Tosh (also "Tash";

Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...

Yiddish Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...

: טאהש) is a

Hasidic Hasidism () or Hasidic Judaism is a religious movement within Judaism that arose in the 18th century as a spiritual revival movement in contemporary Western Ukraine before spreading rapidly throughout Eastern Europe. Today, most of those aff ...

dynasty originating in Nyirtass,

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

. Today, it is based in

Kiryas Tosh Kiryas Tosh (), also called Tash (), is a Hasidic Jewish community in the town of Boisbriand, Quebec. It is affiliated with the Tosh Hasidic dynasty. According to the 2021 Canadian census, the community is home to about 2,055 people. Naming ...

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, outside

Boisbriand, Quebec Boisbriand () is an Greater Montreal, off-island suburb of Montreal, at the entrance of the Lower-Laurentides in southwestern Quebec, Canada, on the North Shore (Montreal), north shore of the Rivière des Mille Îles in the Thérèse-De Blainvi ...

, a suburb of

Montreal, Quebec Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

. The current leader is Grand Rabbi Elimelch Halevi Segal-Loewy, who succeeded his late father,

Meshulim Feish Lowy Meshilem Feish Segal Lowy II (, Magyarized: ''Lőwy Ferencz''; 11 April 1921 – 12 August 2015) was the fourth Grand Rebbe of the Tosh Hasidic dynasty. Biography Early life Lowy was born in Nyírtass, northeastern Hungary. His father Mordeca ...

, upon the latter's death on 12 August 2015. Tosher Hasidim have synagogues 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 ...

, in

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Williamsburg, Brooklyn Williamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordered by Greenpoint to the north; Bedford–Stuyvesant to the south; Bushwick and East Williamsburg to the east; and the East River to the west. It was an independe ...

, Kiryas Joel, and Monsey, as well as in Montreal and in

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The Tosh dynasty

The first Tosher rebbe was Meshulam Feish Segal-Loewy I, a disciple of Rabbi David Spira of Dinov son of

Tzvi Elimelech Spira of Dinov Tzvi Elimelech Spira of Dinov (צבי אלימלך שפירא מדינוב) (1783-1841) was a leading Hasidic Rebbe in Poland, founder of the Dinov Dynasty. He was a prolific writer, best known as the author of ''Bnei Yissachar'', by which ti ...

. *Meshulam Feish Segal-Lowy I of Tosh - disciple of Rabbi David Spira of Dinov **Elimelech Segal-Lowy of Tosh (1865–1942), son of Meshulam Feish and disciple of Rabbi Eliezer Tzvi Safrin ***Mordechai Segal-Lowy of Demecser - son of Elimelech of Tosh **** Meshulam Feish Segal-Lowy II of Tosh (1921–2015), reviver of the Tosh dynasty after the Holocaust - son of Mordechai of Demetsche and his wife Tzirl *****Elimelech Segal-Lowy of Tosh - son of Meshulam Feish Segal-Lowy of Tosh The Tosh community was revived after the Holocaust by rebbe

(Hungarian form: Lőwy Ferencz), who was born in Nyirtass,

, in the Jewish year 5682 (1921 or 1922 CE). He survived

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 ...

in the Hungarian Labour Service, and was liberated by the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

from a camp outside

Marghita Marghita (; ; ; ''Margaretin'') is a city in Bihor County, Romania. It administers two villages, Cheț (''Magyarkéc'') and Ghenetea (''Genyéte''). Geography Marghita is located in the northern part of the county, north-east of the county sea ...

in October 1944. He became the rebbe of the surviving Hasidim of his father, Mordechai Márton Lőwy, who was murdered in Auschwitz with most of his extended family, and he established his court in

Nyíregyháza Nyíregyháza (, ) is a city with county rights in northeastern Hungary and the county capital of Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg. With a population of 118,001, it is the seventh-largest city in Hungary and the second largest in the Northern Great ...

. In 1951, fearing the

Hungarian People's Republic The Hungarian People's Republic (HPR) was a landlocked country in Central Europe from its formation on 20 August 1949 until the establishment of the current Hungary, Republic of Hungary on 23 October 1989. It was a professed Communist_state# ...

's communist government, he told his followers to leave Hungary, and emigrated to Canada, settling in Montreal. In 1963, he and his Hasidim purchased an area in

, forming the enclave of

. Lőwy was married to Chava (née Weingarten), a direct descendant of

Elimelech of Lizhensk Elimelech Weisblum of Lizhensk (1717–March 11, 1787) was a rabbi and one of the founding Rebbes of the Hasidic movement. His hometown was Leżajsk () near Rzeszów in Poland. He was part of the inner "Chevraya Kadisha" (Holy Society) school o ...

, from 1946 until her death in 1996. He married Malka Hass in 2007. He was succeeded by Elimelech Segal-Lowy.

Writings

Many of Meshulim Feish Lőwy's sermons and discourses have been written down in a series of five books entitled ''Avodas Avodah''. Two of them are Hebrew-language books that explain the weekly Torah portions, and the Jewish holidays, with practical insights into divine service which are subtitled: ''Dibros Kodesh''. Further two are Yiddish-language books that explain the weekly Torah portions, and the Jewish holidays, with practical insights into divine service which are entitled: ''Imros Kodesh''. Another, mostly in Hebrew but with Yiddish segments, is a compilation of addresses that he made regarding the ''

Yahrzeit Yahrzeit (, plural , ) is the anniversary of a death in Judaism. It is traditionally commemorated by reciting the Kaddish in synagogue and by lighting a long-burning candle. Name The word ''Yahrzeit'' is a borrowing from the Yiddish (), ul ...

'' (death anniversary) of a large number of Jewish religious figures, arranged according to the Jewish calendar. It is subtitled ''Sichos Kodesh''. A second volumes of "Sichos Kodesh" appeared in 2009.

External links

Tosh, Between Earth and Moon, a Hasidic Rebbe's Followers and his Teachings, article by William Shaffir and Justin Jaron Lewis

Welcome to Tosh

Picture Collection of Tosher Rebbe

Video Clips of the Tosher Rebbe

Seforim of the Tosher Rebbe

Kiryas Tosh Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tosh (Hasidic Dynasty) Anti-Zionism in Hungary Ashkenazi Jewish culture in Quebec Hasidic dynasties Jewish anti-Zionism in Canada Jewish Hungarian history Hasidic anti-Zionism Hasidic Judaism in Canada Hasidic Judaism in Hungary Hungarian-Jewish diaspora Orthodox Judaism in Quebec