The Ozerov Hasidic dynasty is a
Hasidic
Hasidism, sometimes spelled Chassidism, and also known as Hasidic Judaism ( Ashkenazi Hebrew: חסידות ''Ḥăsīdus'', ; originally, "piety"), is a Jewish religious group that arose as a spiritual revival movement in the territory of conte ...
group that began in 1827 when Rabbi Yehudah Leib Epstein, Rabbi of
Ożarów in
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 populou ...
since 1811, assumed leadership of his Hasidim ("disciples"). Ozerov is known for its learning, as one of the intellectual Hasidic dynasties.
Rabbi Epstein was a disciple of the
Seer of Lublin
Yaakov Yitzchak HaLevi Horowitz ( he, יעקב יצחק הלוי הורוביץ), known as "the Seer of Lublin" (), ''ha-Chozeh MiLublin''; (c. 1745 - August 15, 1815) was a Hasidic rebbe from Poland.
"Rabbi Yaacov Yitzchak, the Chozeh of Lublin, ...
, the
Holy Jew of
Prshiskhe,
the ''Ohev Yisrael'' of
Apt
Apt. is an abbreviation for apartment.
Apt may also refer to:
Places
* Apt Cathedral, a former cathedral, and national monument of France, in the town of Apt in Provence
* Apt, Vaucluse, a commune of the Vaucluse département of France
* A ...
, Poland, and Rabbi Myer, the ''Or LaShamayim'' of Apt. When Rabbi Myer died in 1827, his chasidim asked the Rabbi of Ożarów to be their new rebbe. Rabbi Yehudah Leib accepted this position reluctantly. His followers numbered in the thousands. He moved to
Opole
Opole (; german: Oppeln ; szl, Ôpole) ;
* Silesian:
** Silesian PLS alphabet: ''Ôpole''
** Steuer's Silesian alphabet: ''Uopole''
* Silesian German: ''Uppeln''
* Czech: ''Opolí''
* Latin: ''Oppelia'', ''Oppolia'', ''Opulia'' is a city l ...
towards the end of his life and died in 1837. He was succeeded by his son, Rabbi Yechiel Chaim Epstein. Rabbi Yechiel Chaim was succeeded by his son, Rabbi Arye Yehuda Leib Epstein, author of the Hasidic work Birkas Tov, in 1887.
Rabbi Arye Yehuda Leib had six children:
# Grand Rabbi Avraham Shlomo Epstein of Ozharov (1864-1917) (who succeeded his father in 1913),
# Rabbi Eliezer Shalom Epstein of Partzev,
# Rabbi Yoseph Epstein of
Josefów,
# Grand Rabbi Alter Moshe David Epstein of
Ćmielów
Ćmielów is a town in Ostrowiec County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, Poland, seat of Gmina Ćmielów. It has 3,222 inhabitants (2004). It is known for one of Poland's oldest porcelain factories dating back to 1790. The town history dates back ...
,
# Rabbi Yaakov Epstein, Rebbetzin Chava Rabinowicz (wife of Grand Rabbi Yerachmiel Tzvi
Rabinowitz Rabinowitz (also Rabinowicz) (רבינוביץ), is a Polish-Lithuanian Ashkenazi Jewish surname, Slavic for "''son of the rabbi''". The Russian equivalents are Rabinovich or Rabinovitch.
It may refer to:
People
* Loren Galler-Rabinowitz (born 1 ...
of
Biala-Shedlitz),
and
# Rebbetzin Feiga Taub (wife of Rabbi Yaakov Yerachmiel Taub of
Radom
Radom is a city in east-central Poland, located approximately south of the capital, Warsaw. It is situated on the Mleczna River in the Masovian Voivodeship (since 1999), having previously been the seat of a separate Radom Voivodeship (1975 ...
, brother of Rabbi Israel Taub of
Modzhitz).
Rabbi Avraham Shlomo Epstein served as rebbe for only four years, and was succeeded by his son, Rabbi Moshe Yechiel Epstein. Rabbi Moshe Yechiel Epstein was the son-in-law of Grand Rabbi Chaim Shmuel of
Chentshin.
Outline of Ozerov dynasty
*Grand Rabbi Yehuda Leib Epstein of
Ozharov (d. 23 Teiveis 1837)
**Grand Rabbi Yechiel Chaim Epstein (1820-1888), son of Rabbi Yehudah Leib
***Grand Rabbi Aryeh Yehuda Leib Epstein of Ozharov (1837-1914), author of Birkas Tov, son of Rabbi Yechiel Chaim
****Grand Rabbi Avrohom Shlomo Epstein of Ozharov (1864-1917), author of ''She'eiris HaBrachah'', son of Rabbi Arye Yehuda Leib and son-in-law of Grand Rabbi Chaim Shmuel Horowicz-Szternfeld of
Chentshin
*****Grand Rabbi Moshe Yechiel HaLevi Epstein of Ozerov-
Chentchin (1889-1971), author of ''Eish Dos'' and ''Be'er Moshe'', son of Rabbi Avrohom Shlomo
******Rabbi Dovid Eliyahu Becker of Milwaukee (was not Rebbe), son-in-law of Rabbi Moshe Yechiel Epstein of Ozerov-Chentchin
*******Grand Rabbi Tanchum Becker of Ozerov-Chentchin (b. 1949), present Ozerover Rebbe, son of Rabbi Dovid Eliyahu Becker and Rebetzin Miriam Becker (daughter of Reb Moshe Yechiel, Zt"l)
****Grand Rabbi Alter Moshe David Epstein of
Tshmelov, son of Rabbi Arye Yehuda Leib.
See also
*
History of the Jews in Poland
The history of the Jews in Poland dates back at least 1,000 years. For centuries, Poland was home to the largest and most significant Ashkenazi Jewish community in the world. Poland was a principal center of Jewish culture, because of the l ...
*
Sarah Horowitz-Sternfeld Sarah Horowitz-Sternfeld (1838-1937), of Chęciny, Poland, was a prominent religious personality in the Hasidic community in pre-war era. Horowitz-Sternfeld was associated with the Chentshin-Ozharov, an amalgamation of the Chentshin and Ozharov d ...
References
* בלבת אש ''Belabas Eish'' - history of the Ozharov dynasty.
* Y. Alfasi החסידות מדור לדור ''Hachasidut midor ledor'', Jerusalem.
* Ha-Eish-Dos - history of the Eish Dos
* Intro. to Birkas Tov, Y. Becker.
* Oral history of the family, D. Zarmi.
External links
Text of ''Sefer Eish Dos'' Volume 1 in Hebrew, PDF fileText of ''Sefer Eish Dos'' Volume 2 in Hebrew, PDF fileA Letter from Grand Rabbi Tanchum Becker of Ozharov-Khentshin concerning the Jewish Cemetery in Ożarów, Poland, and a history of the Ozharover Dynasty
{{Hasidic dynasties
Hasidic dynasties of Poland
Hasidic Judaism in Poland
1827 establishments in the Russian Empire