Rabbi Baruch Dov Povarsky (born August 17, 1931), often referred to as Rabbi Berel Povarsky, is

rosh yeshiva Rosh yeshiva or Rosh Hayeshiva (, plural, pl. , '; 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, primarily the Talmud and th ...

of one of the two divisions of the Ponevezh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak, Israel. He served alongside Rabbi

Gershon Edelstein Yerachmiel Gershon Edelstein (; 18 April 1923 – 30 May 2023) was a Soviet Union, Soviet-born Israeli Haredi Judaism, Haredi rabbi who was rosh yeshiva of the Ponevezh Yeshiva, president of the Vaad HaYeshivos, Vaad Hayeshivos, and the spiritua ...

in this role until the latter's death on 30 May 2023.

Biography

Rabbi Povarsky was born in 1931 in

Kletsk Klyetsk or Kletsk is a town in Minsk Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Klyetsk District. Klyetsk is located on the Lan (river), Lan River. As of 2025, it has a population of 11,169. History The town was founded in the ...

. When he was three months old, the family moved to Baranovich where R' Dovid became a

teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...

Yeshiva Ohel Torah-Baranovich Yeshiva Ohel Torah-Baranovich, commonly referred to as the Baranovich Yeshiva or simply as Baranovich, was an Orthodox Jewish yeshiva in Baranavichy, Belarus (which at its founding was ruled by the Russian Empire and after World War I, the Second ...

and joined its affiliated ''

kollel A kollel (also kolel) (, , , , a "gathering" or "collection" f scholars is an institute for full-time, advanced Torah study, study of the Talmud and rabbinic literature. Like a yeshiva, a kollel features Shiur (Torah), shiurim (lectures) and ...

.'' During this period, Baruch Dov learned in the city's local ''

cheder A ''cheder'' (, lit. 'room'; Yiddish pronunciation: ''khéyder'') is a traditional primary school teaching the basics of Judaism and the Hebrew language. History ''Cheders'' were widely found in Europe before the end of the 18th century. L ...

''. In 1941, escaping the Nazi-Soviet threats in Baranovich (then part of Poland), the Povarskys escaped to

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...

, Lithuania together with thousands of other refugees. From there, they emigrated to Israel, where R' Dovid was soon appointed rosh yeshiva of the Ponevezh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak. In Israel, he learned in Yeshivas Ohr HaTalmud and Yeshivas Achei Temimim, and in 1943, for a short stint in the Chevron Yeshiva. However, shortly after becoming rosh yeshiva in Ponevezh, R' Dovid brought his son to learn there. Rabbi Baruch Dov Povarsky began teaching in the Ponevezh Yeshiva in 1953, and after the death of the rosh yeshiva, Rabbi Elazar Menachem Man Shach, he became rosh yeshiva.

Works

*''Bad Kodesh'' *''Bad Kodesh al HaTorah'' *''Shiurei HaGRaBaD Povarsky''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Povarsky, Baruch Dov Rosh yeshivas Israeli rosh yeshivas Ponevezh Rosh yeshivas Israeli Orthodox rabbis Haredi rabbis in Israel 1931 births Living people Rabbis in Bnei Brak Polish emigrants to Mandatory Palestine