Rabbi Michoel Pressburger (''Michael Pressburger'', , ) is a leading Austrian haredi

rabbi A rabbi (; ) is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi—known as ''semikha''—following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of t ...

who heads the historic Schiffschul synagogue in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

's second district where a sizable

Haredi Haredi Judaism (, ) is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that is characterized by its strict interpretation of religious sources and its accepted (Jewish law) and traditions, in opposition to more accommodating values and practices. Its members are ...

Jewish community once thrived in the years leading to the

Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

. Today, the Schiffschul is a much smaller synagogue serving the local Orthodox Jewish community while also serving as a sanctuary to Jewish refugees from

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

who transit through

. Rabbi Michoel Pressburger was born in

and has continued the line of succession to

Bonyhád Bonyhád () is a town in Tolna County in Southwestern Hungary. History The area around Bonyhád has been inhabited since ancient times, primarily by Celts. The modern town can trace its history back to 14th century. The town was briefly uninhab ...

rabbis such as his grandfather, Rabbi Aaron Pressburger and his father, Rabbi Schmuel Pressburger. Aaron Pressburger was the chief Orthodox rabbi of Bonyhád until the start of the

and was murdered in

Auschwitz Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It consisted of Auschw ...

in 1943. "Kehilat Bonyhád" is a reference to the Jewish tradition that originated in the Orthodox community of Bonyhád and its surrounding areas in the late 1700s. Now in his fifties, Michoel Pressburger has been helping rescue and resettle Jewish refugee teenagers from Iran and elsewhere for almost 30 years. His contact with the post-revolution Islamic government of

as well as American and Austrian governments has put him in a unique position to help with this endeavor. Since the majority of the refugees go through Vienna before they receive asylum in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, Rabbi Pressburger and his synagogue have helped with their physical and spiritual well-being while they are in transit in

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

. Since 1983, Pressburger has headed an international non-profit organization to help with the rescue and resettlement of Jewish refugees from

. He has been credited with numerous daring missions to Iran and elsewhere in the Middle East and Europe with the aim of rescuing

Iranian Jews Iranian Jews, (; ) also Persian Jews ( ) or Parsim, constitute one of the oldest communities of the Jewish diaspora. Dating back to the History of ancient Israel and Judah, biblical era, they originate from the Jews who relocated to Iran (his ...

who have been subjected to religious persecution. At least four of these rescued refugees were previously condemned to death by the Iranian government.Article about Michoel Pressburger in Mishpacha Magazine dated September 2, 2009, titled "The Undercover Rabbi"

References

External links

Schiffschul
austriansynagogues.com
Transit. The Iranians in Vienna. Photographs by Christine de Grancy
Exhibition at the Jewish Museum Vienna
Rabbi Michoel Pressburger on Helping Jews of Iran
(Video) Vienna, March 2012 ---- {{DEFAULTSORT:Pressburger, Michoel 20th-century births Living people Rabbis from Vienna 21st-century Austrian rabbis Austrian Haredi rabbis Austrian activists Austrian people of Hungarian-Jewish descent Austria–Iran relations Iran–Israel relations People from Leopoldstadt Year of birth missing (living people)