rabbi Amitai Twersky, the Tolner Rebbe of Ashdod; * Rabbi Chaim Eliezer Twerski, son of Reb Mottel Twerski of Flatbush, Rosh Yeshiva Hebrew Theological College and Rav of Bais Chaim Dovid Lincolnwood, Illinois; * Rabbi Dr. Yitzhak Twersky, the Tolner Rebbe of Boston and a professor and head of the Center for Jewish Studies at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

; ** Rabbi Mayer Twersky, son of Rabbi Yitzhak Twersky of Boston, Rosh Yeshiva of Rabbi Isaac Elchanon Theological Seminary of

Yeshiva University Yeshiva University is a private Orthodox Jewish university with four campuses in New York City."About YU
on the Yeshiva Universi ...

; ** Rabbi

Mosheh Twersky Moses hbo, מֹשֶׁה, Mōše; also known as Moshe or Moshe Rabbeinu (Mishnaic Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, ); syr, ܡܘܫܐ, Mūše; ar, موسى, Mūsā; grc, Mωϋσῆς, Mōÿsēs () is considered the most important pro ...

, son of Rabbi Yitzhak Twersky of Boston, Rosh Mesivta of

Yeshiva Toras Moshe Yeshiva Toras Moshe is an English-speaking Litvish Orthodox Yeshiva in Jerusalem. Founded in 1982, it was established in Israel to cater to post-high school students from English-speaking countries. It has since graduated over 1,000 students. ...

in Jerusalem, Israel. * Grand Rabbi

Yitzhak Aharon Korff Yitzhak Aharon (Ira A.) Korff is the present Rebbe of Zvhil – Mezhbizh. Since 1975 he has been the Chaplain of the City of Boston (serving the Boston Police and Fire Departments, Mayor's Office, and other City departments and agencies) and ...

, grandson of Rebbe Yaakov Yisroel Korff, Zvhil– Mezbuz Rebbe of Boston. File:Chernobyler Rebbe - Portrait.jpg, Grand Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Twersky, ZT"L, Chernobyler Rebbe of Boro Park – the last Chernobyler Rebbe to serve in

File:Skverer Rebbe With Torah.jpg, Grand Rabbi David Twersky, Skverer Rebbe, a scion of the Chernobyl dynasty File:Yitzhak Aharon Korff 2.jpg, Zvhil-Mezbuz Rebbe of Boston, Grand Rabbi Y. A. Korff (center), and Rabbi Yitzhak (Isadore) Twersky, Tolna Rebbe of Boston (left)

Notes

Sources

External links

Rebbes of Makarow-Berdichev (Chernobyl Hasidic dynasty)
– site (in Russian and English) of Zalman Shklyar (Russia, Moscow, icq 277236854)

*The Hornosteiple shul in Milwauke
Chernobler Rebbe...
{{Hasidic dynasties