Yaakov Kaminetsky
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Yaakov Kamenetsky (February 28, 1891 – March 10, 1986), was a prominent
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 ...
,
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 ...
, ''
posek In Jewish law, a ''posek'' ( , pl. ''poskim'', ) is a legal scholar who determines the application of ''halakha'', the Jewish religious laws derived from the written and Oral Torah, in cases of Jewish law where previous authorities are incon ...
'' and
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in the post-
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American Jewish community.


Biography

Yaakov Kamenetsky was born at a
folwark ''Folwark'' is a Polish word derived from the German ''Vorwerk''. A Folwark or Vorwerk is an agricultural estate or a separate branch operation of such an estate, historically a serfdom-based farm and agricultural enterprise (a type of latif ...
called Kalyskovka owned by his grandfather Samuel-Hirsh Kamenetsky,
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, in 1891. Shortly afterwards his family moved to the village of Dolhinov where he grew up. He studied in
Minsk Minsk (, ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administra ...
and then for 21 years in Slabodka yeshiva under Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel. It was there that he met his lifelong friend Rabbi Aharon Kotler, who later founded the Lakewood yeshiva. His younger cousin, Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak Ruderman, also grew up in Dolhinov. Kamenetsky was appointed rabbi of Tzitavyan in 1926 and moved to North America in 1937, where he initially took rabbinical positions in
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and then (from 1938 to 1945)
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
. From 1948 to 1968 he headed Mesivta Torah Vodaath in
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
,
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. After leaving the yeshiva he moved to
Monsey, New York Monsey (, ) is a hamlet and census-designated place in the town of Ramapo, Rockland County, New York, United States, north of Airmont, east of Viola, south of New Hempstead, and west of Spring Valley. The village of Kaser is surrounded by ...
, where he focused on publishing his books. Along with Rabbi
Moshe Feinstein Moshe Feinstein (; Lithuanian pronunciation: ''Moishe Fainshtein''; ; March 3, 1895 – March 23, 1986) was a Russian-born American Orthodox Jewish rabbi, scholar, and ''posek'' (authority on ''halakha''—Jewish law). He has been called ...
, ''Reb Yaakov'' (as he was affectionately called) led American Jewry in issues of halachic and spiritual guidance until 1986, when both men died. He was renowned as "''Chakima D'Yehudai''", the wise man of the Jews. Aside from his extensive
Torah The Torah ( , "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The Torah is also known as the Pentateuch () ...
scholarship, he was known for his ever-present warm smile and his expertise in Hebrew grammar. He was an advocate for English-language sefarim, even commenting that quality English-language sefarim will be used by Jews in the Messianic era as, like Yiddish in its time, "today English has become a language of Torah."


Family

Kamenetsky's first wife was Itta Ettil (Heller) Kamenetsky, who died on July 9, 1954. In 1958, Kamenetsky married Chana Urman of Toronto. The officiator at Kamenetsky's marriage to Chana was his close friend and colleague, Rabbi Zelik Epstein. Chana died shortly after her husband in 1986. Kamenetsky's son, Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetsky, heads the Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia and chairs the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah. His other sons are: Rabbis Binyamin (1923–2017), founder of the Yeshiva of South Shore in Long Island, NY, Nathan (1930-2019), vice
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 ...
at Yeshivas Itri, and author of '' Making of a Godol'' on his father, and Avraham (1930–2013). His oldest daughter, Malka (1921–2013), was married to Rabbi Yisrael Shurin (d. 2007). A second daughter, Rivka, was married to Rabbi Hirsch Diskind (1922–2013), the long-time Dean of Bais Yaakov of
Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
.Rav Hirsch Diskind zt"l, reprinted from Matzav.com
/ref> Dozens of his descendants serve in key leadership positions across North America in other countries. They include: Rabbis Mordechai Kamenetzky, Dean of the Yeshiva of South Shore, Shalom Kamenetsky, Rosh Yeshivas Philadelphia, Avraham Kamenetsky, R"M in Yeshivas Beis Yisrael in Jerusalem, Yosef Kamenetsky, Rosh Kollel in Moscow, Zvi Kamenetzky, Dean of the Dwek Ohr HaEmet Sephardic Academy of Toronto, and Yitzchak Shurin, Dean of Midreshet Rachel-Shapell's. His grandson Dov Shurin is a singer-songwriter and musician.


Works

*''Emes leYaakov al HaShas'' ("Truth to Jacob") – a five-volume work with in depth commentary on the Talmud. *''Emes leYaakov al Shulchan Aruch'' – a volume with commentary and rulings on Shulchan Aruch, The Jewish Code of Law *''Emes leYaakov'' (Formerly known as Iyunim BaMikra) – a two volume commentary on Torah and Prophets, which includes grammatical observations on the Hebrew of the Bible ( dikduk).


See also

* '' Reb Yaakov: The Life and Times of HaGaon Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetsky''


References


External links


Biography Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetsky


{{DEFAULTSORT:Kamenecki, Jacob 1891 births 1986 deaths 20th-century Lithuanian rabbis Haredi rabbis in Europe Canadian Haredi rabbis American Haredi rabbis Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah Belarusian Orthodox Jews Torah Vodaath rosh yeshivas Slabodka yeshiva alumni 20th-century American rabbis Haredi poskim