Yisroel Spira (November 12, 1889 – October 30, 1989), the Bluzhover Rebbe, was a senior member of Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, and a

Holocaust survivor Holocaust survivors are people who survived the Holocaust, defined as the persecution and attempted annihilation of the Jews by Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, its collaborators before and during World War II ...

. His experiences in the

Nazi concentration camps From 1933 to 1945, Nazi Germany operated more than a thousand concentration camps (), including subcamp (SS), subcamps on its own territory and in parts of German-occupied Europe. The first camps were established in March 1933 immediately af ...

were the basis for the book ''Hasidic Tales of the Holocaust''.

Early life and family

Spira was born in Reisha (

Rzeszów Rzeszów ( , ) is the largest city in southeastern Poland. It is located on both sides of the Wisłok River in the heartland of the Sandomierz Basin. Rzeszów is the capital of the Subcarpathian Voivodeship and the county seat, seat of Rzeszów C ...

), Galicia, southern

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

, to Yehoshua Spira, the "Keren Yehoshua" of Ribiditsch, and Tziporah. Yehoshua Spira was the son of Tzvi Elimelech Spira of Bluzhov ( Błażowa in Polish) (1841–1924), also known by the eponym ''Tzvi LaTzaddik'' (Hebrew צבי לצדיק), after his major work. Tzvi Elimelech Spira was the son of the ''Tzemach Dovid'' (Heb. צמח דוד) of Dinov, who in turn was the son of Tzvi Elimelech Spira of

Dynów Dynów () (, , ) is a small town in Rzeszów County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, Poland, with a population of 6,058 (02.06.2009). History Dynów was first mentioned in written sources in 1423. At that time, together with other villages, it belong ...

(1783–1841), the author of '' Bnei Yisaschar'' (Heb. בני יששכר). Spira married Perel Unger, the daughter of Shalom David Unger, the Zashavna Rebbe.

Career

Spira was ordained at the young age of thirteen by the Maharsham of Brezan (

Berezhany Berezhany ( ; ; ; , ''Bzhezhani''/''Bzhizhani'') is a small List of cities in Ukraine, city in Ternopil Raion, Ternopil Oblast, western Ukraine. It lies about from the administrative center of the oblast, Ternopil. Berezhany hosts the administr ...

). He served as the rabbi of Pruchnik, and was later appointed rabbi of Ustrzyki Dolne, near Sanok, in southeastern Poland. After his father's death in 1931, Spira became

Rebbe A Rebbe () or Admor () is the spiritual leader in the Hasidic movement, and the personalities of its dynasties.Heilman, Samuel"The Rebbe and the Resurgence of Orthodox Judaism."''Religion and Spirituality (Audio)''. UCTV, 20 Oct 2011. web. ...

of Bluzhov.

World War II

As a result of the Nazi occupation of Poland, the Jews were first herded into

ghetto A ghetto is a part of a city in which members of a minority group are concentrated, especially as a result of political, social, legal, religious, environmental or economic pressure. Ghettos are often known for being more impoverished than other ...

s, then suffered deportation to destinations yet unknown. Spira was sent to the Janowska concentration camp. In October 1942, he was transferred to

Bełżec Belzec (English: or , Polish: , approximately ) was a Nazi German extermination camp in Occupation of Poland (1939–1945), occupied Poland. It was built by the SS for the purpose of implementing the secretive Operation Reinhard, the plan to ...

, but he was subsequently able to escape back to Janowska. He would later be transferred to Bergen-Belsen On October 31, 1942, Spira's wife Perel was killed by the

Nazis Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

. The rest of his family, among them his brothers, Rabbi Eliezer of Ribaditch, and Rabbi Meir of Bluzhev, were all killed by the Nazis. On April 15, 1945, Spira was liberated from Bergen-Belsen. After the war, Spira married his second wife, Rebbetzin Bronia Spira (Melchior) (b. June 2, 1910) from Sosnowiec. Her first husband, Rabbi Yisroel Avrohom Koshitzki, perished in the

extermination camp.

Post-war

Spira relocated to 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 ...

, at first settling in the Williamsburg section of

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 ...

, New York, and later in Borough Park. Spira played an important role in the development of Agudath Israel of America.

Death

Spira died on October 30, 1989. He was the senior member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah. Rabbi Yitzchok Brandriss, spokesman for the Moetzes, said that Spira was the oldest living

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 ...

Rabbi.(November 1, 1989) Obituar
"Israel Spira, 99, Leader Of Bluzhov Hasidim
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' Spira was buried on the Mount of Olives in

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

Legacy

Stories about Spira's experiences during 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 ...

were told over to Holocaust researcher Yaffa Eliach. These stories would later become the basis for her book ''Hasidic Tales of the Holocaust''. In 2005, Spira's grandson, Rabbi Yoseph Spira, compiled two volumes of his grandfather's

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 () ...

thoughts, called ''Shufra Deyisroel'' (Heb. שופרא דישראל). He also wrote a biography called ''LeAid Bivney Yisroel'' (Heb. לעד בבני ישראל).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spira, Yis 1891 births 1989 deaths 20th-century Polish rabbis Hasidic rabbis in Europe American Hasidic rabbis Orthodox rabbis from New York City People from Williamsburg, Brooklyn Religious leaders from Brooklyn Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah Polish emigrants to the United States Belzec extermination camp survivors Bergen-Belsen concentration camp survivors Burials at the Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives People from Borough Park, Brooklyn