Yosef Yechiel Mechel Lebovits (

Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ver ...

: יוסף יחיאל מיכל לעבאוויטש) is a Hasidic rebbe and the founder of the Nikolsburg-Monsey Hasidic community.

Family

Yechiel Mechel Lebovits was born in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

to Rabbi Baruch Yehuda Lebovitz (1908 - 1951) and Yentel Schnitzler (1910 - 1976). His father Baruch was from

Hajós Hajós ( hr, Ajoš; german: Hajosch) is a town in Bács-Kiskun County, Hungary. History Hajós's name comes from the Hungarian word "hajó" which means boat or ship. It is possible that in the Middle Ages Hajós was surrounded by a large area ...

, Hungary and helped revive Jewish life in the D.P. camps. His father's family claimed direct paternal descent from Yechiel Michel of Zlotshov (d. 1786), founder of the Zlotshov Hasidic dynasty. His mother Yentel Schnitzler (1910 - 1976) was the daughter of Shraga Shmuel Schnitzler (1889 - 1979) the Tchabe Rav of Jerusalem who was the great-grandson of Rabbi Baruch Schnitzler of

Kaliv Kaliv is a Hasidic dynasty founded by Yitzchak Isaac Taub (1744–1821) of Nagykálló (in Yiddish ''Kalev, Kaalov, Kaliv''), Hungary. History Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac Taub Rabbi Taub (1751 - 7 Adar 2, March 21 1821) was the rabbi of Kalov and the ...

(1765 - 1820) who the Schnitzler family claim to have been the son-in-law of

Shmelke of Nikolsburg Shmuel Shmelke HaLevi Horowitz of Nikolsburg (Yiddish: שמואל שמעלקי הלוי הורוויץ פון ניקאלשפורג, ; 1726 – April 28, 1778) also known as the Rebbe Reb Shmelke was an early Hasidic master and kabbalist, who is am ...

(1726 - 1778) from where the Nikolsburg-Monsey community is named. However several genealogists and historians have questioned the Schnitzler connection to Horowitz. Through his mother, Lebovitz is the third-great-grandson of Yechiel Michel Auerbach (1785 - 1856) who was the grandson of Zusha of Hanipol (1718 - 1800) and the great-great-grandson of the Baal Shem Tov (1698 - 1760) who founded Hasidic Judaism. Lebovits married the daughter of Eleazar Meisels, the ''

Av Beit Din The ''av beit din'' ( ''ʾabh bêth dîn'', "chief of the court" or "chief justice"), also spelled ''av beis din'' or ''abh beth din'' and abbreviated ABD (), was the second-highest-ranking member of the Sanhedrin during the Second Temple period, ...

'' of Ihel-Chicago and a descendant of the Meisel family. His brother Baruch Lebovits passed away in 2022.

Biography

After his father's death, Lebovits' mother Yentel married

Eliezer Zusia Portugal Eliezer Zusia Portugal (17 October 1898–18 August 1982), the first Skulener Rebbe, was revered by his followers in Russia, Romania, Israel, and the United States for his personal warmth and his care for hundreds of Jewish youth and war orpha ...

(1898 - 1982), the first Skulener Rebbe. In his early years, Lebovits studied in the Satmar Yeshiva, under the tutelage of Joel Teitelbaum (1887 - 1979) who he had private sessions with every Wednesday. Lebovits also had a close connection to the Vizhnitz Rebbe, Mordechai Hager (1922 - 2018) who named Lebovits the Nikolsburger Rebbe. At first Lebovits held court in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, later relocating to Spring Valley in Monsey, New York. The community of Nikolsburg in Monsey has a yeshiva for young adults and boys, a kollel and a beis midrash. He has also authored several works, the most notable of which is "Igeros Yechiel" which is chiddushim on all Torah subjects, including the Talmud, Shulchan Aruch, and the weekly Torah portions. He has also authored the works "Shevas Achim" and "Vzos Hamitzvah".

External links

Nikolsburg website
Hasidic rebbes Living people Year of birth missing (living people) {{US-rabbi-stub